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‘Complete streets’ forum draws 125

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By David Heitz | Thursday, January 24, 2008 11:34 PM CST | () comments

Tell Becky Wren of Moline that bicyclists are not serious about making area streets safer for their brethren and she likely will laugh in your face.

Wren was among several riders who pedaled their way to a seminar in downtown Davenport Thursday night — in below-zero temperatures — to make their voices heard on the issue of “complete streets,” or streets designed with bikers, walkers and mass transit users in mind.

“You have to have the heart, the lungs, the legs and the ambition” to ride in arctic temperatures, Wren said.

It’s not easy, she admitted, sharing the road when there are no bicycle lanes, and snow and slush line the sides of the thoroughfare. “If you lose your traction, you’re going to fall into traffic.”

About 125 people, including seniors who ride the bus, college students who walk around their campuses and even a handful who take cycling seriously enough to turn a cold shoulder to the frigid elements, attended the forum sponsored by the Quad-City Transportation Advocacy Group, or Q-C TAG, at the Figge Art Museum.

The group’s slogan is “Think outside the car,” and it is dedicated to making roads safe for everyone, not just those driving cars and trucks. That means adding bicycle lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks, bus shelters and other necessities to keep things sane on the streets.

Although bicyclists have a right to ride in traffic lanes, “Whether you feel comfortable doing so is another story,” said Richard Moeur, a traffic and signage expert from the Arizona Department of Transportation and one of four speakers at the forum.

He said cities need to develop policies to make complete streets a reality. “And, the best policies don’t make exceptions to rules.”

The meeting was attended by several Davenport aldermen, including Bill Boom, 3rd Ward, and Ian Frink, at-large. They said they were impressed, but not surprised, by the number of non-vehicle-driving residents who attended.

Frink said “traffic calming” already has been a theme at City Hall. “It’s a matter of working through the process,” Boom added.

John LaPlante, a transportation engineer and former Commissioner of Chicago Transportation, said designing complete streets is simple courtesy. “We’re talking about making streets civilized. Take turns. Play nice. You learned that in kindergarten.”

David Heitz can be contacted at (563) 383-2202 or dheitz@qctimes.com.