Road Patrol Update

Riding my bike is how I become the change I want to see in the world. Since I also want to see road conditions improve, I'm taking action on a couple of road maintenance problems I've come across.

I still haven't made that phone call to the "Pothole Posse" -- I always found emails easier than phone calls -- but I've gotten a response back on the lane markings. The gentleman at the PATH Foundation said they would take a look and see what should be done to correct the problem.

Wouldn't it be great if there was an economy based on simply doing good deeds?

Being the Change

One of my favorite quotes is Gandhi's "be the change you want to see in the world". This is one of the big reasons I ride my bike, but this also makes me think of empowerment and the ability of citizens to fully engage their citizenship.

I've got a concrete example I'd like to share with you.

As cyclists, we often find a road hazard that needs attention. We come across the hazard day after day wondering when it's going to be fixed.

Our police officers often remind us to call 911 if we see something suspicious and that they depend on neighbors looking out for one another. The message, very gently suggested to us, is we need to be involved instead of expecting others to take action.

So, I've recently posted about two cycling "hazards" that I've run across. One is a hole in the pavement next to a manhole cover on 17th street. The other is some required maintenance of lane markings on a Multi-Use Path.

For the hole in the street, I'll be contacting the City's "Pothole Posse". I'll get to find out if the posse is still active.

For the lane markings, I'll be contacting the PATH Foundation. We'll see how this goes.

It remains to be seen if my results will encourage others to be involved citizens or not. We all want to put our efforts into tasks where we think we'll see results. Will keep you posted.

Wrong Way MUPpies

I take the Freedom Park Multi-Use Path (MUP) most afternoons on my way home from work. Although it isn't crowded, there are a good number of cyclists, runners, and dog walkers taking advantage of this amenity.

After the start of the new year, I noticed a sharp increase in the number of pedestrians who were in the left lane instead of right lane. On the street this would be appropriate, but this is a MUP with a centerline and all traffic moves on the right hand side.

Yesterday morning, I think I learned what is going on.

From wrongWaySignage

When the MUP was first built, it had signage indicating that pedestrians used one side of the path and cyclists used the other side. This had been blacked out, but the black paint has been peeling and fading and the white is starting to show through. The markings here have recently been spray-painted white.

The "regulars" that I see on the trail still walk on the right side of the path. I'm guessing that many of our neighbors have listed "Get More Exercise" as their New Year's resolution, are new to the trail and have noticed the old markings.

Wanderlust Commute

I rode a large figure eight this morning, headed away from the office at first, passing the office, and then swinging around behind the office to approach from the Georgia Tech side. If there was a homing device planted on me, it would have looked like I was trying to shake someone off my trail.

There was some purpose to riding 13.5 miles to cover 3 miles of distance, besides playing hooky, of course.

There is a hole in the pavement on the east end of the 17th Street Bridge. It happens to be right where the bike lane cuts across the right-turn only lane and is angled such that you are on top of the hole before you see how deep it is. Also, the cyclist could easily be distracted with crossing the lane of traffic and could miss (or rather not miss) the hole. I had wanted to get some pictures.

From 17thStreetHole

I thought my experiences getting this hole fixed would lead to some interesting posts. The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign has some contact information for people who can help get this fixed, but I understand it may need some updating. I may be able to accomplish multiple goals by pursuing this.

Just like my recreational commute.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 22.8
Number of Cyclists seen: more than I could count on the Georgia Tech campus; 13 coming back home
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH with extension to Atlantic Station and Ga Tech
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: 45-degrees with wind out of the west; warm enough for shorts.