reverbandwhiskey

"It would be fairly cool if Charlotte could put things in order to get another team, but I agree that we aren't quite ready. We need to stabilize our basketball team, and get our football to win the Superbowl, before we go throwing money at an MLB team that might cannibalize the money spent on the others." Screw our basketball team. Let's offer to trade them to Las Vegas for the Marlins.

"yea speaking of Apple and thier great stores, I have patronaged thier iTunes more then I would have liked to. I have spent $250+ on it in the last two weeks, that should leave me with enough music for a while. lol." Ouch, what a waste of money. Way to spend 250$ on music you have no control over, in a format that is 12 months away from being obsolete. People who buys songs on Itunes are suckers.

I am so excited about the greenway/ more bike lanes.

I can't wait for this project to make its way to Pineville. Then my bike commute will be so much more enjoyable.

I used to have a space at Queen City Underground. He has been working on this plan for many years now. I hope he is able to pull it off. That area needs redevelopment.

This is wonderful! That area has been empty for years!

Great, yet another opportunity for Charlotte to give away tax dollars on something the vast majority of Charlotte residents will never use. Let Nascar pay for their own FOR-PROFIT museum.

". Tryon, then I think it qualifies. Don't forget there was also a very similar waterslide park on S. Blvd at the same time. I believe that you can still see that one if you look closely as there are trees on it now." Where was this?

I would like to see this continue to be built up into a regional outdoor recreation destination. This is the type of tourism we need to be encouraging.

" Obviously most people like it because the line for the ride is usually filled up," Actually the line is long because the ride is slow and has a longer loading process. The ride has a very low turnover rate per hour. For example, Top Gun (which was originally designed as a godzilla ride) can process up to 1400 riders per hour. Borg can only process 1000 per hour.

"They only shipped it here because the park had been planning for a new waterpark and they finally built it so the coaster had to go." Hi. Welcome to the world of P.R. Do you really think that they could come out and say "We built this really underwhleming coaster that nobody likes, so we're shipping it Charlotte. They are used to crappy coasters there." Why would they spend millions of dollars to build a coaster, on the location where they planned on building a water park?

Wow, how did that dump of a park get onto the list? Their coasters are in horrible shape. They have had to add extra padding in most cars due to the rides' poor condition. The Borg coaster is incredibly slow, and was actually shipped here because it was horribly unpopular at another park. Outside of Top Gun, there isn't a single coaster worth riding there. I wouldn't go back there if it was free.

I don't know anything about the area. Stop by Ultimate bicycle Mathhewss. Those guys know the city well.

"Are there any greenways that can serve double as a commuting corridor?" The Sugar Creek Greenway, when finished, will allow for people in Pineville to commute uptown.

Where did you buy it? At Ultimate Bicycle in Matthews? GREAT choice in bikes BTW.

raintree, thanks for posting those.

I am reprinting these facts from Self-Propelled City for your enjoyment. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ Half of all travel in America is three miles or under - within easy biking distance for many people. The American family spends roughly 20 percent of its annual income on transportation. While Americans take only 5 percent of their trips on foot, Europeans and Japanese take 20 to 50 percent of their trips on foot. Nationally, 70 percent of all state and local law enforcement activities are expended on traffic management issues and 20 percent of state budgets are eaten up by cars. Each year 43,000 Americans die in motor vehicle-related accidents and another 2 million people suffer disabling injuries. One-fifth of the 43,000 killed each year are pedestrian and bicyclists. The gas tax covers only 60 percent of our road costs. (the rest of the money is coming out of everyone's taxes, even if you don't own a car) Bicycles are a highly efficient alternative to cars. Bicycles require only 22 calories per passenger kilometer, compared to rail at 549 calories per passenger kilometer and cars at a staggering 1,153 calories per passenger kilometer. Bicycles exceed ownership of autos worldwide. The story of the bicycle movement from the 1970s to today is that many excellent plans have not been implemented. Former president Carter encouraged pro-bike legislation, much of which died in Congress. When Reagan took office in 1979, a new study done under his administration entitled "Transportation Policies through the Year 2000" does not mention the word bicycle once in its 527 pages. All federal pro-bike programs were wiped out with the argument that oil had become cheap again. Bike theft is increasing three times as fast as other larcenies in cities. A 1973 federal government study proposed that the Department of Transportation establish a permanent, centralized Bureau of Bicycle Transportation to organize and direct bicycle related matters and to offset the influence of the auto and oil industry. It was never created. Americans pay $85 billion each year in benefits for free parking, instead of encouraging businesses to give rebates to workers who arrive on foot, on bike, or use mass transit. The typical cost for a regular commuter to own and operate a bicycle in the U.S. is $20-$300/yr. The typical cost to own and operate a car: $3,303-$6,523/yr. The fact that autos hold more than one person is practically irrelevant since urban autos average about 1.3 passengers per vehicles. The avg. transportation velocity of city buses is 13 mph. Every bike rider not only removes a car from the road but also frees a park-and-ride space; a bike rack costs $250, a parkind lot $20,000 per space to build. Every year we "invest" $25 billion of federal taxes in auto-dominated transportation. A billion dollars invested in mass transit produces 7,000 more jobs than does the same amount spent on road construction. In built-up areas of the country, we devote more land to our cars than to our homes, wrapping the nation in 38.4 million acres of roads and parking lots, a vast blanket of concrete as big as Rwanda. Number of bikes that fit in one car parking lot space is 14. The bicycle as an urban vehicle offers: no pollution, less congestion, quieter streets, and a healthier populace. in northeast San Francisco, there are 117 households per residential acre; 83 retail and service jobs per acre; and people drive an average of 2,670 miles per capita per year. In the San Francisco suburbs of San Ramon and Danville, there are 3.8 households per residential acre; 0.4 retail and service jobs per acre; and people drive an average of 10,000 miles per capita per year. People with autos make about 1,000 round trips under five miles per year. Average velocity for short trip urban driving is under 20 mph. Suburban sprawl results in higher infrastructure costs as budget-stressed local governments must provide services - not only roads but also sewers, water pipes, and utility lines - to larger geographic areas. Taxes are forced up as a result of such growth, putting economic pressure particularly on fixed-income residents and often forcing them to move. Light rail is more cost-effective than freeway construction. Estimates for urban freeway constuction range as high as $1 billion per mile, while new light rail costs only $10 to $16 million per mile. Use of rail encourages development to be more compact, generally in nodes around rail stops. This results in more efficient land use, preservation of farmland, a more cost-effective infrastructure, and conservation of energy. A moratorium on new roads and parking lots can spark a renaissance in our now-decaying towns and cities by redirecting development and investment to existing urban centers. Employment would soar to refurbish old buildings, depave areas for gardens and parks, and creating infrastructure for bicycling, walking, and rail trolley transit. In Africa, between 60 and 80% of urban dwellers use some form of public transport, walk, or use bicycles. A similar situation exists in Asia. Source: The World Bank In American cities, close to half of all urban space goes to accommodate the automobile, leaving more land devoted to cars than to housing. In a single second America's cars and trucks travel another 60,000 miles, use up 3,000 gallons of petroleum products, and add 60,000 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A person cycling along a busy street is exposed to higher levels of pollution than the general ambient air of the city because of particulate matter kicked up by car tires and circulated by air turbulence and from car exhaust. And since cyclists are exercising and elevating both their pulse rates and respiration, they are more susceptible to these relatively high levels of roadside air pollutants than the general pedestrian. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, six of the seven chief air pollutants come from automobiles. Motor-vehicle generated ozone costs us an estimated $9 billion per year in health costs, lost labor hours and reduced agricultural revenues. Motor-vehicles are the biggest single source of atmospheric pollution worldwide. Automotive fuels account for 17% of global carbon dioxide releases, 2/3 as much as rainforest destruction. Motor-vehicle air-conditioners in the U.S. are the world's single largest source of CFC leakage into the atmosphere, and subsequent destruction of the ozone layer.

"If bicylists have to follow the same laws as cars do, what about the MINIMUM speed limit?" Bicycles are not allowed on roads with minimum speed limits. Luckily I have not seen a single stretch of road in Charlotte with a minimum speed limit. "Along the same line, if a driver has to be 16 to get a limited license, 18 to drive alone, how can a bicylist ride on the same road if they're under the same age limits? wink.gif" Because you are being licensed to operate a motor vehicle, not to gain access to the roads.

"that just sounds absurd, to say that bikes on sidewalks are more dangerous than when they are mixed with suvs, motorcyles, dumptrucks, 18 wheelers, etc." according the League of American Cyclists, you are 17 times more likely to be involved in an accident when riding on the sidewalk as opposed to the road.

"Whats wrong with the damn sidewalk? I always ride on the sidewalk. no one outside of dt uses them anyway. " The sidewalk is VERY dangerous, and illegal, for cyclists. One of the major issues is that cars illegally pull through the sidewalk when leaving a shopping center in order to be able to see road traffic easier. Many cyclists are injured by cars that are pulled too far. Sidewalks are also not continuous meaning that they have to merge in and out of traffic many times, increasing the risk of collision. More bike lanes and traffic enforcement/slowing is the solution. Cyclists and motorists who break the law (running stop signs, speeding, tailgating, agressive driving etc.) need to be ticketed.

"Here's a question that I have. I've considered riding a bike to work since I live about 1.5 miles from my office, but how do you deal with getting sweaty on the ride, especially in the summer? I don't have to wear a suit, but at least business casual every day and there is no shower facility in my building? I've walked, but that's not the most enjoyable on hot days in business shoes." Luckily I havce a progressive employer who provides showers. For you, here an idea. On Mondays, bring three days's worth of clothing, then leave it at work. Ride tow ork on tues, weds, and thursday. On Friday, drive again and bring home that week's clothing. 60% reduction in car trips to work, plus you'll be getting MUCH healthier, eliminating any need for a gym membership. Added bonus: On nice days, take a much more "scenic" route home to add more miles to your weekly total of miles ridden.

I use my bike as my means of transportation. I choose not to own a car. I have the right to use the same roads as you do, regardless of hour. Rush hour is dangerous for cars as well, do you stay home and wait for traffic to wane? Of course not. Want safer roads, email city council and ask them to create more bike lanes. As the population of Charlotte becomes more dense, more and more people will be riding bicycles in traffic. The city needs to do a better job of providing infrastructure for a variety of transportation options. Just remember this: Everytime you see someone riding a bike, they are contibuting to cleaner air, less congestion, and a safer world by reducing our Nation's dependency on foreign oil. It only takes 30 seconds to change lanes and pass safely. Honestly, if there is any moment when a slow moving vehicle can cause you to wreck then you need to travel at a slower speed and increase your following distance.

Maybe if your vehicle is too large to control then you shouldn't be speeding? Sounds like someone needs to go back to driving school. P.S. It is illegal for a bicycle to ride on the sidewalk.

"Until bicyclists can go the speed limit they should not be in the middle of the road. It pisses me off too when I am in a 55 zone and get behind a bicyclists. A speed limit is a speed limit, period." Yes, God Forbid you actually have to slow down for 30 seconds to get around someone. Most of the original roads in the Charlotte area were actually built FOR bicycles originally. But we'll be nice and let you share our roads.

"I see more people on bikes every day and they like to ride in the middle of the road." A cyclist is entitled to the entire lane. I will take the lane when the road is too narrow for a car to safely pass me inside that lane. Most drivers overestimate their driving abilities. I have been hit by numerous drivers "who thought they had enough room" For any cyclists on the board: the annual "Ride With The Mayor" ride is this Friday! details: http://www.bike-charlotte.org