It’s Tucson’s New $300,000 “Bike Boulevard”

"What? You said pot...hole?

After four years and $300K later, Tucson gets it’s very own Car-free zone road.  Just like it’s BFF-City Sister, Portland.

Heading north on Fourth Avenue at Speedway, you must now turn left or right – if you’re in a car.

That is one of many features that have been added for $300,000 in tax money to turn Fourth and Fontana avenues into Tucson’s first full-fledged “bike boulevard.” In the works since 2008, the three-mile bike boulevard runs from University Boulevard to Prince Road. It will get final touches in the next month but is ready for use, Tucson officials say.

More tax-payer money grinding Tucson to a complete halt.  If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were doing this sort of stuff on purpose. But as always, the best lines come from the comment section:

From the Small Business Owner:

Hopefully, as this concept expands, they’ll give plenty of notice so businesses can move away. If they make a street ‘bike only’ it’s will be hard to make it if no traffic is allowed near your shop.

From the Liberal [who, for some unknown reason, is still really angry even though he got his bike-road-avenue-boulevard for free].

Tough to envision a downside in encouraging people to ride bicycles by providing a safe environment.

Most be a word association problem with the Right.
Perhaps watching too much FOX news.

Right Wing word association test responses:

bicycles=Liberals
Portland=dirty hippies
Europe=evil doers

Wow dude, chill…..and BTW, you left out the Tea Party.

Mr. Down to Earth:

As long as the bicyclers have to have an RF sticker on their bike that registers a billed toll, so they pay a use tax like I pay with every gallon of gas, it’s okay. If they don’t, have a cop pull them over and write a ticket. But don’t make the motorists pay for something they can’t use. Too much social engineering mentality. Whenever you hear “encourage” or “promote”, instead of “accomodate demand”, you know you’re in trouble.

Definitely one of those “reader-types”.

From The Global Community:

It seems like every green/eco-friendly article somehow mentions or references Portland.
How true. There’s been a long distance romance with Portland for a couple years now.

Hello this isn’t Europe and nor is it Portland, Ore. If you want Europe go there

Quote

You’re right, this isn’t Europe, that’s easy to see. Horrible mass transit. Millions without healthcare. Failing K-12 schools. College tuition so expensive it’s not worth it. Welfare programs being sucked dry.
Europe is a fantastic place to live, no doubt, but proud to be an American. Can’t move there. Maybe I can help fix this place and be a part of the solution and not the problem . I think I’ll ride my bike to work today. I won’t burn any gasoline. I’ll get a couple of hours of cardio. I’ll keep my weight in a healthy range. I’ll be energized by the time I get there. I’ll feel good. My 6000 pound truck won’t tear up the roads, I hope my 16 pound bicycle doesn’t.

David L, you should move.
This isn’t Europe. This isn’t yet a welfare bankrupt State, although Obama and the libtards are doing their best to get us there.
This the the good old USA. This is Tucson. You ride your bike when its 105 Degrees from May to September.
Get real.
Move.

Europe? Like Portugal, Italy, Greece, Ireland, and Spain? All economic basket cases — and we are right behind them with our massive debt and overspending. And who will bail us out? The Chinese?

From Someone Who Actually Pays Taxes:

And now we have this proposal, another waste of money paying for another problem for the already stressed out motorists who have to dodge all the potholes and stupid traffic designs recently implemented.

Make bike lanes along the side of roadways, do NOT remove car lanes like this absurd project has done. This will cause serious safety issues — I wonder how many motorists have already turned north on 4th to realize they are driving in a bike lane.

This is a DUMB, DUMB, DUMB idea, like most of Tucson transportation projects — from the crazy-stupid diagonal parking downtown, to that nonsensical roundabout on Mission Road (after they removed the very workable roundabout at Drachman and Main and put in a traffic light). I guess the city has money too burn. Too bad it is OUR money.

Please Mr. Glock, retire already. You have been there too long and have clearly lost your mind. You are a danger to our community. Please, go away.

And from the Bottom Line Gal:

1 out of 3
bicycles=Liberals or me, me, me or I have mine I want yours, my feelings negate your rights.

Portland= PROGRESSIVES, not dirty hippies, that is Seatle.

Europe= Socialism, not something we would wish to emulate.

What about the folks that live in this area, They get screwed for people that are not paying taxes to use the roads they are paying taxes on?

If this is the direction they are going then ALL bicyclists must register and insure the bikes and obtain an operators license. That should work out well for the kids out there.

I have a sneeking suspicion the U of A is behind this, there is a lot of student housing in that area.

Sorry Guys, I’m still hung up on that $300,00 price tag.  I know I went to public school, but isn’t that like almost $100,00 a mile?