All is revealed . . . kinda . . . sorta . . . 6 months late.
I stopped by the clerk’s office yesterday to see if anything was filed and holy crap! it was! The ordinance requires it to be files in 10 days. It took them 6 months, meanwhile, they’ve already accomplished a few of their goals.
EXPENSES
The memo is dated October 29, 2010, and it has the following costs:
– Mayor Dave Cieslewicz ($991.30 for airfare + $2,096.64 hotel + $128.90 for additional transportation + $627.63 for meals = $3,844.47)
– Dan McCormick ($992.40 for airfare + $2,394.29 hotel + $128.90 for additional transportation + $627.63 for meals = $4,143.22)
– Tony Fernandez ($992.40 for airfare + $2,096.64 hotel + $128.90 for additional transportation + $627.63 for meals = $3,845.57)
– Janet Piraino ($1,059.00 for airfare + $2,096.64 hotel + $128.90 for additional transportation + $627.63 for meals = $3,912.17)
Other costs to the trip, photographers, printing, office supplies etc “were absorbed” and not included.
PLEDGES MADE BY CITY
More revealing, however, is what the Bikes Belong folks got for the trip or “pledges made” as they say. For the low, low cost of $15,745.43 they got the following pledges:
Mayor Dave
– He will “commit substantial funds in the City’s capital budget for bike infrastructure and improvement each year for as long as I am mayor”
– He will create a Bike Council and put the bike industry on the council.
– He will form a “bike team” of city staff to “shepherd” implementation of the infrastructure improvements and other goals”.
– He will create three concentric zones in the city and set goals for bike modal shares and develop plans to meet those goals
– “Create three bike-friendly streets in zone one within a year”
– Include a bike station in the plans for renovated Government East parking ramp
– Include information on the Bike Council and city’s bike initiative on the city’s website.
Tony Fernandez
– He will actively participate on the Bike Council and all sub-committees (sounds like he is the staff?)
– Promote inter-governmental cooperation
– Pursue innovation in design approaches and request experimental status where necessary for bike infrastructure
– Pursue federal and other funding for infrastructure.
Dan McCormick
– Use paint and signage to create bike-friendly streets by fall.
– Develop pilot projects for counter-directional lanes, colored pavement, extension of bike lanes and new signage and signals
– Develop accurate modal split counts of pedestrians, bikes, cars and buses by the end of summer.
Janet Piraino
– ???
I wonder how much the bolded items cost the city? How much staff time was redirected from other efforts?
PLEDGES MADE BY OTHERS
Also of note, here’s some other commitments:
“Chris Fortune’s pledge from Saris Cycling Group” in part is:
– Fund 50% of the $50K that will be used for paint and signs. (I don’t recall a resolution accepting that money?)
– Be available at the discretion of the Mayor to play a leadership role in driving the agenda for a more bike friendly Madison.
“Trek’s pledge from Krista Rettig” in part is:
– Work with City to evaluate a strong bike sharing program
– Assist City of creation and distribution of a consumer campaign
– Review funding for private donations
– Commit time and resources to teh bike projects for the City of Madison, time, money and product.
Bike Belong with
– Foster connections with Congressman Oberstar (which is useless after Tuesday)
– Arrange a Minneapolis visit (Yay! More junkets!)
Allen Arntsen’s personal pledge from DMI is in part:
– Assist with lobbying city/county staff, alders, supervisors re efforts
– Buy and help to publicize, the new Trek everyday bike that will be part of the campaign
Gary Peterson will, among other things:
– Advocate for infrastructure to support bicycling
Brian Munson from Vandewalle will also help with “message”
etc etc etc . . .
It’s an interesting read . . . prepare for the lobbying on-slaught! And note, the city already has some of these things done . .. but they couldn’t manage to get this report in on time, go figure. Again, with the priorities, ethics, not so much. Bike buddies, hell yeah!
I see no problem with this expenditure since our streets are all in fine condition, our schools are running at a surplus, public housing is sitting vacant, the homeless are housed, our police and fire departments are thriving and Central Park is finally finished.
A city like ours, just rolling in dough, certainly should spend a few bucks to make bike riding handier! And I’m sure that all of this will be more than paid for out of the bicycle licensing fees that ALL good bikers gladly pay in return for the services they receive.
I’m just as sure that, since the best offer we got when trying to sell our house was HALF the assessed value, that property taxes will be falling accordingly.
I want to know if this was why that president of Trek showed up at the Edgewater Debate to tell City Alders how wonderful Bob Dunn’s plan would be for the city. His testimony came after this bike trip by the mayor and I can’t believe that we have not heard from the mayor on what he learned from the trip. Why wouldn’t they take Robbie Webber (whom i do not know nor have i met) but i have learned from her on the biking commission she faithfully facilitates.
They do it because they can get it away with it.