I support Dorothy's sentiments and Peter's comments about
organizations already in place to accomplish those. In addition to
"Wheels for Winners" there is already in place and operating near the
area we're talking about "Dream Bikes," to which I have personally
donated bikes that included a high-end Santana tandem. Dream Bikes is a
brick-and-mortar non-profit supported by Trek. John and Mary Burke have
been leaders in revitalizing this area. This is part of their vision. We
don't need new warehouses hastily constructed; we need support for what
what we already have in the works, but which needs nurturing to make the
"dream" a reality.
Bill Hauda
On 3/28/2016 1:45 PM, Peter Gray via Bikies wrote:
Hi Dorothy,
I support the spirit of your comments. A couple thoughts though:
1) "If there are so many bikes in the neighborhood that they lose
their street value, one problem solved!" I don't think it would play
out that way. Bikes never lose their "street value." A free bike in
Madison will never lose its street value in Milwaukee or Chicago. I
recall reading about various European cities trying free bike
initiatives, before the Paris VeLib program. Cities found that no
matter now many free bikes they put out there, the bikes disappeared.
They were vandalized or stolen, often to be sold in other cities. The
programs were costly failures that generated public ridicule. Here in
Madison IIRC, Budget changed its red bikes program to "$40 for a bike
and a lock, refunded if/when you return them" due to the problem of
disappearing (free) red bikes. That's why the Paris VeLib model and
the typical bikeshare model is now "as cheap as feasible without being
free, and credit card checkout required." I understand that raises
equity issues. That's a related but different point.
2) "I’d like to see a warehouse facility in the area ... which would
be run by volunteers to accept donated bikes and fix them up to hand
out to area residents." There is already a working program like that
in Madison: Wheels For Winners <http://www.wheelsforwinners.org/>.
Let's not reinvent that wheel, but explore supporting and expanding
that program. As you say, perhaps there's a role for DreamBikes too.
Just my thoughts. Thank you for working on solutions to improve our
community for all!
Cheers,
Peter
On Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 1:09 PM, Dorothy Krause via Bikies
<[email protected]> wrote:
Adding the Fitchburg council and Madison Alder Cheeks to the
conversation, see original post below and attached report for
background.
A term that I’ve been using for years now, as it initially related
to the Allied Drive area, is “attitude of abundance” about bikes.
With the numbers of nature based opportunities that are very
reachable by bikes from Allied, with the need for appropriate
physical activities for young people, with the limited income that
most families in the area have, and with the numbers of donated
bikes available; developing a plan and a program to ensure that
everyone that wants a bike will have one would solve many
problems. If there are so many bikes in the neighborhood that they
lose their street value, one problem solved! Working with property
owners and possibly the YWCA Empowerment Center and Saris to
supply roofed bike corrals for apartment buildings would be well
within the realm of possibilities.
I’d like to see a warehouse facility in the area, ideally near the
bike round-about (as a thought, the pictured parcel is in the
Allied extension of Madison, owned by the stormwater utility),
which would be run by volunteers to accept donated bikes and fix
them up to hand out to area residents. Since that parcel is
immediately south of Allied, I’d expect that you’d get a lot of
enthusiastic help from area residents for such a program!
Expanding Dream Bikes to help would likely be part of the plan.
(and ya, I know motor vehicle access would be a _solvable_ issue
there also.) Thermofisher also has adjacent land that could be
discussed, although at a greater price, no doubt. Anyway, open to
thoughts and discussion.
Dorothy Krause
Dane County Board of Supervisors
Fitchburg Common Council
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
608-271-7532 <tel:608-271-7532>
Follow me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dorothy.krause
Progressive – where idealism meets reality
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