Letter: A message to Mayor Mike Wiza

To the Mayor-

As you may have noticed (or maybe you haven’t), the “BicycleTransportation Network Improvements” currently being applied to our city streets have morphed into a complete debacle.

You may have thought that they would afford you with another “photo-op,” but judging from the attitude of the majority of city residents and others who use our streets as they were originally intended (in a motor vehicle), I’d suspect that the only “opportunity” you and most members of the council will have is to attempt to tap dance and try to blame city staff and/or the consultants for what I frequently refer to as “another brain-fart idea” that didn’t quite work out as expected.

During the three minutes I was afforded at the council meeting earlier this month, I stated that there are 20 bike lanes and 20 bikeways codified in Chapter 9 RMC. I’ve subsequently reviewed the project map on the city’s website and found that these markings will be or have been applied to some of the 30 roadways which have been designated as Heavy Traffic and Truck Routes in section 9.07 RMC.

Specifically:
Highway 66 – Main St/Centerpoint Dr/Clark St (Minnesota Ave to County HH)
Patch Street – (Clark St to Michigan Ave)
Michigan Avenue – (Patch St to North Point Dr)
North Point Drive – (Division St N to Michigan Ave N)
Second Street – (Centerpoint Dr to Northpoint Dr)
Jefferson Street (3500 block)

As demonstrated in several publically available photos and video clips, drivers of automobiles have difficulty negotiating many of the “improved” streets that aren’t truck routes. What will be the ramifications if (God forbid) a truck tangles with a bicyclist on a designated truck route? The city administration (funded by the taxpayers) will undoubtedly have some explaining to do.

Will your response be “I relied on SEH, the Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Commission and staff to make the decisions & pass them to the Council for approval (and funding)?

After I concluded my three-minute remarks regarding educating the public about the meaning of the new markings you stated that you would have the Bike/Ped Commission work on the issue.

I watched the video of their August 20th meeting and when the issue of educating the public on the subject came up, the chairman called on Scott, Ryan & Adam (key members of city staff) to work on it. Don’t they have enough on their plates without taking direction from a group of bicycle enthusiasts who
represent a small percentage of the citizens? I understand that Adam Kuhn is the staff liaison to the Bike/Ped Commission, but Scott & Ryan’s duties (per Chap 3 RMC) are:

3.16 DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. The director of public works shall be under the supervision of the board of public works and shall perform such duties as are prescribed by the common council and the board from time to time.

3.20 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. The director of community development shall be under the direction and supervision of the mayor and common council.”

Bob Woehr
Stevens Point

Send your open letters to [email protected]