tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post3347897331662215360..comments2023-08-14T09:18:49.114-04:00Comments on Columbia Compass: Coming Soon to Your Backyard: Ricky Bobby, Hummers, and the Grey LineB. Santoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568466324432338324noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-68318189006528365032007-04-02T15:46:00.000-04:002007-04-02T15:46:00.000-04:00Bill:Practical reality often escapes dedicated adv...Bill:<BR/><BR/>Practical reality often escapes dedicated advocates.<BR/><BR/>I often commute by bicycle and have done group rides at night using the Columbia path system. The golf cart idea is cute, but unworkable for most of the existing path system. As pointed out in comments above, the paths are narrow with many twists and sharp turns, and often run through environmentally sensitive areas (e.g., what I dub "Mosquito Alley," the path running from Vantage/LPP to the Sheraton). Nothing like first hand experience to throw cold water on a nice idea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-80846323085927561542007-03-24T14:58:00.000-04:002007-03-24T14:58:00.000-04:00I'd like to see some people on the paths. Friends...I'd like to see some people on the paths. Friends and I have been talking about how Columbia's natural beauty seems to have lost its lure as more and more parents refuse to allow their children outdoors to enjoy our woods and lakes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-27736832324093940122007-03-05T12:37:00.000-05:002007-03-05T12:37:00.000-05:00There is a huge need for transit options for a lot...There is a huge need for transit options for a lot of people - and cost is a huge factor. The green buses are currently extremely poorly funded and exceptionally unreliable. I predict that transportation will be the one issue that can and will grind the economy to a halt in the future and severely impact quality of life.<BR/><BR/>That said, I don't support golf carts on the path - the technical problems and the huge cost to CA or whoever takes over the service is a major impediment. Having a motorized free area is also a wonderful amenity. And I say this as a disabled person who walks with a cane about 25% of the time, who will likely end up in a wheelchair.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-73288726476358974052007-03-05T01:02:00.000-05:002007-03-05T01:02:00.000-05:00My, how I enjoy to watch your mind analyze an issu...My, how I enjoy to watch your mind analyze an issue. You are such an asset to this community, Bill. Your thoroughness and balanced perspective plus your unwillingness to be-sound-behave politically correct and pandering is refreshing. <BR/>Truly, Bill, thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-64607395604508473682007-03-03T17:37:00.000-05:002007-03-03T17:37:00.000-05:00Anon 20:37,Thanks for your interest. I am looking...Anon 20:37,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your interest. I am looking into several things right now. I will have an announcement, one way or the other, within the next seven days.<BR/><BR/>Stay tuned,<BR/><BR/>BillB. Santoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13568466324432338324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-56689907474787257632007-03-03T12:34:00.000-05:002007-03-03T12:34:00.000-05:00"The golf cart idea is not a senior citizen subjec..."The golf cart idea is not a senior citizen subject. It is the subject of how those who do not drive and guess what, there are lots of poor folk or disabled folk who cannot afford a car with all its requisite requirements, can get to a grocery store reliably and cheaply. Perhaps more cheaply and more conveniently than the shuttle buses."<BR/><BR/>Hmmm, sounds like personal rapid transportation to me. It just doesn't belong on a ground level CA path.<BR/><BR/>With the right kind of mass transit planning, we can get a system that will meet the needs of the groups mentioned by Anon 15:29 - the poor, the elderly, the disabled, those for whom the shuttle buses aren't sufficiently convenient. Oh, that same system can serve the rest of us, too, who want transportation that is more environmentally friendly (both in its emissions and its footprint), more economical, not subject to gridlock, faster than cars, safer, and doesn't require waiting for the system. <BR/><BR/>An integral part of such planning is ensuring the 30-year plan includes such considerations now instead of having to shoehorn in less than optimal and far more costly mass transit solutions later.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-78236858038440660542007-03-02T20:37:00.000-05:002007-03-02T20:37:00.000-05:00Bill, tis the season. People are announcing their...Bill, tis the season. People are announcing their intentions about upcoming CA Council races. Are you going to throw in your hat again this year?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-19900748405216536112007-03-02T15:29:00.000-05:002007-03-02T15:29:00.000-05:00Hey out there,The golf cart idea is not a senior ...Hey out there,<BR/>The golf cart idea is not a senior citizen subject. It is the subject of how those who do not drive and guess what, there are lots of poor folk or disabled folk who cannot afford a car with all its requisite requirements, can get to a grocery store reliably and cheaply. Perhaps more cheaply and more<BR/>conveniently than the shuttle buses.<BR/>And, some of the arguements are just plain silly...no mention of a professional as driver, just lots of silly worries about alcohol consumption. No thought of this being a County issue, not...just a CA issue....which is one of the places approached by the advocates. From my view point, I am far more afraid of young ,old , middle aged, black, white, hispanic who are on cell phones, follow too closely , have defective signal lights or consider them an upgrade since they don't get used and drive trucks aka suvs with the still all too often attitude that they control the road. <BR/>Thank goodness I have a life and don't waste much time on this blogger tripe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-60220205246639327092007-03-02T01:39:00.000-05:002007-03-02T01:39:00.000-05:00Ok, to reiterate - environmental damage. CA's pat...Ok, to reiterate - environmental damage. CA's paths, unlike golf courses, do not have constant returfing and erosion prevention attention for when ground is disturbed by offpath driving, stomping on the gas or brake, etc.<BR/><BR/>The pathways are also too narrow to allow safe simultaneous golf cart traffic in one direction without endangering pedestrians traveling in the opposite direction. What will happen? Either the pedestrians are forced off the path (which is wrong), the golf cart drives off the path (which causes damage to the adjacent ground), or the golf cart would have to stop to allow the pedestrian(s) to safely walk past (which is unlikely).<BR/><BR/>Noise. How do you justify allowing golf carts, but then continuing to prohibit smaller mopeds, motorbikes, motorized gocarts, etc.? Slippery slope.<BR/><BR/>Some communities do allow golf carts to travel lower speed secondary roads. We should certainly evaluate doing so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-11339254212066183362007-03-01T12:29:00.000-05:002007-03-01T12:29:00.000-05:00Bill- your coverage of this issue was very thoroug...Bill- your coverage of this issue was very thorough and well written. I disagree, however, with your suggestion that path widening, signage, enforcement, etc. would have to be implanted to make the golf cart idea work. If the paths were widened, that would simply turn the paths into golf cart drag strips which would actually decrease pedestrian safety. The safest thing to do is have the carts operating at the lower speeds necessitated by narrower paths. Your arguments in regards to 911 personnel not being able to locate pathway accidents do not hold water. If those arguments are valid, this same problem would present itself for bicycle accidents. Concerns about alcohol related problems and the inability to enforce pathway “regulations” are somewhat overblown. Sure, there may be a drunk or two on the path from time to time, but we shouldn’t discount the whole idea based on the fact that we can’t guarantee everyone’s complete safety. I suspect it is much more dangerous to operate a bike or golf cart on the road than to walk on a pathway that allows golf carts. I am not encouraging or discouraging the use of golf carts on CA pathways, but I don’t think any good reasons not to pursue the idea have been raised in the discussing thus far on this blog. The use of trikes that one commenter suggested is a good idea, but it has not caught on with the citizens for whatever reason.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-64685642208952418122007-02-28T00:43:00.000-05:002007-02-28T00:43:00.000-05:00Yep, the CA paths weren't designed for publicly-dr...Yep, the CA paths weren't designed for publicly-driven motorized vehicles. There were plans to create a minibus system that used some of the paths, but those vehicles would have been driven in uniform methods and controlled speeds by trained professionals. Accidents, noise, and damage to the environment await otherwise.<BR/><BR/>Promoting increased senior mobility/independence and green transit are both great ideas, but (other than personal assistive mobility devices for those with limited mobility) it should be via the existing road system, not the CA paths. If bicycles and mopeds can share the road with cars, golfcarts certainly can, too.<BR/><BR/>And there are many fine adult <A HREF="http://www.waltscycle.com/trikes.htm" REL="nofollow">tricycles</A> and quadricycles that can currently be used on the CA paths and can be fitted with electric motors for those truly needing mobility assistance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706982.post-32693121590621383432007-02-27T19:54:00.000-05:002007-02-27T19:54:00.000-05:00Bill,I agree. That has to be about the dumbest ide...Bill,<BR/>I agree. That has to be about the dumbest idea I have heard of for Columbia. I frequent a resort in Florida where the main mode of transportation is the golf cart. The golf cart paths are wider than Columbia pathways and walkers on those paths are rare. There is also very little resemblence between these "golf carts" and those actually used for golfing.<BR/>-wbwordboneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00250201271555676642noreply@blogger.com