Micah Posner: No surprise the 'status quo' opposes rail trail project

Judged:

This column, along with the anti-highway widening piece next to it from Campaign for Sensible Transportation spokes-suer Jack Nelson represent the Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-dumber in the local transportation debate. Same counterintuitive spiels - counterintuitive because they're also counterreality.

diogenes

United States

And when they enact this $14 million+++ boondoggle, Posner can get a job handing out brochures, enticing tourists to ride the "Broken Down Train to Nowhere".

Eve Olve

Judged:

I'm with you Micah. Thank you for your efforts.

Xanthippe

Since: May 08

2,708

ISP: San Francisco, CA

Judged:

Hey, Micah, those east side merchants ought to know that since that lane was taken from Soquel Avenue, I no longer cross town to shop over there - too hard to get to. So they have you to thank for that.

Oh, and leave King Street alone. You want to help bike riders? Then advocate for the originally-promised UCSC Eastern Access route. That will do more to help bike traffic on the west side than a King Street bike boulevard, without taking away parking.

Since: Sep 08

315

Judged:

Which lane was "taken" from Soquel?

How hard can it be to use Soquel?

Xanthippe wrote:

Hey, Micah, those east side merchants ought to know that since that lane was taken from Soquel Avenue, I no longer cross town to shop over there - too hard to get to. So they have you to thank for that.
Oh, and leave King Street alone. You want to help bike riders? Then advocate for the originally-promised UCSC Eastern Access route. That will do more to help bike traffic on the west side than a King Street bike boulevard, without taking away parking.

uh Clem

Judged:

If it is feasible, so what. It is a ginormous waste of money. And for what?

yikes

Oakland, CA

Judged:

It sounds like it's time for requiring bicycle licensing, registration and insurance.

Reality Check

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nocklebeast wrote:

Which lane was "taken" from Soquel?
How hard can it be to use Soquel?
<quoted text>

I think Xanthippe is talking about the clusterflock where one must go west on Water in order to get to Soquel.
I believe Posner is talking about the bike lane south of Frederick, including the $300K spent at the intersection of Soquel and Capitola road which turned a perfectly good intersection into a convoluted mess.

Reality Check

Judged:

yikes wrote:

It sounds like it's time for requiring bicycle licensing, registration and insurance.

I think that is a great idea (license/reg at least.) That would be one way to reduce the theft of bikes by our local 'colorful' folks.

Tia

Soquel, CA

Judged:

Micah Posner is to bicyclists what Robert Norse is to the homeless.

Beginning from Pacific Ave., Soquel goes from 1-lane to 2-lanes; to 1-lane, then 2-lanes; a scary bend in the road at Frederick St. just to continue to go straight and finally to a frightening merge for cars and bicycles onto Capitola Rd. When I drive that stretch, I'm very cautious of cyclists. When I bicycle that stretch, I curse the fools that made those changes. I appreciate the smoother road, but feel it's less safe than before. I hope Posner keeps his grubby paws away from King Street.

Omnibro

Judged:

No surprise the 'status quo' opposes Micah Posner

Xanthippe

Since: May 08

2,708

ISP: San Francisco, CA

Reality Check wrote:

<quoted text>
I think Xanthippe is talking about the clusterflock where one must go west on Water in order to get to Soquel.
I believe Posner is talking about the bike lane south of Frederick, including the $300K spent at the intersection of Soquel and Capitola road which turned a perfectly good intersection into a convoluted mess.

I'm talking about how Soquel goes from 4 to 2 lanes somewhere around Seabright.

Micah seems to want to restrict movement from one side of town to the other, and it's working! I stay on the west side. The east side merchants no longer get my business (Shoppers Corner is the furthest I go these days). If I have to go further east, I tend to hop on the freeway and continue on down to Capitola. Too bad for the east side merchants, though.

Micah's against freeway widening, and worked to get Soquel narrowed. And I can't believe what a mess it is now at the Capitola/Soquel intersection. That used to be a decent intersection, and now it's completely fubared.

Every time I see a bicyclist "taking the lane" without a helmet on Mission, I wonder if they're influenced by Micah Posner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he advocate riding on Mission rather than the safer side streets? Since they're entitled to, I guess, who cares if it's not safe.

Reality Check

Xanthippe wrote:

Every time I see a bicyclist "taking the lane" without a helmet on Mission, I wonder if they're influenced by Micah Posner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he advocate riding on Mission rather than the safer side streets? Since they're entitled to, I guess, who cares if it's not safe.

And thus the disconnect. The riders (and I *AM* one) take all the liberties, i.e. taking the lane, without taking the precautions - wearing a helmet for the inevitable collision when one 'takes the lane'.
I am a risk taker in that I don't wear my helmet for around town jaunts (though I do on all sport rides.) Given that, I'm *very* careful around traffic and acknowledge that even though I may have the right of way,*physics* is not necessarily on my side, and I ride with that in mind. I'd rather be usurped and alive than 'right' and dead, or in intensive care.

Xanthippe

Since: May 08

2,708

ISP: San Francisco, CA

Reality Check wrote:

<quoted text>
And thus the disconnect. The riders (and I *AM* one) take all the liberties, i.e. taking the lane, without taking the precautions - wearing a helmet for the inevitable collision when one 'takes the lane'.
I am a risk taker in that I don't wear my helmet for around town jaunts (though I do on all sport rides.) Given that, I'm *very* careful around traffic and acknowledge that even though I may have the right of way,*physics* is not necessarily on my side, and I ride with that in mind. I'd rather be usurped and alive than 'right' and dead, or in intensive care.

The problem with "taking the lane" on Mission Street is that it's not just a city road, it's Highway 1, a popular tourist route. Many people come through Santa Cruz who are not at all conversant with sharing the road, and they end up on Highway 1.

The way I see it, Micah Posner's advocacy of cyclists trying to own Mission Street is just asking for trouble. Sometimes I wonder how opportunistic Posner is; he's at the forefront blaming cars whenever there's a fatality on Mission.

[I don't have any problem with cyclists "taking the lane" - I'd prefer them to when it's a tight squeeze.(I do have problems with cyclists who think "share the road" means "move out of the way of bicyclists" and intentionally try to slow traffic or be in the way - like Critical Massholes).]

eric d

Judged:

Wow! You can't ALL possibly be such a big bunch of disgruntled, sore losers, can you?!
It's a bike lane!! If you don't like it,then don't use it. Simple!!
Jeez!

Since: Sep 08

315

The number of auto lanes stayed the same when the bike lanes were installed.

Xanthippe wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm talking about how Soquel goes from 4 to 2 lanes somewhere around Seabright.
Micah seems to want to restrict movement from one side of town to the other, and it's working! I stay on the west side. The east side merchants no longer get my business (Shoppers Corner is the furthest I go these days). If I have to go further east, I tend to hop on the freeway and continue on down to Capitola. Too bad for the east side merchants, though.
Micah's against freeway widening, and worked to get Soquel narrowed. And I can't believe what a mess it is now at the Capitola/Soquel intersection. That used to be a decent intersection, and now it's completely fubared.
Every time I see a bicyclist "taking the lane" without a helmet on Mission, I wonder if they're influenced by Micah Posner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he advocate riding on Mission rather than the safer side streets? Since they're entitled to, I guess, who cares if it's not safe.

Since: Sep 08

315

Soquel and Capitola isn't that much different than it used to be... it just eliminated that one freeway style right turn from Soquel to Capitola.

That used to be one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians and bicycles (and Santa Cruz Public Works have the accident statistics to prove it).

Reality Check wrote:

<quoted text>
I think Xanthippe is talking about the clusterflock where one must go west on Water in order to get to Soquel.
I believe Posner is talking about the bike lane south of Frederick, including the $300K spent at the intersection of Soquel and Capitola road which turned a perfectly good intersection into a convoluted mess.

Since: Sep 08

315