This evening the Park Department will conduct a public meeting* on it's Trail Network Plan, including the controversial bike lanes on Linden and Turner Streets, through downtown Allentown. My previous post, Allentown's WPA Bounty, received the following comment: I don't think we have to choose between restoring the key WPA projects OR having a user-friendly bike system throughout the city. Unfortunately, we are not even being given any choices. While grants are pursued and consultants hired for the cycling paths, not a thought or dollar has gone toward the irreplaceable, iconic stone structures throughout the park system. Opposition to the center city bike lanes is widespread. In addition to center city residents, the plan is also opposed by the police department and even the cycling enthusiasts themselves: I feel taking a lane of traffic from Linden and Turner Streets is not only unnecessary but a disaster to the residents of those streets and to anyone who uses them for transportation. Because of the park department's preoccupation with cycling, at the expense and neglect of the traditional park features, I oppose the Trail Network Plan.
produced by Gary Ledebur, Netherfield Studios, Philadelphia
*meeting at 7:00pm, Allentown Library, lower level
Mr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your continued passion towards trying to save the parks
WPA stone construction walkways.
Just one more travesty in a veritable stream of injustice being perpetrated upon the citizens living here in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteWe have not enough parking as it is and now some good meaning idiots have decided to usurp needed space for residents to allow three or four individuals on bicycles access to Linden and Turner streets?
Any idea how many people use these streets daily?
Is this really some sort of trade off? Is a bike route another part of the hokey arena? Going to ride your bikes to the hokey match?
We here are working people!
Do nothing to impede our ability to freely get from our homes to the sweat shops we work in and back again. We are already jockeying for parking spaces. We are already being held hostage by the Allentown Parking Authority.
And the best part: just see how many bicycle accidents will occur following this inane plan.
If you think traffic is crazy in Allentown, remember automobile drivers have passed a state driving test.
ReplyDeleteChildren will likely be riding on these public routes.
I'm sure they are all trained and will all follow the rules of the road.
Death and mutilation will follow this horrible idea.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteMike,
In short Turner and Linden streets are bad locations for a good idea. The reasons are obvious to those who lives on the streets or use them as thru streets. There are times of the day when traffic crawls on both of these streets with two lanes of traffic. What sense does it make to now reduce these streets to single lane.
Allentown has plenty of streets, prudence and due diligence requires a better plan than what is now proposed.
Of course the city and the special interest that back this plan may choose ignore the very legitimate concerns of the residents and push forward with implementation. The cost of this action would be the creation of ill will and long term mistrust in the community of bike path advocates.
Scott Armstrong
scott, it's a bad location for a bad idea. fyi, it came from a new york city consultant. what has been spent so far on consultants, could have well paid for the restoration of a WPA site. like everything else in this city, it's priorities which do not serve the interest of most citizens.
ReplyDeleteAnother clown and pony show in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteThe Bike Path meeting turned out to be a total puff piece.
The presenters started by comparing Allentown with Portland and San Francisco.
They then went on to tout a multitude of very questionable statistics supporting their program.
Bike routes may well be a good idea, BUT reams of slanted and incorrect data do not make it so.
An honest presentation would have been a service to citizens.
This is just one more project designed to accommodate a very few people while being detrimental to the lives of thousands of residents.
Much maligned cyclist checking in here. Hard to believe but tonight's meeting was combination of dog and pony show and train wreck. There were many there that would have liked to have given their opinions and were never given a chance - myself being one of them. Scott Armstrong gave a very well thought out opinion - but unfortunately he stormed out before I had the opportunity to introduce myself. I will tell you that there is no "bike lobby" pushing for this - I am an avid cyclist but I am also aware that changing the traffic pattern in the proposed fashion would be a nightmare for the residents of that corridor and further is completely unnecessary. Kind of like the canopies on Hamilton Street but different. I could go on but should probably think about it before I put it in writing. Open to any questions as I have been involved with this "committee" since its inception.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteNot being one to sit still and be called "selfish" and "having my head in a hole". I just left. That was the more peaceful option. Mike will give you my contact information. That meeting was way too long. Typical plan of wearing down opponents with powerpoint and blah, blah. I did make that point that it would have been helpful for our side to have two well paid professionals advocate for us at the meeting.
Scott Armstrong
Like I told my former high school teammate Brian Sherry, if the damn Government wants freakin' bike lanes, then that's what they are gonna do.
ReplyDeleteThese meetings are ALWAYS a waste of my VALUABLE time.
It is NOT an accident I do not attend.
Good luck with YOUR out of control Government in the City With No Limits, people, and have a pleasant day.
ROLF OELER
The engineering company/ PR firm stated, with a straight face, that the gridlocking on Turner and Linden streets they will be causing will be improved because people who normally use those routes will be inconvienced enough times to find some other path to get to their destination.
ReplyDeleteA great many invented statistics were bantied all around.
They also claim that this will insure citizens in the area will become healthy.
We never did hear who the legions of cyclists were going to be, or where they were going to go once they arrived at 4th st.
This is more taxpayer purchased cheerleaders.
You ARE a much bigger man than me, Mr. Molovinsky.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how you go to these freakin' CITY WITH NO LIMITS SHOW TRIALS all the freakin' time knowing FULL WELL what WILL happen in advance --- and you know you know, too.
"Man has got to know his limitations," says INSPECTOR HARRY CALLAHAN.
In other words, I know I would never be able to keep my temper the way you, obviously, can, Mr. Molovinsky.
I must admit, I find it hysterical that the secret, all-powerful underground Bike Lobby (with kick-butt refreshments) did not have the opportunity to make publically known its alleged opposition to the LATEST attempt by Big Government to spend Taxpayer Money mostly just for the purpose of spending money and spreading influence (read, power), or so it would seem.
Again, sincere congratulations, Mr. Molovinsky, on a job done far better than I ever could.
ROLF OELER
rolf, for the record, although i attended one such trail network meeting in the past, i do NOT attend the meeting last night. however, you are correct about predictable outcomes at such meetings. consequently, my appearances at city council are also less often than in the past.
ReplyDeleteThere is no "bike lobby" driving this - I am prety sure Mr Armstrong can vouch for the fact that from the outside the crowd was fairly "vanilla" last evening. There was a "faction" but that was dispelled when they asked who supported tha plan and actually lived in the area. This was a "community" meeting that had much fluff and little time for comments and concerns from the community. It is a shame that anyone who rides a bike gets ridiculed by you folks as most are as opposed to this as you but for better reasons.
ReplyDelete"It is a shame that anyone who rides a bike gets ridiculed by you folks as most are as opposed to this as you but for better reasons."
ReplyDeleteI did not hear anyone ridicule cyclists even once.
What better reason than: This is our yard and we don't want it changed in a way that will make our lives any more difficult.
Show me half as many bicycles as cars using the venue and maybe there would be some validity to the claim that we need to have bike routes.
The statistics regarding bicycles per hour on Turner And Linden streets was totally bogus.
Honesty would be refreshing.
I ride a bike because it's fun. It sounds like a lot of the commenters on this blog need more fun in their lives. Maybe they should start riding bikes.
ReplyDeleteBikes = Fun
If you want Allentown to be a more fun place to live and work, make it more bicycle-friendly.
I'm not sure the bike path plan is the way to go, but anything that encourages people enjoy transportation that is fun is a great idea in my book.