[BikeLongmont] Emery clarification

Fri Apr 18 11:48:21 MDT 2008

Nickie -

I've been following your posts with interest.  The City has an on-going
capital project known as Greenway Connections (PR-83) where we attempt to
address some of those abrupt trail endings you describe.  Currently we have
17 different connections identified, though funding for all of these will
take a number of years.  If you know of any specific trail gaps that you
would like to see addressed, please feel free to contact me with
descriptions of where they are and I can look at options for adding them to
this project.

Thanks - Steve
303-774-4532

             "The Stouts"                                                  
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                                       [BikeLongmont] Emery clarification  
             04/17/2008 02:30                                              
             PM                                                            

There were a few questions concerning the recent email I sent
regarding the Emery closure.  I thought I would send on this response
to everyone:

My email really has two parts.

The nature of my concern with the Emery closure is with connectivity.
The Emery street in itself is not really a wonderful place to cycle,
but it links two very important areas of town.  I, and quite a few
other cyclists, have found this road to be a safe way to get from the
Saint Vrain Greenway to the Old Town area and library.  The Greenway
exits by the fire training facility and then Emery provides access to
the downtown area.  Exiting the Greenway on Main Street is really not
a safe place to cycle.  If you exit the Greenway to the west, you end
up on Terry, also not safe to ride north of 1st street.   After
brainstorming a bit, I realized that you can ride up to the east, past
Eco-cycle to get up to 3rd st and then ride down to the light to get
across 3rd and into the Old Town/Library area.  Because there at least
is a safe route, I am less opposed to the idea than I was at first.

The important thing to understand is that those who ride for
transportation have a different internal "map" then those who drive.
Drivers know what roads will get them where they want to go the
fastest, with the least lights etc.  Transportational cyclists have a
different "map".  They know what roads and or paths are safe to ride
where they connect to other safe roads.  There are certain "hot spots"
you might call them where it is very difficult to find a safe
connecting road to get where you want to go.  Emery just so happens to
be one.  The driving equivalent might be to close down a block or two
of Ken Prat Blvd.  Sure, you can get around it, but usually there is
at least some help with navigating.

What would be helpful are some signs, directing cycling traffic.
Imagine driving to an appointment only to realize that the only road
you know will take you there has suddenly been closed!  In a car this
would never stand!  They at least put up signs.  But with a bike,
people are surprised when you don't want your road closed.  If we are
going to be serious about considering bicycles transportation in
Longmont, we have to give the flow of cycling traffic some assistance
in such situations.

The first purpose of my email was to pass on the information I had
received to those who were opposed to the closure of Emery St, and
wanted to know what to do about it.  I do not know Sara Levison's
position on the matter, but being a neighbor, she was kind enough to
inform me of the kind of work that would be necessary if I desired to
oppose this closure.  For myself, it really sounds like a lot of work
to keep one street open.  I would prefer to spend my time promoting
creating new cycling infrastructure in Longmont, as opposed to working
so hard on preventing one closure.

Which comes to the second intent of my email, to find or create a
group that can advocate for safer routes to ride in Longmont,
especially for children.  A lot of the difficulty with cycling
infrastructure in Longmont is that a lot of roads and paths do not
connect very well.  There are a lot of places where you will be riding
along on a path and the path will just end with dirt or weeds or a
deep ditch.  Imagine having that happen in your car!  Or a bike lane
will suddenly cease in the middle of a fast moving road.  This may not
be much of a problem for a seasoned cyclist on a single bike.  However
if you are toting two children in a heavy trailer, you can't just go
off-roading when the infrastructure stops.  And I certainly wouldn't
send school children that way.  It seems that this is the purpose of
bike-Longmont, which is very exciting to me.  And I am delighted to
discover this group!

I do not want to step on the toes of those who are working to make
things better.  Longmont certainly is a better city to bike than many
in the US.  However, there is so, so, so much more that we can do!
Cities like Portland, Vancouver, Amsterdam, Coppenhagen, Bogata, and
even Boulder have worked very hard on promoting cycling infrastructure
and seen some amazing results.  I would like to see us learn from them
and develop our own ideas to make transportational (not just
recreational) cycling a reality in Longmont for residents and
especially for children.

Nickie
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