The question today is it easy to be for something or against it? What happens when no matter what you say it becomes steeped with criticism? Is it impossible to change that trajectory? What happens when you become so for one thing that anything short of that is subject to your complaint?
Generally those you are criticising begin to tune you out. Then it gets worse and you feel like complaining more. A vicious circle ensues and not much gets done. That’s where we’re feeling we are now. Who cares if my complaints are spot on, what the Mayor’s Bike Program isn’t doing is clear and the Hubway Bike Share program is a supreme waste of time treasure and talent? That’s just that crank dotriderblog…
The over 500 photographs of riders at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotbike have not been seen by the folks who decide what happens at the Mayor’s Bike Program. Other bike advocates hear from the City that there aren’t that many riders in the neighborhoods when here’s proof. In fact if we began the site all over again and concentrated on it as much as we did last year we’d have well over 1000 images. Today sans my camera we saw over 20 bikes during our 4 mile traverse from Dot to JP. Few if any were headed down town. Most were going across town.
Meanwhile the City’s community outreach remains an after thought or has become a charity program, not an empowerment program. Folks will find the money for bikes if they feel empowered to use the roads. Meanwhile we’re passing bikes forward to folks who might not be confident or competent enough to deal with Boston’s streets. Hey have this used bike and stay on the side walk where we won’t count you…
Total focus on Hubway has pushed traffic enhancement efforts and their needed constant oversight on the backburner. Some jobs get done but there seems to be little enthusiasm on the contractors part to do the job right and no obvious effort from the city to encourage a better job be done.
So, we’ll try to keep quiet since no one’s listening anyway. We’ll see if things improve. We’ll fall back on my brother’s advice, “Don’t get involved in promoting bicycling because that will make it not as free and more regulated than it is now.” Hmmmmm….we’re thinking my brother is onto something….
