[IndianaTrails] List Digest, Vol 34, Issue 1

Thu Dec 7 12:13:32 PST 2006

"Indiana is run by suburban auto-dependent Republicans for suburban 
auto-dependent Republicans. Don't expect them to embrace alternative 
transportation like it is I-69. We will have to take back the state 
ourselves."

-Bob Matter
Hammond, IN

I wish people would keep their political opinions out of this
discussion-there are plenty of Republicans that support Indiana Trails. 
One way to put up roadblocks in the trails movement is to pi.. people
off.

>>> On 12/7/2006 at 3:00 PM, in message
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Today's Topics:

   1. Cyclists advocate new bike lanes (Robert J. Matter)
   2. Re: Cyclists advocate new bike lanes (Robert J. Matter)
   3. [Fwd: Re:  Cyclists advocate new bike lanes] (Robert J. Matter)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:25:07 -0600
From: "Robert J. Matter" <rjmatter at prodigy.net>
Subject: [IndianaTrails] Cyclists advocate new bike lanes
To: Indiana Trails <list at indianatrails.org>
Message-ID: <45783253.6000105 at prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_340215913.html?keyword=secondarystory

Published: December 06, 2006 09:59 pm

Cyclists advocate new bike lanes
By Austin Arceo
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE ? Attorney Bill Drummy tries to take advantage of nice 
weather on his lunch hour.

Weather permitting, he leaves his law office on Fourth and Ohio streets

in Terre Haute and rides his bike to Twigg Rest Area and back ? a 
distance of well more than 10 miles.

Drummy also supports the city?s efforts to create more bicycle lanes, 
and he voiced his support at a public meeting Monday night in which
city 
officials discussed long-term plans for trail development in Terre
Haute.

City officials also discussed the creation of bicycle lanes on Ohio 
Boulevard, which created some controversy after some area residents
felt 
ignored during the decision-making process and others were concerned 
about cyclists? safety. But cycling advocates support the new lanes.

?I have many, many clients who are from out of town who come into the 
office,? Drummy said, ?and they?re all very positively impressed by the

fact that Terre Haute, which never had anything progressive in the
past, 
seems like now has this beautiful bike trail.?

The city is looking to create several trails within the next few years.

Terre Haute currently has more than 10 miles of trails, which includes

bicycle lanes, and hopes to have more than 35 miles of trails within
the 
next two to five years.

?That?s a somewhat ambitious goal,? said Pat Martin, chief planner for

Terre Haute, ?but nonetheless we?re fairly confident that we can
achieve 
the goal simply by the projects that we already have under design.?

Officials hope for Terre Haute to become one of a handful of Indiana 
communities designated a ?bicycle friendly community? by the League of

American Bicyclists. The organization?s Web site lists Bloomington and

Carmel as the only two Hoosier cities with that distinction.

?I think anytime we can broaden our appeal to more and more 
demographics, it improves our competitive position when it comes to 
growth and prosperity,? Terre Haute mayor Kevin Burke said, ?and I view

cities like Bloomington, Carmel, Lafayette [and] Fort Wayne as our 
competitors, so I not only want to compete with them, I want to surpass

them.?

Last month, the Terre Haute City Council approved a partial-park ban 
along Ohio Boulevard to make way for a bicycle lane. But some area 
residents questioned cyclists? safety if riding along the corridor.

City officials believe the marked bike lanes would actually make
cycling 
along the street safer since there would be a specially designated area

for cyclists to ride.

Some opponents of the Ohio Boulevard lanes did not necessarily oppose 
the lanes themselves, but they felt like they had a lack of input on
the 
decision.

?I pay taxes, and I?m not going to put up with being told that I?m 
insignificant?,? Charles Parks, president of the Trinity Lutheran
Church 
council, said after city engineer Pat Goodwin explained the city?s
plans 
Monday night.

?It?s just the idea that his plan hurt people I care about, and I
didn?t 
appreciate that,? Parks said.

Goodwin said that the Ohio Boulevard bicycle lanes would not be created

until early spring 2007.

Austin Arceo can be reached at (812) 231-4214 or
austin.arceo at tribstar.com.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:49:34 -0600
From: "Robert J. Matter" <rjmatter at prodigy.net>
Subject: Re: [IndianaTrails] Cyclists advocate new bike lanes
To: Martain Tomberlain <wolfpak765 at hotmail.com>, Indiana Trails
<list at indianatrails.org>
Message-ID: <4578461E.7060601 at prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Martain Tomberlain wrote:

> Great news for Terre Haute but.. Where's ours in Indy?
> 
> I hate to sound negative as this is in fact terrific news but I want
to know
> "where's mine?"
> 
> If Terre Haute can afford the time and money to have a road truck
drive down
> a street and paint a line why cant Indy which has much more funding
and
> citizens? 
> 
> We have yet to have a line painted on Kessler. There is no bike lane
on
> Michigan, and I suspect that 38th street inside 465 will not offer a
bike
> lane in my lifetime. These shouldn't even be up for debate. They
should be a
> requirement.
> 
> I apologize. I'm just starting to feel frustrated about this issue.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Scott

Scott,

I recommend you express your dissatisfaction with Indy's lack of bike 
lanes by "taking the lane", especially on the last Friday of the month

at 5:30 p.m. with a like-minded group of cyclists. Here are all the 
details: http://www.geocities.com/indycm/ 

It's not unheard of for direct action activists to paint their own bike

lanes to get the message across. Recently in Toronto activists laid
down 
a harmless chalk bike lane and had this to say:

"What's cool is that when even a temporary chalk-drawn bike lane is 
installed along a stretch of Bloor, motorists seemed to drive within
the 
lines and cyclists had their own path. Maybe we can chalk it up in the

meantime while waiting for a more permanent solution. Pray it don't
rain."

Here is the complete article with a photo:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2006/11/take_the_tooker_brings_awareness_to_preelection_cycling_issues/

Indiana is run by suburban auto-dependent Republicans for suburban 
a
uto-dependent Republicans. Don't expect them to embrace alternative 
transportation like it is I-69. We will have to take back the state 
ourselves.

-Bob Matter
Hammond, IN

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:54:10 -0600
From: "Robert J. Matter" <rjmatter at prodigy.net>
Subject: [IndianaTrails] [Fwd: Re:  Cyclists advocate new bike lanes]
To: Indiana Trails <list at indianatrails.org>
Message-ID: <45784732.2040607 at prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

I believe Suzanne meant for her reply to go to the group. -RJM

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [IndianaTrails] Cyclists advocate new bike lanes
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 11:46:12 -0500
From: HHC Suzanne Mittenthal <hikers at scican.net>
To: Robert J. Matter <rjmatter at prodigy.net>
References: <45783253.6000105 at prodigy.net>

go for it!  i once tried to park my car in a stadium lot at I.U.--vast

and empty on a Tuesday morning--and ride my bike around Bloomington for

business purposes, and ended up with a parking ticket for my car!
suzanne Mittenthal, HHC

------------------------------

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