[Grovenet] Biking in Forest Grove (WAS: Kevin Van Dyke? Is thatname familiar?)

[David Morelli]

I suspect that part of our problem with automobile/bike interaction  
is shared with our automobile/pedestrian interaction.  The drivers of  
automobiles believe that they paid for the roads, that they own the  
roads, and that the roads exist solely for the driver's benefit.   
Pedestrians and bicycles are a nuisance to be tolerated, usually.   
Or, ignored, overlooked and driven over.

Perhaps someone in the city can provide real figures, but I suspect  
that gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees only pay some part  
of the road construction and maintenance in cities like Forest  
Grove.  I would guess that the city's new road construction costs are  
borne by purchasers of new homes.  I would guess that the state funds  
from the gasoline tax pool doesn't cover maintenance costs, so the  
city's general fund pays part.  I would guess that the actual  
ownership of most of the streets in Forest Grove has passed to the  
city.  And that expansions of existing right of way is done by a  
purchase paid by city funds from sources other than gasoline taxes.

In short, if drivers believe that they "own the roads" because they  
"paid for them", then I believe that they are mistaken.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that traffic planning - even by cities  
- does seem to focus on quickly moving automobiles to the determent  
of neighborhoods, pedestrians, and bicyclists.  An example would be  
the traffic circle North of 10th Street in Cornelius.  The county  
spent a great deal of money improving that intersection by installing  
a traffic circle, including adding details to the approaches to slow  
traffic down to 15-20 mph so that the circle could be negotiated  
safely.  And they spent another sum of money to get a larger radius  
on the corner a few hundred feet to the East to change it from a 30  
mph corner to a 45 mph corner!  Hello?  If the cars need to slow down  
for the traffic circle, they can start by slowing down for the corner  
that precedes the traffic circle.  That way the intoxicated/ 
incapacitated/incompetent/inattentive driver can put their car into a  
ditch at the corner instead of blasting into the traffic circle where  
they can collide with a car carrying people.  Nope.  Instead they  
want to make roads simple enough for the intoxicated/incapacitated/ 
incompetent/inattentive drivers to stay out of the ditches, so that  
they are still on the road to hit other drivers, bicyclists, and  
pedestrians.

The two cyclists who were run over by Dilley, were killed by an  
inattentive driver.
http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php? 
story_id=115817729508232400

Stay off of the phone while driving.

David


On Oct 8, 2006, at 10:03 AM, Kristy wrote:

>
>> We could do a registry system. Only folks registered for a street
>> (residents) could travel some streets. This would make it easier  
>> for bikes.
>>
>
> What would one do if one wanted to visit Mrs. Jones for a quick  
> minute...and she lived on a restricted street?
>
> Or if one is trying to find an address and keeps getting lost cuz  
> you can't go there?
>
> Just a wonderment...
> Kristy
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