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Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Joe Soucheray columnAug 03, 2011 (Pioneer Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- An important clue came our way the other day in order to understand why the proponents of turning Jefferson Avenue into the Yellow Brick Road of bicycling are so adamant about getting their painted lanes, signs and, most crucially, a median at Cleveland. The median at Cleveland Avenue is anticipated to be a grassy island. A test median at the intersection prevented motorists on Cleveland from taking a left onto Jefferson, and drivers on Jefferson had to take a right on Cleveland. Such an obstruction apparently makes the intersection safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Traffic circles have already been rejected by residents along Jefferson and signs -- preciously called "sharrows" -- that were painted on Jefferson near Snelling Avenue were painted mistakenly and had to be painted over. In other words, despite the best intentions of Transit for Livable Communities, the non-elected activists who got their mitts on a million dollars of federal money for the Jefferson Avenue project, Jefferson pretty much still looks like what it is supposed to be, a significant east-west artery for motorists. That just won't do, and thus the clue. "We definitely believe that if this is going to be a street that's going to work well for pedestrians and bicyclists, this is a very important design element," said Steve Clark, bicycling and walking program manager for TLC, referring to the median. "Just calling something a bike route doesn't quite do it. A median is one of those things, we know from studies, that really makes a difference." Well, there you have it. You can't really say you're a member of the marching band unless you have a uniform with brass buttons. It is not hyperbole to suggest that you can't really say you're an official, federally funded bike route, unless you can demonstrate that you have seriously disturbed traffic patterns that have worked for about 100 years. And nothing would disturb traffic like a median, whimsically constructed at the intersection of Cleveland and Jefferson. Without such a signature component, there really is nothing that distinctive about the bike route, or to put it another way, Jefferson wouldn't be that much different from any other street where there are already plenty of bicyclists. I called Clark and left a message, and I must say I was terribly impressed with just the recorded number of options you are offered when you call Transit for Livable Communities. Let me try to explain something, but probably to no avail. I have been an avid bicyclist and might be again, particularly as I shy away from motorcycling. I believe that bicycling is a great exercise. But that's it. Winter? Forget about it. Bicycling is not our preferred mode of transportation. Yes, there are people who can commute to work on a bicycle, but their numbers are few. And there is no way Mom is going to get her five kids onto a bicycle and haul home school supplies from Target. Now, TLC, which is in the so-called nonprofit business of compelling bicycle riding, might wish otherwise, but they are delusional. Why taxpayers should fund that delusion is where we find ourselves as these people can essentially dangle that million dollars in front of the city's public works department. The proposal goes before the city council Aug. 17. Every one of us can look around the city and find dozens of better uses for that million dollars. But at least we now know the importance of that median. It's entirely symbolic. Without it, Jefferson remains exactly what it has always been: a serviceable avenue for our preferred mode of transportation. And there will still be bicyclists; they just won't have brass buttons. Joe Soucheray can be reached at [email protected] or 651-228-5474. Soucheray is heard from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays on KSTP-AM 1500. To see more of the Pioneer Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.twincities.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |