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11 comments:
Bike routes:
From what I understand from seeing the bike route maps that Theresa had, that the city has some number scheme from 60-ish to 100-something. Please explain the logic or benefit of this to me?
I propose that bike routes use a similar method to the shuttle routes--e.g., transportation routes use similar naming schemes. Shuttles routes are red loop, green etc. Seems easier than taking Bike route 66 to 50, left on 34, cross at 52, then... hmm, I'll use the green route, which may follow or approximate the bus loop (since cycling routes won't be exactly the same).
Or use a color scheme that associates (even loosely) with the destination, like green route goes to Monte Sano, charger blue to UAH, maroon to AMMU, orange to Grissom, mud brown to the dog park, red to Redstone, indigo to the river... The easy to remember method.
Or designated sections of the cities by color (use a color wheel) North is red, East Yellow, so NE = orange. The logic-based route naming system. Easy to know what direction you are going, no GPS or map needed.
Seems to me that the route naming convention should be consistent for the shuttle buses, bike routes, and pedestrians, especially since some shuttle buses have bike carriers and people might be combining modes of transportation.
London & others major metropolitan cities uses easy to remember, eye-catching, color-coded subway routes-- so easy tourists can use it & commemorate it with a kitchy T-shirts.
Alas, if the number system works for the majority, maybe I'm just missing the whole logic side of it.
I don't know about the logic of it. But I know that's what the city has already established. They also have hundreds of signs that are similar but just don't have the route number on them yet. So I don't think the committee will be asking them to change that even if a different method would have been better. How useful the bike routes are without a map will vary depending on the person, but it will still be a lot easier than just a plain map. Maybe some of that stuff will be incorporated in the future, though.
Bureaucracy: continuing down an ineffective path, lowest cost method, the jail-house approach. May not be useful but it is finished. Check mark.
I'll use it. Some other cyclists will use it. If you want to have input on the mapping project, there are some limitations to what they'll change, but give the committee your input. If you have other input for the city, give that to the committee too. Bureaucracy is there to be more efficient, not to be less effective. There are fewer people to talk and ideally come representing all cyclists, or they represent the majority on an issue as they understand the majority, or they say it is a divided issue. No things don't get done optimally. But don't just bitch about how suboptimal the city and the committee are, give them your input and change it.
I don't agree. Bouncing an idea off a groups to see if there is or isn't consensus isn't bitching. It's testing whether enough people agree to proceed with a different idea or path. Proposing an alternative is not the same as bitching which is complaining without offering an alternative method, in my mind. I think by brainstorming, better ideas may come to light. Doesn't labeling new ideas or finding a need for improvements as bitching reduce the likelihood that new ideas will be proposed in the future. Is that the a good way to make a comprehensive & encompassing plan?
BTW Clintpatty, the purpose of a bureacracry quickly changes from its initial problem-solving task to ensuring it's longterm survival. A widely accepted business tenet nowadays. Consistent with NASA's findings, and most other studies. It is rare, rare indeed when a bureacractic group solves the intended issue and dissolves itself.
Did you happen to read the front page of today's Huntsville Times?
Nolen, I totally agree with you about this. Color-coding makes it user friendly, and so would giving routes names instead of random numbers.
Not all bureaucracy is ineffective... just most of it.
re anon:
If you do brainstorm and maybe your ideas, it's cool. But look at the 9:45 post. It's not proposing any alternatives. It's just complaining. So yes, I'm labelling that 9:45 post as bitching. And I'll call Nolen's post brainstorming or presenting ideas or whatever.
The bike committee hasn't proved to be ineffective yet. If you think it has, you better complain when the Obama administration hasn't fixed the economy by this summer.
This is splitting hairs!!
I do not see that as bitching or complaining. It seems they are pointing out the potential for it to get bogged down in it's own bureaucracy.
I think the reality here is that people want to see something concrete happen before they jump on the bandwagon. I also think they are very aware of the history here when it comes to progress with commuting issues.
Healthy skepticism,
ok cool
but give it a chance
i am
We are it seems.
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