BIKE: Mostly Well-Done AusChron Article on SCB (Bury the Hatchet)

[Lane Wimberley]

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 23:46:13 -0600, Stuart Werbner <stuwerb> wrote:
> >From: Lane Wimberley <bikelane>
> > > Stuart said:
> > > 2) The last sentence in the article seems to imply that the OUTCOME of
> >the
> > > process may become a model for future roadway projects. This is
> >incorrect --
> > > it's actually the PROCESS itself that is now becoming the model, i.e.,
> >the
> > > process of involving stakeholders and city staff in a
> >non-confrontational
> > > and collaborative manner to develop a consensus solution.
> >
> >And, in my opinion, this is exactly the tragedy.  The process is flawed if
> >it allows a majority to select convenience to the exclusion of the safety
> >of
> >the minority.  At best, the process will have resulted in calmer
> >traffic -- if we're lucky --
> >and we all benefit from that.  But, in the end, we still have parked cars
> >in
> >bike lanes on SBC, and will likely have parked cars in bike lanes all over
> >the
> >city from here on out.  Moreover, if, as a majority group, non-cycling
> >residents want to impose any
> >other cycling-unfriendly measures in their neighborhoods, they now have a
> >clear method for achieving their goals.
> 
> I'm sorry you feel that way. You certainly had your chance to publicly speak
> out against the final proposal. You had your chance to make your feelings
> known
> to the working group, and you were once part of the working group, yourself.
> 
> You had your chance to make constructive counter proposals. Complaints are
> not a
> counter-proposal, though they make excellent email forum and talk show
> fodder.
> 
> Aside from the vague complaints you made to me from time to time when we'd
> occasionally cross paths on our bicycles into work, and an occasional angry
> email
> message to the bike forum, you didn't seem to say very much about it at all.

Just to set the record straight, I did participate in the process, right up to
the point that the Gandy proposal was rejected by the city, at which point 
the working group was completely out of the picture, and Gandy, Nagy and 
a few others had complete control to do whatever they wanted.  At that point,
any cyclist perspective or representation was completely out of the picture, 
to the best of my knowledge.

And, I was an active participant -- to the extent that I could be.  There were
many voices there, and it was a struggle to keep things civil, to keep them 
from devolving into chaotic argumentation.

My principal goal in the process was to make sure that folks understood
the importance of the corridor to cyclists, and the importance of the 
city's responsibility to provide for cyclist safety.  Other than that, I kept
quiet.

Your words remind me of a heated response I arroused in Alan Lampert 
after I complained about the outcome, in which he felt that it was unfair of me 
to complain when he perceived that I hadn't contributed.  Ironically, he was 
the only person in the group to attack me during one of the working sessions 
for attempting to contribute.

I also remember a break-out group I participated in that consisted of 
residents, cyclists and a city planner/engineer-type.  The recommendation 
that we jointly came up with was excellent, and we were all very excited
that it was a good, safe compromise with unanimous consensus within the 
group.  But, because it did eliminate some (not all) parking, it was 
rejected out-of-hand by the Gandy/Nagy faction.

In addition to this, I participated in several other ways by volunteering 
my time to gather data, etc.  I also tried to keep the folks on this list up
to date on the progress, to solicit their ideas and concerns and to
communicate those (again, to the extent that I could) to the working 
group.

So, just to be clear, I did participate in good faith, and I did make 
suggestions and recommendations.  I think I've earned the right to complain
and be critical of both the outcome and the process.

> I'm sorry you feel that way. You're part of the less than 40% of SCB
> residents
> that voted against the final proposal.

I don't think *anyone* had the opportunity to vote on what truly became 
the final proposal.

-Lane

-- 
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
human race."
- HG Wells