Virginia now has rules that new subdivisions must have through streets that link to other through streets: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102248.html
This is one of the biggest hurdles we face when trying to get around by bike in these times, especially in Granger. Mishiwaka’s Grape Road big box district has the commercial version of the cul-de-sac problem, non-linking sidewalks.
So often when planning a route, I find that there’s just a teeny 15-yard section where quiet streets on the first half of the route don’t link up to quiet streets on the last half. The cul-de-sacs don’t link up, there’s a fence in the way, or the parking lots don’t exit opposite one another.
They’re the broken links of a nearly invisible infrastructure of back streets, parks, and parking lots. But make no mistake–the keepers of these breakages know what they’re doing, and are deliberately trying to disrupt traffic. It’s part of a wider pattern of the private appropriation of public infrastructure.
This entry was posted on April 16, 2009 at 6:32 pm and is filed under Commentary, News, Routes.
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Bike Michiana 
An end to cul-de-sacs
Posted by Adam Bee on April 16, 2009
Virginia now has rules that new subdivisions must have through streets that link to other through streets: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102248.html
This is one of the biggest hurdles we face when trying to get around by bike in these times, especially in Granger. Mishiwaka’s Grape Road big box district has the commercial version of the cul-de-sac problem, non-linking sidewalks.
So often when planning a route, I find that there’s just a teeny 15-yard section where quiet streets on the first half of the route don’t link up to quiet streets on the last half. The cul-de-sacs don’t link up, there’s a fence in the way, or the parking lots don’t exit opposite one another.
They’re the broken links of a nearly invisible infrastructure of back streets, parks, and parking lots. But make no mistake–the keepers of these breakages know what they’re doing, and are deliberately trying to disrupt traffic. It’s part of a wider pattern of the private appropriation of public infrastructure.
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This entry was posted on April 16, 2009 at 6:32 pm and is filed under Commentary, News, Routes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.