How about 3' sidewalks? Can we talk?

“No sidewalks” is apparently part of the city charter. I think it’s time for “the City that Time Forgot” to forget their outdated charter and start over.

Update 9/19/09:  They  indeed voted “No”. Maybe it’s a “historic preservation” thing. Certainly not a pedestrian preservation thing. No matter, I still ride in the street where there are sidewalks. Too many pedestrians!

The article link above describes Pontiac, Michigan’s approval to complete the city’s section of the 16-mile Clinton River rail trail. It’s about time!

For about a year, I have been commuting to work up to three days a week by bicycle. My route is just over 19 miles one way over a somewhat convoluted route, a small portion of which utilizes the Clinton River Trail. Part of my route skirts Telegraph Road in Pontiac where it crosses the Clinton River at Sylvan Lake.

A rendering of the proposed pedestrian bridge over Telegraph Road in Pontiac. (Oakland Press)

Because of the automobile-centric mindset of Southeastern Michigan, infrastructure for pedestrian and bicycle traffic is spotty. I had first developed my commuting route nine years ago, when I had moved within 15 miles of work. My wife, Carolyn, was frightened for my life, because I had to ride mostly on the roads with car traffic. I was less afraid, partly from my past experience with riding in traffic, partly from bravado.

To tell the truth, I was a little scared on certain stretches where there was little or no shoulder (one section was on a hill with a blind curve, as well). I was more concerned about drivers not giving me enough clearance, or swinging too far into the oncoming lane, endangering their own lives. Most drivers were safe and courteous (although I’m sure many cursed the crazy guy on the bicycle impeding their progress).

Guardrail Portage along Telegraph Road, at Sylvan Lake

The other dicey section is along Telegraph Road, just north of the site of the proposed bridge. There is no sidewalk there, but plenty of pedestrian traffic, judging by the dirt path worn in the grass. This path leads to a short two-track (the site of the future bridge) which, in turn, leads to the Clinton River rail trail (and the rest of my commute).
The bridge is an indication that attitudes are changing in this region. Last fall, sidewalks were constructed along a scarier stretch of my route. The problem with sidewalks around here is they will suddenly end, or switch sides of the street.

I applaud the efforts of the municipalities on my route to expand their sidewalks and multi-use paths. These paths are good for residents because they provide a means to walk safely through the neighborhood, or between subdivisions. What is more necessary is a means to get to shopping and services currently only accessible by car. Suburban Detroit is a mix of towns and townships. The towns (Rochester, Farmington, Birmingham, and so on) are more likely to have curbs and sidewalks. Residents can, if they choose, walk or ride a bicycle to the business district.

Typical Suburban Detroit Street

The townships are more rural in character, and are more collections of subdivisions with no sidewalks, and dirt shoulders or ditches along the streets. Motorized and non-motorized traffic share the streets.

The new pathways are a start. Rail-trail expansion is better, and in many cases provides safe routes from city to city. Restricting pedestrian and bicycle traffic to trails, however, does little to increase public awareness. A higher percentage of funds must be put into roadway infrastructure improvements with pedestrians in mind, not just automobiles. This means shareable lane widths, paved shoulders, and increased education, in addition to sidewalks. I ride on the same roads as cars most of the time, because that is the most direct and unobstructed way form point A to point B. Drivers are also more likely to see me if I am in their direct view (And I do my best to make myself visible). Older sidewalks are often very uneven, and often change slope abruptly at driveways. Drivers are less likely to look for sidewalk traffic as they approach an intersection.

I am not a perfect cyclist, nor am I a perfect driver. I curse the tunnel-vision afflicted driver who blocks the crosswalk as I approach, but find myself doing the exact same thing the next day. If I am the only living soul at an intersection, I will ride through it. I choose whether or not to ride up on an available sidewalk depending on the volume of car traffic. Two cars waiting at a stoplight? I wait behind them. 25 cars backed up at a stoplight? Heavy rush hour and no shoulder to speak of? I take the sidewalk if available.

In this case, I choose the sidewalk.

Are the drivers jealous or mad that I pass them? Maybe. I don’t care. I like to think they are happy I am not impeding their progress (once they start moving again). Maybe they will consider the benefits of biking to work. I will do my best to protect my space and not intentionally aggravate drivers.

For more bicycle advocacy, visit probicycle.com, League of American Bicyclists, or just google “bicycle advocacy.”

At least it powers up, now...

I noted the current path of the storm and where the center was before I left, confident I would avoid the most severe part of the storm. I saw the lightning strikes in the distance, but although they were moving in the same direction as I, they were moving much faster. Still, I wondered if I would sense an impending strike and leap off my bike just in time. Right.

So, lightning strikes aside, I find myself cruising along as I would on any other bike commuting day, accompanied by rain and a headwind from the south. On a dry day, I would be listining to my iPod which travels in a water bottle shaped speaker called an iHome 2Go. Headphones are a big no-no on a bicycle, but an external speaker is fine, since I can still hear traffic. I was not actually running the iPod, since the speaker was covered up with a cap (rain, you know). I assumed that the enclosure was rainproof. Silly me.

Upon arriving at work, I opened the enclosure to find a small pool of water where the iPod resides, I shook water from the iPod. This made me sad. Next, I did something that in retrospect was not very smart: I turned it on. It powered up, and I thought everything wasOK, so I turned it off and did another thing that in retrospect was not very smart- I tried to shake the water out. This probably had the unintended effect of distributing water to places inside it had not been yet, be cause the iPod would not power up after that. This made me sadder. I was now the proud owner of an iBrick.

I have since consulted with websites and coworkers and placed the iBrick inside a plastic bag with some desiccant to absorb whatever water evaporated from the iBrick. It now powers on (yay!) but wants to be re-synced. I probably shook all the music out or something. So, while I no longer have a case for purchasing a new iPhone, I do have an opportunity to rid my iPod of all the ping-ping jazz that I allowed to be uploaded from my library. Which means cleaning all the ping-ping jazz out of my library. Sorry, GRP.

Moral: iPods don’t like to get wet, iHome2Gos don’t much like water, either, and ping-ping jazz belongs in elevators and department stores.

We are an association has been slow to make decisions. We have been dysfunctional for a long time. We are plagued with non-participation. We have our share of complainers, but they don’t come to the meetings. I understand if a person is physically unable to attend the two association meetings we hold each year. We have an aging population, but the vast majority of residents are perfectly capable of getting their collective ass off the couch and getting to at least one meeting. I’ve been to all of them except one, and I was out of town that time. Yes the meetings can last too long. There is bickering, there is whining, but there is dialog. Decisions actually get made sometimes, too.

So, what brought this up? I received a letter from concerned neighbors, whom I shall call Ted and Alice (not their real names). They live in the neighborhood and sent me a letter? The sent me a letter? It was actually sent to the association, but with my address. We have a P.O. box for association business, but perhaps Ted and Alice wanted to make sure the president read it. I did, and it pissed me off.

I see Ted and Alice walking their dog at least twice a day. I often see Ted walking the dog early in the morning as I go to work. We always smile and wave at each other, but there has been very little interaction otherwise. We just never see them outside at other times. And, I’ve never seen them at an association meeting, that I can recall.

What pissed me off about the letter was that they had many concerns about the condition of the common areas. They felt a neighborhood such as ours should command higher property values, but the condition of the road, the poorly maintained landscaping, and the missing entrance sign (among other things) might put the subdivision in a poor light. Someone (they?) might not get as much for their house, should they put it up for sale. The sad state of the current housing market notwithstanding, Ted and Alice have valid concerns. The association has been slow to act on some issues, but HAD TED AND ALICE ATTENDED THE ASSOCIATION MEETING WE JUST HELD A WEEK AGO ALL THEIR QUESTIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, DAMMIT.

They might have even been able to volunteer to help keep up the landscaping they feel needs so much work. Ted and Alice, don’t come up with a task unless you’re willing to perform it yourself or contribute in some way. The only people we hire are the ones who cut the grass in the park and plow the roads in winter. Everything else is performed by residents.

I have attended the meetings with basically the same 10-15 people (out of 50 property owners) since I moved here six and a half years ago. The same great grandmother has been the secretary, but she can’t be expected to keep it going forever, God bless her. The same men have done the accounting for years. I think half of this group have already been president. This group cannot continue to do all of the association work, then listen to non-participants complain about the state of things. Just like with our government, you have no right to complain about elected officials if you didn’t bother to vote in the election.

As a resident who dutifully attends all the meetings, I would like to flip Ted and Alice the bird (and dare them to try to sell their house in this market). As president, I have to take the high road, and send out a very tactful response. But I will send it out to the entire association, and lay on the guilt trip. I don’t expect the floodgates to open and see a vast majority of members at the next meeting, but it would be nice to have a quorum before the proxies are counted. For once.

Clarkston Community Band March 2009 Concert