I agree. This is a pet peeve of mine about "pedestrian" crossings on multi-use
bike paths. The Wingra path case in point.
Too often I notice (particularly crossing Park St. and Fish Hatchery on the
Wingra path, but I suspect this is common all over the city):
1. ped or biker waiting at red to cross has not bothered to push the button -
light eventually changes due to sensors in bike path or by automobiles in
adjacent Wingra St - however, cycle is short and I am approaching and don't
make the green
2. similar situation to above, Wingra St. has green - ped "Walk" not activated
for whatever reason (perhaps no ped waiting) - automobiles turning into
crosswalk believe I (on a bike) should not have right-of-way because signal
indicates "do not walk" with ensuing playing-chicken game, honking horn or
other road rage symptoms when I attempt to cross Fish Hatchery with the green
light
3. oblivious right turning drivers steer into crosswalk without looking at or
seeing bike traffic (whether on-coming, or more frequently, coming up from
behind car driver)
4. flying right turn from north-bound Fish Hatchery onto east-bound Wingra St
has a STOP sign - rarely obeyed (even saw an unmarked City of Madison police
cruiser skip it) - this all adjacent to the SCHOOL for crying out loud
Solutions:
1. On a multi-use path crossing there should always be an assumed "Walk" cycle,
no button-push required. Far too many peds (runners in particular) do not want
to reach over and push the damn button! I don't get why. Bicyclists sometimes
can't (dismount, etc. issues).
2. magnetic sensor loop in the multi-use path should active a "Bicycle" green,
not the traffic green
3. yellow flashing warning lights on the "Yield to peds/bikes in crosswalk"
diamond sign
4. Right-on-red should be illegal at these intersections may help by
sensitizing automobile drivers to complexity of intersection for those times
when the light is green too
5. remove the flying right turn lane on Fish Hatchery
George
P.S. Not that I expect much to happen by whining about it on the bikies
listserv, but it feels good anyway.
Sent by my iCurmudgeon TM
>________________________________
> From: Dipesh Navsaria <[email protected]>
>To: [email protected]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 9:31 AM
>Subject: Re: [Bikies] Cannonball Path Beltline Bridge Open
>
>
>I agree with the comments here about the bike lanes on Fish Hatchery Road. I
>commute to work some days via the Arboretum and emerge at Carver/Fish Hatchery
>Road -- difficult to cross Fish Hatchery over onto Catalpa. The pedestrian
>crosswalks (which i dismount and walk over) are actually dangerous, because
>every so often someone tries to obey the law and stop to let you cross --
>dangerous because others don't expect them to stop, and collisions have
>occurred right in front of me. Going north to Wingra Creek or south to Badger
>Road is a modest diversion.
>
>Would be great to see if any work to extend the new Cannonball Path included
>better crossings in this stretch.
>
>As an aside, what's the deal with intersections where there isn't a walk light
>unless you press the button? I'm thinking specifically of Fish Hatchery and
>Wingra Creek. I usually press buttons (not always the easiest when on a
>bike), but if someone hasn't, we "lose" the walk signal in that cycle. Not
>seeing a big difference between that intersection and other intersections
>where you always get a walk light, irrespective of whether the button is
>pressed.
>
>Peace and Prosperity,
>Dipesh
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>
>
>
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