« Are They Amunds or Almonds? | Main | Council Artfully Dodges Budget Again »
March 04, 2008
Great Bollards of Fire
 |
| Image: Artist's drawing of safer
bollards requiring minimal changes or expense. There's no recommendation
on what to do about giant cycling rodents in the park. The bollard story is one of those Chico discussions that I like to keep an eye on, but generally don't want to touch it with someone else's 10 foot pole. Wrapped up in the whole "is a bollard dangerous" question is the question of whether cyclists riding in big groups are the real danger. I think it's also fair to wonder if the issue is really all about Ed and not about bollards at all. I'm sure there are people around town that see the concern over bollards as special treatment for a popular guy. On the other hand I'm having a hard time wondering why bollards need to be defended. I know they keep cars off pedestrian/cycling routes. But were cars really that big of a problem? What happens if a car gets on the wrong road every now and then? Has someone been killed or injured? Why not just take the bollards out for a little while and see how it works? When I hit inanimate objects with my bike I always assumed it was my fault. I once hit a park bollard and it knocked my peddle off. I had to ride home from 5-mile with one foot. Another time I hit a brick pillar, which is like a bollard but bigger and rockier. I flipped over my bike and landed on my back on someone's lawn. I had to throw my bike away afterwards. Seriously, I had to throw it away. That was back before I was sustainable. Today I would compost it. However, if we set aside the emotion of the local discussion it is really pretty simple. Do we need bollards? Do we need bollards everywhere? Can we make the bollards safer? Can we do that in an affordable manner? I was copied on an email yesterday that Gregg Payne sent to city management, Councilors, Park Commissioners, and cyclists. He came up with some drawings showing how to make the bollards more noticeable, safer, and without spending a lot of money. My favorite part of the idea was the painting of surface graphics to highlight the presence of the bollard. These graphics might also have a raised surface to alert someone to the bollard in the dark, or if they are not paying attention. They do this same thing on the side of the highway to let people know they are leaving the roadway. I call them "drunk bumps" or "driving by Braille". I thought Gregg had some great ideas. The bollards stay (at least some of them). They are more noticeable and therefore safer. The changes don't cost very much. It's nice to know that city officials received these ideas from a citizen who put some thought into the problem. If the city embarks on expensive engineering studies, or costly modifications to the bollards, it will be with really inexpensive alternatives in front of them. |
 |
| Spotlight: Elfs and Gremlins: The new kids' disc golf course has already been vandalized. People tore off two of the interpretive signs. But at least the vandals didn't burn down homes like the Earth Liberation Front is alleged to have done in this story. Chico Unified Playing Catch-up: The school district is dealing with more than budget problems as it tries to meet testing standards in specific areas. |
|
CI Challenge: Can you guess what it is? Winner: Pillar of the community and stanchion supporter of bollard ducks, Mark Sorensen. |
Posted by Lon at March 4, 2008 06:00 AM
Comments
cic: it's a bollard. A ships bollard on a dock.
Posted by: Mark Sorensen at March 4, 2008 07:01 AM
CIC - Uummm, a bollard? perhaps for tieing down a boat on horseshoe lake.
The whole bollard issue ememplifies what Mark mentioned the other day, that there are some downright vile people in this community. You're right, Ed had an ufortunate accident. But the guy is paralyzed from the neck down and people are venting in the forum of idiots (Tell-it-ER) about how he got what he deserved.
It is right to talk about the need for bollards. They definitely are not needed in all places and seem to do more harm than good in most instances.
Posted by: Sean at March 4, 2008 07:25 AM
I don't think any of these are new ideas as far as traffic safety goes, but I hadn't heard discussion of them. It's all inexpensive off the shelf stuff that seems pretty obvious. The highway-markers.com site sells the spring loaded flexible ones too, but I think a bike rider will still crash if they hit one. Easier on the bike... but still hard on the rider.
There are really cool bollard art projects out there and some of them look great.
Judging by the whack marks, I'd guess the challenge is an anchor chain bollard on an old ship?
Posted by: Gregg Payne at March 4, 2008 07:30 AM
Sean,
I think Rainman made that statement. The bollard issue has been personalized, and that probably removes focus from trying to solve a problem. It removes focus from even figuring out of bollards are a significant problem to begin with.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at March 4, 2008 09:02 AM
Lon,
Thanks for setting me straight. Pretty sad that I can't even keep the names of 5 bloggers straight. Sorry to hear about the vandalism at Sherwood.
I have always found the whole ELF thing to be somewhat paradoxical. Let's see, I love the environment, so I'm going to burn a lodge, home, Hummer, whatever (can you say particulate matter) thereby wasting our natural resources. Oookay. Too bad we can't get them to burn our bollards.
Posted by: Sean at March 4, 2008 09:20 AM
I wonder what would happen if bollards were replaced with disc golf targets?
Lon
Posted by: Lon at March 4, 2008 03:14 PM
ci challenge= stanchion
Posted by: anon at March 4, 2008 03:23 PM
Stanchion... now I have to consult my dictionary...
stan·chion (stān'chən, -shən) n.
1. An upright pole, post, or support.
2. A framework consisting of two or more vertical bars, used to secure cattle in a stall or at a feed trough.
Sounds like a bollard.
That is a mooring bollard, which I think is close enough to Mark's "ship's bollard" to call him the winner.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at March 4, 2008 03:33 PM
My next favorite low cost idea is to use squishy orange rubber traffic cones and fill them with concrete.
Bikes could still ride around them no problem and rangers can still get out and move them aside.
Then if unsuspecting yayhoo's decide to drive over them, they'd lose an oil pan or a tranny or get stuck high centered on them.
Posted by: Gregg Payne at March 4, 2008 07:06 PM