[Vision2020] Traffic in Moscow

[Carl Westberg]

I think the best form of transportation would be the Star Trek "Beam me up, 
Scotty" way.  I think George W. Bush should ask for 87 billion dollars for 
the U of I physics department to expedite this procedure.  The only possible 
drawback:  as my liberal, handsome, sexy, disassembled particles are zapping 
their way to work, what if they cross paths with the particles of some dour, 
dumpy conservative, and they somehow get all mixed up together?  This would 
be disorienting and disconcerting to both of us.                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
                               More random thoughts,                         
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
                          Carl Westberg Jr.


>From: "Luke" <lukenieuwsma@softhome.net>
>To: "roger hayes" <rhayes@turbonet.com>, vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Traffic in Moscow
>Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 19:49:29 -0700
>
>Dear Visionaries:
>     Unicycles would take up even less space than bikes, so let's all go
>become unikers!
>Random happy thoughts,
>Luke Nieuwsma
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "roger hayes" <rhayes@turbonet.com>
>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 8:13 AM
>Subject: [Vision2020] Traffic in Moscow
>
>
> > Visionaries:
> >
> > I am encouraged by debate, and opinion expressed in response to my
> > inquiry about the increase in traffic on the Palouse of late.  One
> > individual, Luke, said he would have 5,000 cars and SUVs coming to
> > downtown Moscow rather than 20,000 bikes. So I got my tape measure and
> > calculator out.  Measuring an average bike, and then an average motor
> > vehicle (not an SUV, but just a sedan), and then doing the math, I
> > found the following.  5,000 cars, bumper to bumper and door handle to
> > door handle would consume roughly 630,000 square feet.  20,000 bikes in
> > the same configuration would take up 125,000 square feet.  So it would
> > take about 100,000 bikes to take up the room of 5,000 motor vehicles.
> >
> > But let's put everything in motion.  At slow to moderate speeds, it is
> > not dangerous or uncomfortable for a biker to be 2 or 3 feet from
> > another rider.  Of course, the faster one pedals, a bit more room is
> > nice.  Imagine being that close driving a motor vehicle!  Maybe on race
> > tracks this happens, but it's not a good idea for most of us.  This
> > means that cars, SUVs and pick-ups take up more room when put in
> > motion. The ratio, then,  changes substantially.  In motion, motor
> > vehicles take up roughly 3 times their stationary area while bikes take
> > up about 1.5 times their stationary area.  I will let the
> > mathematicians finish this equation.
> >
> > I can also think of a few final points that have risen from this small
> > research. As we put more money in upgrading our roads, allowing traffic
> > to move at higher rates of speed, the more room the cars need.   The
> > greater acreage we designate to parking lots and motor vehicle
> > accommodations the more roads we need, and consequently the more
> > parking we need.
> >
> > It's up to us, the citizens, the drivers, the taxpayers to envision
> > what our towns will look like and how livable they will be in the
> > future.  My vision would be bike racks, walking lanes, bike roads, bus
> > stops, and maybe some green space where people can talk to each other
> > and connect.  This would be called "community."  I don't see cars,
> > pavement, and racing traffic providing this.
> >
> > Sincerely.
> >
> > Roger Hayes
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _____________________________________________________
> >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >                http://www.fsr.net
> >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> > ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
> >
>
>
>_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

_________________________________________________________________
Try MSN Messenger 6.0 with integrated webcam functionality! 
http://www.msnmessenger-download.com/tracking/reach_webcam