Kids should ride bikes - The Chainlink2024-03-29T11:43:36Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes?commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A762314&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNot obnoxious at all. Just do…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-10-08:2211490:Comment:7625862013-10-08T18:15:10.446ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Not obnoxious at all. Just doing the right thing. Have you been able to get any parents on board to work with you? The squeakier the wheel, the more likely you are to get results = safer conditions for the kids. Hang in there! Efforts like this tend to take time, persistence and patience.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Hector Lareau said:…</cite></p>
<p>Not obnoxious at all. Just doing the right thing. Have you been able to get any parents on board to work with you? The squeakier the wheel, the more likely you are to get results = safer conditions for the kids. Hang in there! Efforts like this tend to take time, persistence and patience.<br/> <br/> <cite>Hector Lareau said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes?page=2&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A762314&x=1#2211490Comment762187"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Update, as of October 7, 2013:</p>
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<p>I wrote to Elected Officials. One (alderman) responded that the police chief doesn't like how bicyclists treat pedestrians on sidewalks and that the city engineer says it will cost MILLIONS of dollars to stripe bicycle lanes on the logical street. (!!!) (That street is already four lanes wide and striped for only two along most of the subject route.) Complete Streets is supposedly City policy, but only if they're free apparently. So, says the Elected Official, too bad we can't help keep kids safe; sorry.</p>
<p>The local Safe Routes to Schools folks have offered support of some variety to be determined. The Active Transportation Alliance folks appear interested. School officials are also supportive, as kids are forced to walk <strong>in the street</strong> along much of the route in winter because the plows cover the sidewalks. (!!!!!!!!)</p>
<p>I'm starting to feel like one of those obnoxious crusading parents you read about. But I'm ignorant of how this political stuff works, and the more I deal with it, the angrier I get. Children are the most precious things any of us are tasked with caring for; if we can't get that right, I am not hopeful about the rest.</p>
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</blockquote> You are not obnoxious. Good…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-10-08:2211490:Comment:7623142013-10-08T14:35:20.123ZKayCeehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/KayCeeMilitante
<p>You are not obnoxious. Good for you... I'm afraid you are right- when it costs money, "the children" are rarely anyone's priority :( Wishing you good luck!</p>
<p>You are not obnoxious. Good for you... I'm afraid you are right- when it costs money, "the children" are rarely anyone's priority :( Wishing you good luck!</p> Update, as of October 7, 2013…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-10-07:2211490:Comment:7621872013-10-07T20:47:08.811ZHector Lareauhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/HectorLareau
<p>Update, as of October 7, 2013:</p>
<p></p>
<p>I wrote to Elected Officials. One (alderman) responded that the police chief doesn't like how bicyclists treat pedestrians on sidewalks and that the city engineer says it will cost MILLIONS of dollars to stripe bicycle lanes on the logical street. (!!!) (That street is already four lanes wide and striped for only two along most of the subject route.) Complete Streets is supposedly City policy, but only if they're free apparently. So, says the…</p>
<p>Update, as of October 7, 2013:</p>
<p></p>
<p>I wrote to Elected Officials. One (alderman) responded that the police chief doesn't like how bicyclists treat pedestrians on sidewalks and that the city engineer says it will cost MILLIONS of dollars to stripe bicycle lanes on the logical street. (!!!) (That street is already four lanes wide and striped for only two along most of the subject route.) Complete Streets is supposedly City policy, but only if they're free apparently. So, says the Elected Official, too bad we can't help keep kids safe; sorry.</p>
<p>The local Safe Routes to Schools folks have offered support of some variety to be determined. The Active Transportation Alliance folks appear interested. School officials are also supportive, as kids are forced to walk <strong>in the street</strong> along much of the route in winter because the plows cover the sidewalks. (!!!!!!!!)</p>
<p>I'm starting to feel like one of those obnoxious crusading parents you read about. But I'm ignorant of how this political stuff works, and the more I deal with it, the angrier I get. Children are the most precious things any of us are tasked with caring for; if we can't get that right, I am not hopeful about the rest.</p> Hey Hector-
Contact me at my…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-10-04:2211490:Comment:7610642013-10-04T19:12:38.982ZCharlie Short 2.9https://thechainlink.org/profile/CharlieShort
<p>Hey Hector-</p>
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<p>Contact me at my work email, charlie.short@activetrans.org. I may have a contact that can help you out.</p>
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<p>Charlie Short</p>
<p>Hey Hector-</p>
<p></p>
<p>Contact me at my work email, charlie.short@activetrans.org. I may have a contact that can help you out.</p>
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<p>Charlie Short</p> A very laudable goal, and I h…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-10-04:2211490:Comment:7610542013-10-04T18:06:35.311ZBike Blokehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/PaulBacon
<p>A very laudable goal, and I hope success comes sooner rather than later. Every community needs a Hector Lareau.</p>
<p>About three years ago I was cycling home west along Wrightwood just west of Pulaski when I encountered a group of about 25 teenagers riding in the same direction very carefully under supervision. It turns out they were from Kelvyn Park HS on an extra-curricular cycling safely class. Great to see!</p>
<p>Personally, I say that cycling and cycling safety should be a compulsory…</p>
<p>A very laudable goal, and I hope success comes sooner rather than later. Every community needs a Hector Lareau.</p>
<p>About three years ago I was cycling home west along Wrightwood just west of Pulaski when I encountered a group of about 25 teenagers riding in the same direction very carefully under supervision. It turns out they were from Kelvyn Park HS on an extra-curricular cycling safely class. Great to see!</p>
<p>Personally, I say that cycling and cycling safety should be a compulsory part of the middle or high school curriculum everywhere. Even if students never ride after high school, at least they will know what it means to be a cyclist in a car-centric environment. It can only get better from there....</p>
<p>Finally, it was with great sadness that I saw on Googlemaps that my own old high school back in England has demolished it's dedicated cycle parking shelters to expand the staff parking lot. How short-sighted! I rode my bike three miles each way every day for four of my seven years at high school.</p>
<p> </p> He's 11, he's allowed (encour…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-09-30:2211490:Comment:7594092013-09-30T18:16:59.971ZBezhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Bez
<p>He's 11, he's allowed (encouraged in dangerous areas) to ride on the sidewalk until the age of 16. In most of Illinois (except where covered by local laws, Chicago for example), he is actually allowed to ride the sidewalks for as long as he wants and as long as it is safe to do so.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Hector Lareau said:…</cite></p>
<p>He's 11, he's allowed (encouraged in dangerous areas) to ride on the sidewalk until the age of 16. In most of Illinois (except where covered by local laws, Chicago for example), he is actually allowed to ride the sidewalks for as long as he wants and as long as it is safe to do so.<br/> <br/> <cite>Hector Lareau said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes?page=1&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A759390&x=1#2211490Comment759221"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Update: Events move apace. The very same day I started this thread, the cops were obnoxious. Which prompted this letter to go to the city planner, with copies to the police chief, the LIB president, the Quad Cities Bicycle Club president, the Bi-State Regional Commission, and the principal of the school -- who voiced his complete support.</p>
<p>Ray Forsythe</p>
<p><span>Planning and Development Director</span></p>
<p><span>616 16th Street</span></p>
<p><span>Moline, IL 61265</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Dear Mr. Forsythe:</span></p>
<p><span>Yesterday a police officer admonished my 11 year-old son that he couldn’t operate his bicycle on the sidewalk. Gabe was riding to Wilson Middle School from his home, as he does every day. There are only two avenues he can travel to get there, 12th (or Crosstown) and 23rd (or the Avenue of the Cities). Both are congested four-lane streets with posted speed limits that go up to 40 miles per hour and actual speeds well in excess of the limits.</span></p>
<p><span>While the officer was likely correct on the law, this is an instance where--in the phrase immortalized by Charles Dickens--the law is an ass. No rational person could conclude that an 11 year-old could safely bicycle to school in the midst of either street’s motor vehicle traffic. </span></p>
<p><span>Nor are the sidewalks on 12th Avenue any safer. They are poorly maintained and dangerous for bicycling even when they are not closed--as they have been since before school started--due to construction.</span></p>
<p><span>I call upon you to design and implement whatever facilities are necessary to enable children to bicycle safely to school, specifically along the central east-west routes I’ve described, immediately. When police officers willfully endanger the lives of our city’s children by directing them to travel on life-threatening routes, and no safe alternative exists, government is failing. </span></p>
<p><span>I am no traffic engineer, but it seems a relative no-brainer to include specifically striped bicycle lanes in 12th Avenue once the construction is complete. Physically separated lanes like those being implemented in Chicago seem an actually safe choice.</span></p>
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</blockquote> You're welcome. I hope you ca…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-09-30:2211490:Comment:7593902013-09-30T15:51:51.307ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>You're welcome. I hope you can motivate some friends and neighbors to join your efforts to help them gain momentum.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Hector Lareau said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes?page=1&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A759221&x=1#2211490Comment758293"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Dang, Anne. I'm getting all these great suggestions, and now I have to act on them!! Thank you!<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Anne Alt…</cite></p>
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<p>You're welcome. I hope you can motivate some friends and neighbors to join your efforts to help them gain momentum.<br/> <br/> <cite>Hector Lareau said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes?page=1&commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A759221&x=1#2211490Comment758293"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Dang, Anne. I'm getting all these great suggestions, and now I have to act on them!! Thank you!<br/> <br/> <cite>Anne Alt said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/kids-should-ride-bikes#2211490Comment758046"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>If you're on the Illinois side, you may want to contact the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bikelib.org/" target="_blank">League of Illinois Bicyclists</a> and ask about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/" target="_blank">Safe Routes to School resources</a> and ideas to help start a dialogue in your community. On the Iowa side, the state advocacy group is the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://iowabicyclecoalition.org" target="_blank">Iowa Bicycle Coalition</a>. Good luck! I hope you're able to get a program started.</p>
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</blockquote> Update: Events move apace. Th…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-09-30:2211490:Comment:7592212013-09-30T15:27:42.368ZHector Lareauhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/HectorLareau
<p>Update: Events move apace. The very same day I started this thread, the cops were obnoxious. Which prompted this letter to go to the city planner, with copies to the police chief, the LIB president, the Quad Cities Bicycle Club president, the Bi-State Regional Commission, and the principal of the school -- who voiced his complete support.</p>
<p>Ray Forsythe</p>
<p><span>Planning and Development Director</span></p>
<p><span>616 16th Street</span></p>
<p><span>Moline, IL…</span></p>
<p>Update: Events move apace. The very same day I started this thread, the cops were obnoxious. Which prompted this letter to go to the city planner, with copies to the police chief, the LIB president, the Quad Cities Bicycle Club president, the Bi-State Regional Commission, and the principal of the school -- who voiced his complete support.</p>
<p>Ray Forsythe</p>
<p><span>Planning and Development Director</span></p>
<p><span>616 16th Street</span></p>
<p><span>Moline, IL 61265</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Dear Mr. Forsythe:</span></p>
<p><span>Yesterday a police officer admonished my 11 year-old son that he couldn’t operate his bicycle on the sidewalk. Gabe was riding to Wilson Middle School from his home, as he does every day. There are only two avenues he can travel to get there, 12th (or Crosstown) and 23rd (or the Avenue of the Cities). Both are congested four-lane streets with posted speed limits that go up to 40 miles per hour and actual speeds well in excess of the limits.</span></p>
<p><span>While the officer was likely correct on the law, this is an instance where--in the phrase immortalized by Charles Dickens--the law is an ass. No rational person could conclude that an 11 year-old could safely bicycle to school in the midst of either street’s motor vehicle traffic. </span></p>
<p><span>Nor are the sidewalks on 12th Avenue any safer. They are poorly maintained and dangerous for bicycling even when they are not closed--as they have been since before school started--due to construction.</span></p>
<p><span>I call upon you to design and implement whatever facilities are necessary to enable children to bicycle safely to school, specifically along the central east-west routes I’ve described, immediately. When police officers willfully endanger the lives of our city’s children by directing them to travel on life-threatening routes, and no safe alternative exists, government is failing. </span></p>
<p><span>I am no traffic engineer, but it seems a relative no-brainer to include specifically striped bicycle lanes in 12th Avenue once the construction is complete. Physically separated lanes like those being implemented in Chicago seem an actually safe choice.</span></p> Hector, you also might browse…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-09-26:2211490:Comment:7584732013-09-26T22:22:55.147ZMichelle Shttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Michelle629
<p>Hector, you also might browse around on the websites of Bikes Belong/People for Bikes, America Walks, Smart Growth America, WalkBikeToSchool, and CLOCC (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago's Children) for more research, resources and ideas. </p>
<p>Hector, you also might browse around on the websites of Bikes Belong/People for Bikes, America Walks, Smart Growth America, WalkBikeToSchool, and CLOCC (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago's Children) for more research, resources and ideas. </p> THIS is the reason the Chainl…tag:thechainlink.org,2013-09-26:2211490:Comment:7582952013-09-26T19:26:19.937ZLisa Curciohttps://thechainlink.org/profile/LisaCurcio
<p>THIS is the reason the Chainlink is so great!</p>
<p>THIS is the reason the Chainlink is so great!</p>