Action Alert: Transportation Bill Moving!
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Action Alert! I90 Bridge Bike/Ped Accommodations
It’s finally time to weigh in on the importance of MnDOT following through on providing access for bicycles and pedestrians on the upcoming I-90 Bridge at Dresbach. As you may have learned, MnDOT has agreed to design the new bridge so that accommodations can be attached in the future, once WisDOT has upgraded some bridges on their side of the river with bike/ped accommodations. So, it’s all about commitments for “future” accommodations, and it would be good to show, by lots of people in attendance, how important those future accommodations ARE to us.
On Wednesday January 25th, 2012 5 pm to 8 pm there will be a Public Open House on the Dresbach Bridge. The Open House will be held at La Crescent High School Cafeteria. This open house will cover all aspects of the Bridge including the recently added future accommodation for Bicyclist and Walkers.
There will be 20 minute presentations at both 6:00 PM and at 7:00 PM by MnDOT. Following the presentations there will be an opportunity to ask questions or offer input for about 20 minutes and then MnDOT will be manning ‘poster stations’ to answer individual questions. There will be 2 court reporters to take oral testimony and forms for written comments.
The Working Group will be submitting testimony on the need for the completion of the bike trail when the I-90 bridge decks over Round Lake and French Slough are replaced. These decks will likely need replacement within the 15 years following the completion of the Mississippi River Bridge and planning for design, approval and funding should begin immediately.
To achieve the capacity to install a trail over the Mississippi River it was necessary for the community to interrupt last June MnDOT’s plan for approval, without a bike trail, and insist on a successful reassessment.It is now appropriate for the Bike Riding Community to show up and endorse the inclusion of structural elements to support the future trail. This is your opportunity to endorse the outcome and reinforce the need to complete the trail as soon as is practical.
We encourage you to show up and complete a form supporting the need. It is our responsibility to show that after 7 months of work; resolutions by the LAPC and 2 Counties; 3000 miles and 3000 hours of community advocacy—that the right decision has been made!!
Please make time for this meeting; 15 minutes can make a difference. Wednesday January 25th, 2012 open house 5 pm till 8 pm.
ACTION ALERT: Park or housing? City weighs Upper Hixon Forest use
Important meetings that will decide the outcome:
Steps of the park legislation resolution #75 at the city government level:
- City Plan Commission Meeting –
Tue, Jan 3rd at 4:00 in City Hall 3rd floor conference room-Committee to recommend to Committee as a Whole approval, refers or not approve. We need this committee’s approval. - HPU (highways, properties and utilities) Meeting -
Wed, Jan 4th @ 7:30pm in City Hall council chambers 1st floor- committee to recommend to committee as a whole approval, refer or not approve. We need this committees approval - Committee as a Whole -
Tue, Jan 10th at 7:30pm in Council Chambers 1st floor- committee to recommend to committee as a whole approval, refer or not approve. - Council Meeting -
Thu, Jan 12th at 7:30pm in Council Chambers 1st Floor-Final Vote
The first three meetings all allow for public input. The process is to show up 10 minutes early and sign up to speak at the meeting or register in favor of legislation. It is critical to have a good number of people at the first two meetings and a large crowd at the 3rd meeting.
Suggested Talking Points:
- Explain how you use the resource and what it means to you! For example: “I choose to live in La Crosse because of the access to magnificent natural resources like this park, and I understand that sometimes we need to pay higher taxes to offer these outstanding amenities. Parks like this also add economic value to our tax base that cannot be ignored.
- Active parks like this keep me in our community. Recreational activities are important to me and it is a major reason why I have chosen to make La Crosse my home.
- Personal health benefits to you and/or your family.
- Economic benefits:
- 217 million dollar tourism economy in the La Crosse region, driven by our natural beauty and access to resource. This benefits our restaurants, hotels, convention center and small businesses locally.
- Tourism is a job creator and brings new revenue to a local economy.
- This amenity adds tax base value to the rest of the community. If we take away this amenity we will decrease the existing tax base.
- Having outdoor recreation opportunity is an attractive hiring benefit for our local companies; these benefit helps in hiring the best and brightest locally.
- By creating a park this generation leaves an everlasting gift to future generations.
- It is important to me that I engage in activities close-by to where I work and play that challenge me physically.
Background:
The La Crosse city council is considering whether to designate a city owned track of land on the bluffs above the city, Upper Hixon Forest, as a park or to use the land for housing developments. This petition is to encourage them to designate as a city park. This will protect the land and the shared use trails that have been built there by HPT volunteers. These trails already provide a greater positive economic impact for the community than any housing development would likely provide. Please send a message to them in support of the park designation before January 10, 2012. This petition will be delivered to the mayor and every city councilor.
This petition will be sent to Andrea Richmond, Al Wagner, Chris Olson, Jai Johnson, Eric Schmidt, John J. Satory, Jim Bloedorn, Robert J. Seaquist, Richard P. Becker, Audrey Kader, Sara Sullivan, Francis Formanek, Paul Medinger, Douglas Happel, Marilyn Wigdahl, Richard Swantz and Mathias Harter, Mayor, which says:
“The Upper Hixon Forest track significantly contributes to the quality of life and economy of La Crosse. This land should be designated as a city park to protect it. This is in keeping with the reason the land was sold to and purchased by the city and it is in the best economic interest of the city to designate this track as a park. The Upper Hixon Forest tack, which includes the Human Powered Trails shared use trail system, already supports jobs and brings tourism into our community by attracting thousands of visitors to its trails each year. The potential benefits of protecting this tract of land far out weight and benefits a small exclusive development might provide. We the undersigned encourage you to vote in favor of designating this piece of land as a city park.”
Article in La Crosse Tribune: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/park-or-housing-city-weighs-bluffland-use/article_d0812c9c-26db-11e1-9e8d-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=story#ixzz1gdIK41z1
There is also a petition you can sign here:
http://signon.org/sign/park-not-development?source=s.em.cp&r_by=1828717
Thanks!
Governor Signs Bicycle “Tune-up” Bill
Posted on November 17, 2011 by Kevin Hardman, Executive Director
Yesterday, Governor Walker signed a bill that updates various state laws regarding bicycles. Dubbed the Bicycle Tune-up Bill, the most noticeable changes in AB265 is that it is now legal for people who ride bicycles to signal turns with either the right or the left hand and to use red rear lights in place of rear reflectors.
The old laws about manually signaling turns required that people on bicycles use the same hand signals as motorists [346.35]. This was a particular problem for people riding racing style bicycles because as they are leaning forward, the old manual right turn signal was not visible. In order to make a legal right turn visible, a person riding a racing-style bicycle would have to take both hands off the handlebars, sit up and make the right turn signal. Because this is dangerous when approaching a turn, in practice many people would instead extend their right arm and point to the right to signal their turn. Under the new law, this is now legal.
The alternate method circled in red is now a legal right turn signal.
The bill updates a number of other bicycle related laws as summarized below. You can also read all the current state statutes and see the exact language of the new statutes in the text of the bill here.
La Crosse Area Bicycle Collective/Coop Organizational Meeting
When: Wednesday, November 16 · 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Cass & Connor’s house, 131 15th St. S, La Crosse, WI
If you are passionate about bicycling and want to see more people riding bikes in our community then read on and come join us to learn more.
More and more people are riding bicycles these days and that is a really great thing but there are still people that do not have bicycles or have not discovered that the bicycle is a great form of everyday transportation. The bike coop will work to make owning a bicycle for transportation easy and affordable. We will refurbish donated bicycles for both kids and adults and get them into the hands of people who need them. We also hope to create a classroom to offer classes and to give other local groups a place to hold classes and bicycle related activities as well. Plus there will be a big bicycle “culture” component to the organization. Yes it will work and be some work, but it will also be great gobs of fun!!
We will be using the Milwaukee Bike Collective as our inspiration:http://bikecollective.org/
Pass this along to your friends
Thank You,
Tim Keneipp
- January 28, 2012
- January 29, 2012
- February 1, 2012
- February 10, 2012
- February 12, 2012
- February 13, 2012
- February 14, 2012
- February 15, 2012
- February 16, 2012
- February 17, 2012
- February 18, 2012
Welcome to the DRBC
The DRBC work to getting more people on bikes, more often by advocating for bicycling infrastructure and a dynamic bicycling culture.
The DRBC currently seeking organizations and individuals who support the idea of complete streets in our community.
Learn More...