Help out with CDOT's Quarterly Bike Counts - The Chainlink2024-03-28T23:23:18Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668553&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Tony,
Do you have access t…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-16:2211490:Comment:6686872013-04-16T20:18:37.394ZDuppiehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Duppie
<p>Hi Tony,</p>
<p>Do you have access to the contract language to back up your statements? Does the contract state that Ty Lin will staff the counts with paid resources?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Again, volunteer because you believe that it will help the bicycling community. Or don't volunteer.</p>
<p></p>
<p>But presenting your opinions while pretending them to be facts makes this a silly argument.</p>
<p><br></br> <br></br> <cite>Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:…</cite></p>
<p>Hi Tony,</p>
<p>Do you have access to the contract language to back up your statements? Does the contract state that Ty Lin will staff the counts with paid resources?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Again, volunteer because you believe that it will help the bicycling community. Or don't volunteer.</p>
<p></p>
<p>But presenting your opinions while pretending them to be facts makes this a silly argument.</p>
<p><br/> <br/> <cite>Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668553&x=1#2211490Comment668553"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>What I clearly get is that T.Y. Lin is making money from this contract. The volunteers are lowering their labor costs so they can extract more profit from the project. I'm not arguing with the ends but I find the means questionable. </p>
<p><br/> <cite>Anne Alt said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668774&x=1#2211490Comment668774"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Donating our time so that others can make money? I guess you don't get it. </p>
<p><br/>I agree with the other commenters about volunteer time for a task that doesn't require specialized skills being helpful to T.Y. Lin, the city and ultimately to <strong>US</strong>, because the planners have more information on which to base decisions about bike facilities. This helps our tax dollars (and grant money for projects) go further, so that we get <em>more</em> bike infrastructure.<br/> <br/> <cite>Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668078&x=1#2211490Comment667287"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">...Our time is the most valuable thing we have. I find the fact that we are asked to donate our time so that others can make money hugely interesting. Roll in the fact that on top of donating our time, that the consultants are then paid with tax-payer dollars and it gets even more interesting. </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> What I clearly get is that T.…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-16:2211490:Comment:6685532013-04-16T19:45:34.643ZTony Adamshttps://thechainlink.org/profile/TonyAdams
<p>What I clearly get is that T.Y. Lin is making money from this contract. The volunteers are lowering their labor costs so they can extract more profit from the project. I'm not arguing with the ends but I find the means questionable. </p>
<p><br></br> <cite>Anne Alt said:…</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668774&x=1#2211490Comment668774"></blockquote>
<p>What I clearly get is that T.Y. Lin is making money from this contract. The volunteers are lowering their labor costs so they can extract more profit from the project. I'm not arguing with the ends but I find the means questionable. </p>
<p><br/> <cite>Anne Alt said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668774&x=1#2211490Comment668774"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Donating our time so that others can make money? I guess you don't get it. </p>
<p><br/>I agree with the other commenters about volunteer time for a task that doesn't require specialized skills being helpful to T.Y. Lin, the city and ultimately to <strong>US</strong>, because the planners have more information on which to base decisions about bike facilities. This helps our tax dollars (and grant money for projects) go further, so that we get <em>more</em> bike infrastructure.<br/> <br/> <cite>Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668078&x=1#2211490Comment667287"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">...Our time is the most valuable thing we have. I find the fact that we are asked to donate our time so that others can make money hugely interesting. Roll in the fact that on top of donating our time, that the consultants are then paid with tax-payer dollars and it gets even more interesting. </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> Donating our time so that oth…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-16:2211490:Comment:6687742013-04-16T18:23:06.159ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Donating our time so that others can make money? I guess you don't get it. </p>
<p><br></br>I agree with the other commenters about volunteer time for a task that doesn't require specialized skills being helpful to T.Y. Lin, the city and ultimately to <strong>US</strong>, because the planners have more information on which to base decisions about bike facilities. This helps our tax dollars (and grant money for projects) go further, so that we get <em>more</em> bike infrastructure.…<br></br> <br></br></p>
<p>Donating our time so that others can make money? I guess you don't get it. </p>
<p><br/>I agree with the other commenters about volunteer time for a task that doesn't require specialized skills being helpful to T.Y. Lin, the city and ultimately to <strong>US</strong>, because the planners have more information on which to base decisions about bike facilities. This helps our tax dollars (and grant money for projects) go further, so that we get <em>more</em> bike infrastructure.<br/> <br/> <cite>Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A668078&x=1#2211490Comment667287"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">...Our time is the most valuable thing we have. I find the fact that we are asked to donate our time so that others can make money hugely interesting. Roll in the fact that on top of donating our time, that the consultants are then paid with tax-payer dollars and it gets even more interesting. </div>
</div>
</blockquote> I've also volunteered a few t…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-16:2211490:Comment:6684712013-04-16T18:20:03.264ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>I've also volunteered a few times. Sometimes you see people you know. Sometimes you just get to observe and help CDOT gather info. It's time well spent.</p>
<p>I've also volunteered a few times. Sometimes you see people you know. Sometimes you just get to observe and help CDOT gather info. It's time well spent.</p> +1 to what Sarah D said. The…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-14:2211490:Comment:6680782013-04-14T23:53:24.050ZMichelle Shttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Michelle629
<p>+1 to what Sarah D said. The issue is that they need far more people to count at locations than they have paid personnel. It's fun and an easy way to partially fulfill your sense of bicycle-related civic duty. I'll be out there again and am hoping it warms up by then to maximize the volumes of people on bikes. </p>
<p>+1 to what Sarah D said. The issue is that they need far more people to count at locations than they have paid personnel. It's fun and an easy way to partially fulfill your sense of bicycle-related civic duty. I'll be out there again and am hoping it warms up by then to maximize the volumes of people on bikes. </p> Well said.
Sarah D. 1-3.3 sa…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-14:2211490:Comment:6678122013-04-14T17:00:41.515ZDuppiehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Duppie
Well said.<br></br>
<br></br>
<cite>Sarah D. 1-3.3 said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A667554&x=1#2211490Comment667268"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I've volunteered for the bike count before and A) it is fun (people- and bike-watching *plus* being outside, come on!) and B) I am glad they are saving the money by using volunteers to do the actual data gathering. It's quite…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Well said.<br/>
<br/>
<cite>Sarah D. 1-3.3 said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A667554&x=1#2211490Comment667268"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I've volunteered for the bike count before and A) it is fun (people- and bike-watching *plus* being outside, come on!) and B) I am glad they are saving the money by using volunteers to do the actual data gathering. It's quite a large-scale endeavor, covering all roads into (or out of) downtown and counting simultaneously in 2-hour stints. If they had to hire 100 folks to do that each season for a couple hours, it would surely cut into the pot for infrastructure, imo. </p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> I'm recruiting volunteers to…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-13:2211490:Comment:6675542013-04-13T19:10:07.345ZMike Zumwalthttps://thechainlink.org/profile/MikeZumwalt
<p>I'm recruiting volunteers to ride intersections. bring change of clothes, hats, and bike swapping encouraged.</p>
<p>Let's get some REAL protected lanes and money to keep them plowed in the winter and clean the rest of the year. 18th street was cleaned but the bike lane looked horrible near the train tracks,full of garbage and who knows what else.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>peter moorman said:…</cite></p>
<p>I'm recruiting volunteers to ride intersections. bring change of clothes, hats, and bike swapping encouraged.</p>
<p>Let's get some REAL protected lanes and money to keep them plowed in the winter and clean the rest of the year. 18th street was cleaned but the bike lane looked horrible near the train tracks,full of garbage and who knows what else.<br/> <br/> <cite>peter moorman said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts#2211490Comment667108"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>How accurate are these counts anyway?</p>
<p>Suppose somebody is riding around the block all day.</p>
<p>Do they keep counting that cyclist over and over?</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> I've volunteered for the bike…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-13:2211490:Comment:6672682013-04-13T04:02:28.870ZSarah D.https://thechainlink.org/profile/Sarahld
<p>I've volunteered for the bike count before and A) it is fun (people- and bike-watching *plus* being outside, come on!) and B) I am glad they are saving the money by using volunteers to do the actual data gathering. It's quite a large-scale endeavor, covering all roads into (or out of) downtown and counting simultaneously in 2-hour stints. If they had to hire 100 folks to do that each season for a couple hours, it would surely cut into the pot for infrastructure, imo. </p>
<p>I've volunteered for the bike count before and A) it is fun (people- and bike-watching *plus* being outside, come on!) and B) I am glad they are saving the money by using volunteers to do the actual data gathering. It's quite a large-scale endeavor, covering all roads into (or out of) downtown and counting simultaneously in 2-hour stints. If they had to hire 100 folks to do that each season for a couple hours, it would surely cut into the pot for infrastructure, imo. </p> +1!
Just signed up. Duppie 1…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-12:2211490:Comment:6670532013-04-12T15:43:28.568Zblairhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/BlairFabian
<p>+1!</p>
<p>Just signed up.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Duppie 13.5185km said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?id=2211490%3ATopic%3A666721&page=1#2211490Comment667105"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Leave it up to the chainlink to try and argue whether bike counts should be done by a consultant or not. Never mind the fact that these bike counts give us hard data about the growth of cycling as a transportation…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>+1!</p>
<p>Just signed up.<br/> <br/> <cite>Duppie 13.5185km said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/help-out-with-cdot-s-quarterly-bike-counts?id=2211490%3ATopic%3A666721&page=1#2211490Comment667105"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Leave it up to the chainlink to try and argue whether bike counts should be done by a consultant or not. Never mind the fact that these bike counts give us hard data about the growth of cycling as a transportation mode. I take hard data over yet another John Kass column any day. So go out and volunteer already. I've done it before, and when the weather is nice it is a quite enjoyable activity.</p>
<p>Or don't volunteer. That's OK too.</p>
<p>But for Pete's sake, can we stop this silly argument about whether the consultant should be paid or not?</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> Nah, its not really that inte…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-04-12:2211490:Comment:6672922013-04-12T14:24:49.689ZWalkThroughWaterhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/WalkThroughWater
<p>Nah, its not really that interesting. Why spend the money when people are willing to donate their time for better infrastructure? If contractors started having to pay people to do traffic counts, they would both charge the city more and cover less areas less often. Which sounds like a better use of money?<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Will G - 10mi said:</cite></p>
<div class="xg_user_generated"><blockquote><p>I mean, I'm doing something at work for the city right now. Does anyone want to volunteer…</p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p>Nah, its not really that interesting. Why spend the money when people are willing to donate their time for better infrastructure? If contractors started having to pay people to do traffic counts, they would both charge the city more and cover less areas less often. Which sounds like a better use of money?<br/> <br/> <cite>Will G - 10mi said:</cite></p>
<div class="xg_user_generated"><blockquote><p>I mean, I'm doing something at work for the city right now. Does anyone want to volunteer to come draft some CAD details? What's that? You don't think it's appropriate for me to ask for volunteers? Aren't you in favor of the structural safety of the buildings you use everyday?</p>
</blockquote>
<p></p>
</div>
<div class="xg_user_generated"></div>
<div class="xg_user_generated">You absolutely can get volunteers if you can find people willing to produce a quality product in the amount of time you give them. Too bad CAD drafting is much more specialized than standing on a corner and counting bicycles going past. Bit of a false equivalency don't you think?</div>