Consolidated Biking Thread: Infrastructure, Sharing, Economics and Planning (planner, market, New Orleans)

[wburg]

On my one actual stop in Denver (our train arrived 6 hours ahead of schedule so they let us go wander around downtown Denver for the afternoon) we visited a downtown cafe for a cappuccino, walked around checking out the downtown galleries, light rail line, bikeshare program, transit mall, condos, boutiques and live music venues, and picked up a few local publications, including the MSU Denver "Metropolitan" Magazine, which included an article about "The Rise of Denver's Creative Class."

Creative Class | Metropolitan Denver Magazine

It’s a sweltering Tuesday in June. A steady stream of beards, handlebar mustaches, tattoos and Keds wait cheerfully in line for duck pastrami sandwiches, sweet potato waffles, French-press coffees (from 10 different roasters) and brûléed grapefruit. Regulars — designers, brew masters, artists, fashion designers, coffee roasters and the like — hug and catch up, bemoan hangovers and gently trade jibes. The scene at Crema, a coffee shop/knoshery in Denver’s River North Art District or RiNo (the neighborhood that native Denverites would recognize as part Five Points, part Globeville), could just as well be taking place in Portland, Brooklyn or Austin, cities generally recognized as hubs for hipsters and creative types. But isn’t Denver the city that hosts an annual stock show and parades more than 100 Texas longhorns through its financial district? The last several decades, however, have seen Denver become more than an urban wart on an otherwise rural landscape. Today Colorado’s capital ranks high on countless superlative lists, including Forbes 2012 “Best Places for Business and Careers” and “Best Hipster Neighborhoods” (LoHi), “Hottest Place to Start a Business” (The Fiscal Times 2011) and “#1 city for Young, Cool, Hip People” (Brookings Institution 2011).

Sounds like Denver is already the Portland of the Plains. At this point, the Portland of the Midwest is probably Milwaukee, or maybe Madison.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by wburg

On my one actual stop in Denver (our train arrived 6 hours ahead of schedule so they let us go wander around downtown Denver for the afternoon) we visited a downtown cafe for a cappuccino, walked around checking out the downtown galleries, light rail line, bikeshare program, transit mall, condos, boutiques and live music venues, and picked up a few local publications, including the MSU Denver "Metropolitan" Magazine, which included an article about "The Rise of Denver's Creative Class."

Creative Class | Metropolitan Denver Magazine

Sounds like Denver is already the Portland of the Plains. At this point, the Portland of the Midwest is probably Milwaukee, or maybe Madison.

I went to Crema when I went to Denver. It felt very Oakland/SF/Portland/Seattle hipster but the coffee was excellent and the service was friendly. I was jones-ing for excellent locally roasted coffee.

*i also went to Madison's coffee equivalent that was right by the capital.

[wburg]

I think we went to Common Grounds. We didn't stop in Madison on that trip, but we did go to a very hipstery rooftop restaurant in Milwaukee's Third Ward, where we ate some bacon, did some thrifting, looked at public art and more new condos, and I picked up a guide to the Third Ward Art Festival with an extensive list of local galleries. Milwaukee doesn't have a bikeshare program yet, but it's apparently coming soon: Milwaukee Bike Share - Coming Soon

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by wburg

I think we went to Common Grounds. We didn't stop in Madison on that trip, but we did go to a very hipstery rooftop restaurant in Milwaukee's Third Ward, where we ate some bacon, did some thrifting, looked at public art and more new condos, and I picked up a guide to the Third Ward Art Festival with an extensive list of local galleries. Milwaukee doesn't have a bikeshare program yet, but it's apparently coming soon: Milwaukee Bike Share - Coming Soon

Milwaukee definitely has a ways to go before becoming a Portland, but it definitely has the chance. Though if I remember correctly Milwaukee will probably never have the kind of rail that Portland has which is disappointing.

[nei]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Heck, in my town they often clear the bike paths before they clear the roads! I think that's because kids use them to walk to school.

I was surprised they're even plowing one bike path, that's a new thing.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Milwaukee definitely has a ways to go before becoming a Portland, but it definitely has the chance. Though if I remember correctly Milwaukee will probably never have the kind of rail that Portland has which is disappointing.

Why not? Milwaukee has a long legacy of streetcars--and Portland had a long way to go before it became "a Portland"--in the 1970s they were just another West Coast poster child for suburban sprawl.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by wburg

Why not? Milwaukee has a long legacy of streetcars--and Portland had a long way to go before it became "a Portland"--in the 1970s they were just another West Coast poster child for suburban sprawl.

A long legacy of streetcars and actually having running streetcars are two different things. I am not saying Milwaukee can't do it, I am saying it so far looks like they won't build a functioning rail system. Personally I hope that changes in the future, but from the locals in Milwaukee I have talked to it doesn't sound likely.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by nei

I was surprised they're even plowing one bike path, that's a new thing.

As I said, the path near my house is used by elementary school kids to get to school, and it goes through a park, so it's probably done by the park maintenance people. (Take note of that, Rockville!)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by wburg

I think we went to Common Grounds. We didn't stop in Madison on that trip, but we did go to a very hipstery rooftop restaurant in Milwaukee's Third Ward, where we ate some bacon, did some thrifting, looked at public art and more new condos, and I picked up a guide to the Third Ward Art Festival with an extensive list of local galleries. Milwaukee doesn't have a bikeshare program yet, but it's apparently coming soon: Milwaukee Bike Share - Coming Soon

Madison, for all its overblown publicity, has a population of about 240K, with an MSA of 568,000. That is about 1/5 of Denver or Portland.

Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan statistical area - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[nei]

Originally Posted by Katiana

As I said, the path near my house is used by elementary school kids to get to school, and it goes through a park, so it's probably done by the park maintenance people. (Take note of that, Rockville!)

I was referring to being surprised that the even plow one path here. The one that's plowed is owned by the city, the other ones might be state-owned. Do they only plow some paths or almost all the paths in Louisville?

We probably could use the plowing more here, since I think our snow tends to stick longer. But you probably get more winter days that are nice for bike riding. Still, I don't bike in the winter as much now, but I definitely would have biked a bit more in the winter if the paths were clear. I met someone who was disappointed that path was clear right during the snowstorm as she hoping to cross country ski on it.