Quantcast

Greg's Cycles

img_0780.jpgA few years ago Mayor Nickels had an idea to make himself a hero among Seattle's driving masses: he would build us a tunnel.

Then we thought about it and replied, are you out of your mind?

Mayor Nickels response--You don't want my tunnel, fine, I'm gonna give bicyclists $240 million dollars. Have fun watching them zoom through red lights while you stew in traffic, ride defiantly just far enough out in the street to hold up entire platoons of cars, and avoid four-way-stops by swerving onto the sidewalk to pretend they are pedestrians.

Yesterday the mayor donned a helmet and lycra shorts (WE WISH) to announce that the city will be providing hundred of miles of new bike lanes around the city. Wait, it costs $240 million to paints white lines on the side of streets?

How do bicyclists feel?

PRO: "In my opinion, this is the best plan in the country," said David Hiller, advocacy director for the Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club.

CON: Longtime rider David Smith criticized the plan as "one-dimensional."

Their thoughts are expanded here.

Nickles, of course, won't be impacted by the legions of bicyclists--he rides around on the city's magical monorail.

As for Seattle’s drivers, I hope you’ve learned your lesson, in the future give Mayor Nickels whatever he wants.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By David in on April 5, 2007 11:00 AM

Comments [rss]

  • Seth

    If you are going to ride on the street, you should stop for streetlights. Or I will honk at you, as I did at some douche biker who ran a light in front of me the other day.

  • Matt the Engineer

    From the linked article, in a list of ways the money will be spent: "Police crackdowns against cyclists who run red lights".

    WTF? How does that encourage bicycling? The way I see it, bicyclists should be able to run any color light they choose. It's not as if they'll hurt the other vehicle in an accident.

    When I commute on a bike I routinely run lights for the following reasons:

    1. Your visibility is excellent, since you're outside and not in a steel cage - there's no way you'll miss the sight or sound of an approaching car.

    2. Sensor lights rarely trigger for a bicycle, unless I've had a heavy breakfast.

    3. Like I'm going to stop - do you see the size of the hill on the other side of the intersection?

  • Seth

    Little-known facet of plan: Mayor Nickels will jump up and down on top of Queen Anne Hill until he flattens it. Should take about eight jumps.

  • Looking Forward

    Bicycling rocks:

    1. Most energy efficient form of transportation ever invented.

    2. Get healthier while you commute.

    3. Be part of the carbon solution - save the polar bears!

    4. Much more fun than sitting in traffic.

    5. Park right at the front door or even in your office.

    6. Saves money. No car payments, no gas, no insurance, no health club fees, and infrastructure costs are several orders of magnitude less than auto tunnels or monorails.

    7. Bicycling gets you out in the sun and the rain, experiencing this gloriously beautiful city.

  • Jeff Reifman

    How about a tunnel for cyclists?

blog comments powered by Disqus
Home

send a tip

tips@seattlest.com

all our cities
one convenient app

available on the iPhone AppStore

about

staff / advertising / contact / archive

contribute