[*BCM*] A unified strategy!

Pete Stidman pstidman at yahoo.com
Sun Oct 30 18:22:50 EST 2005


My turn,  sorry for the double email... just thought I
should add to this part.

Some of Turtles priorities from another email with
some criticism, hoepfull constructive. 

#1 - Safety for all road users.  (Actual safey -
rather than percieved
safety - meaning few crashes and other incidents that
cause problems.)'

#1---This is very vague.  It's kind of like asking for
world peace, yeah wouldn't it be nice, but is it
really possible?  And where would you start.  Hmm,
maybe by sharing space on the road.. a bike lane might
make that more visibly- one that is outside of the
door zone... 

#2 - Equality for all users.  I want to use the public
roads no matter
what form of transport I choose, and I don't want to
be discriminated
against for choosing something that isn't the "norm".

#2--- Again- also vague.  We are not equal and can't
be, unless we start riding one ton bikes with full
fairings and bumpers and start powering them with gas.
 There is an inherent inequality that needs to be
addressed- maybe by reserving some space for the
weaker party...

#3 - Environmentally responsible.  The less
petrolium-based pavement
covering the planet, the better.

#3 --- Hallelujah!  But that means we want to get more
people on the road.  What's the single biggest reson
people dont ride.  Fear right?  How do we address it? 


#4 - Simplicity and clarity.  The roads and the
traffic laws that 
govern them should be simple enough for a child to
understand, since children do use roads regularly.

#4 --- Children!  good thing to bring up.  How are
children expected to compete with general traffic
without having bike designated space?  

--- turtle <turtle at zworg.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> wrote:
> > 
> > Alternate points of view are fine, but I'm really
> sick
> > of all this anti bike lane bull.  
> 
> To that I say, alternate points of view are fine,
> but I'm really sick of
> all this segregationist bull.
> 
> > All an official needs to weasel out of building a
> bike
> > lane is one or two bike activists to come out
> against
> > it. 
> 
> And I reply, all an official needs to weasel out of
> actually making the
> roads safe for all users, is to build a bike lane.
> 
> > It's time we all start thinking about unified
> > strategies instead of letting our movement come
> out
> > looking like a disorganized blob of jelly.  
> 
> We finally agree!  So why not get together and have
> an open dialogue,
> leave the namecalling out, and find out a way to
> address ALL of our
> needs, not just yours or mine?  We had a similar
> discussion a while ago
> on this list, but maybe you missed it.  It was
> really useful for
> understand what we all need so that we can formulate
> a unified strategy
> for all cyclists (and HPV users in general).  
> 
> So in case you missed it the first time, here are my
> priorities (may be
> slightly different from the last time I did this,
> but it should be
> pretty much the same basic things, since I've
> thought about this fairly
> thoroughly):
> 
> #1 - Safety for all road users.  (Actual safey -
> rather than percieved
> safety - meaning few crashes and other incidents
> that cause problems.)
> 
> #2 - Equality for all users.  I want to use the
> public roads no matter
> what form of transport I choose, and I don't want to
> be discriminated
> against for choosing something that isn't the
> "norm".
> 
> #3 - Environmentally responsible.  The less
> petrolium-based pavement
> covering the planet, the better.
> 
> #4 - Simplicity and clarity.  The roads and the
> traffic laws that govern
> them should be simple enough for a child to
> understand, since children
> do use roads regularly.
> 
> There are obviously others, including our solutions
> being cheap, and
> encouraging public transit, but those 4 are the tops
> ones.
> 
> Ok, your turn!
> 
> -Turtle
> 
> -------------
> "One day we must come to see that peace is not
> merely a distant goal we
> seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at
> that goal.  We must
> pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means." -
> Martin Luther King Jr.
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> 



	
		
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