MyWHaT

Ken Allman drives the "sidewalk-plow" to clear Traverse City sidewalks today. He’s been doing this each winter for the last 10 years and says, “It’s like it never ends". The City of Traverse City clears the sidewalks as a courtesy to pedestrians, but make no promises that during big storms they’ll get to every neighborhood.

Download the City’s policy here: Traverse City Streets Department Snow Removal Policy (PDF)

Is it adequate for walkers and cyclists?

Do you see any surprises or changes that you’d recommend?

According to an article in the October 2009 Scientific American Magazine, finding out what woman want is the key to future success in increasing daily ridership in our cities.

The article, “How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road: To boost urban bicycling, figure out what women want“  points to several reasons why women are good “indicator species” (their term, not mine) for bike-friendly cities. The basic premise being that “women are more averse to risk than men” and demand safe infrastructure, with a larger number of riders on the road before they turn to the bike. Women also tend to take care of household tasks like the shopping and picking up

Bicycles are a very common mode of transportation, regardless of gender, in the relatively flat city of Chengdu, China.(© Gary L Howe)

the kids, and thus place a high value on “organized and practical” bike routes. If the city infrastructure is confusing or a hassle, they’ll just drive.

The online magazine, Austin on Two Wheels, broadens the discussion to talk about needed infrastructure, planning and even an increase in the marketing of “commuter bikes” as other variables. Basically calling for less focus on the Lycra and carbon fiber, and more on providing practical, everyday clothing and bikes.

That is, if you want to increase ridership.

Gender difference can be a sensitive subject.

What do you think of this perspective?

The Significant Redhead (a.k.a my girlfriend) thinks I’m nuts for more reasons than are relevant to this BLOG. Besides the random outbursts in Mandarin slang in the form of Mongolian folk songs and that I like to dig holes in my yard more than our beagles, she also thinks I’m crazy because I ride my bike year-round (yes, in the snow), walk across roads expecting automobiles to stop (dude, it’s a crosswalk) and believe it is acceptable to set up a temporary ping pong table on the street in front of our house (um, it’s parking spot).

Needless to say, I’m a little more adventurous & confident. But this isn’t about me.

It’s about her, and people like her, who want to walk and bike more, but don’t have the confidence or can’t be bothered with some of the hassles associated with it. Walking across town should not be a hassle. Biking through a small town’s main corridors should not require an hour of meditation to calm oneself down. I’m starting this BLOG for her and even more so to answer this central question: How do we get grandma across the road and pedaling on the road into her seventies, eighties and nineties?

Good & Bad of being a pedestrian or biker in TC

Our home town is a great town. Traverse City, Michigan is small at 14,000, but it’s size is misleading as it is the hub for surrounding counties and a population between 80,000-300,000 depending on the time of year. Traverse City (TC) frequently wins small town awards like recently being honored with the APA’s Great Places in America program’s 10 Great Streets for 2009 award. I’m happy for us, but don’t agree that Front St. functions “as a ‘complete street,’ accommodating all users equally well — pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders as well as motorists.” We’re getting there, but not quite.

I asked the Significant Redhead to make a list of the good and the bad about walking/riding in Traverse City. She came up with a full page in less than five minutes. She mentioned a lot of positives on her good list: The TART trail network, the new pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Boardman River and the fact that we have a lot of sidewalks.

Her bad list has the obvious trouble spots like Division St. and parts of 8th St., but also areas like the pedestrian crossing at Maple & Front St. and the fact she often gets buzzed by cyclists who use the TART trail system without regard to slower bikers or walkers.

It is a great list. She could go on. We all could go on. Please, make your own list. Share it with friends and family. Have discussions.

I also invite you share it as a comment on this BLOG or email it directly to me.

This BLOG is my list. It will be growing.

What is your list?