By: Diane Benjamin Normal is building a pedestrian and bike underpass that will likely cost $30 million by the time it’s done. Vehicles will continue to sit behind trains blocking College and Linden because the underpass isn’t for vehicles. Linden won’t be 4 lanes anymore in the Uptown South plan, it is going on a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Trustees Karyn Smith and Chemberly Cummings were absent. The easiest way to recap last night’s meeting is by topic. Readers can jump in the video to topics of interest to them. The meeting finale was priceless, don’t miss it. 4:00 – Stan Nord removes B-H on the Omnibus Agenda. Chris Koos is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night agenda: http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3373 PDF page 61 Part of Shelbourne already has bike lanes: Has anybody counted how many people use the current bike lanes? The Town claims the residents have been notified and no complaints have been made about the on-street parking ban. This one is fun! The State of Illinois shows […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader attended the Open House at Bloomington City Hall last night concerning bike lanes on Rt 9. A representative from IDOT claimed he found out about the meeting at the last minute. He also said the City Council can pass a resolution saying yes or no to bike lanes. Since the […]
By: Diane Benjamin A lawyer friend/reader sent me a copy of the Illinois State Bar Association email newsletter. This story was in it: https://www.illinoislawyernow.com/2019/07/new-illinois-transportation-budget-to-benefit-illinois-bicyclists/ July 1, 2019 is a notable day in the history of transportation in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that puts $45 billion towards state construction projects. Within […]
By: Diane Benjamin How many bikes have you seen using the existing bike lanes? One? Two? None? (I see far more bikers heading to Dawson Lake in the country) The State is planning to finally fix Route 9 through town. Thursday Bloomington wants your input at a public hearing from 4:30 to 6:30 at City […]
By: Diane Benjamin How many bikes have you seen in the bike lanes? How much money has been wasted painting them? How much congestion has been caused ON PURPOSE: “traffic calming”. It turns out biking isn’t the great savior Bike BloNo convinced Renner and company it was! From Townhall: https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffjacoby/2019/01/09/is-the-bikelane-fever-breaking-n2538771?fbclid=IwAR1irKigQS-g7Cy04OigATSOtxtsFodH6TreZtsXSkp-4hh2nh1bUAtyh-o I will start with the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Are both councils stupid enough to keep doing “complete streets”? I predict YES! After Millions of Dollars Spent and Hundreds of New Lane Miles Built, Bike Ridership Is Down Across America The 2017 American Community Survey finds the number of people biking to work is falling nationwide. Source: http://reason.com/blog/2018/09/27/after-millions-of-dollars-spent-and-hund Excerpts: Despite spending […]
By: Diane Benjamin You are focusing on Christmas, so not only is Tari holding Town Hall meetings now, the City is holding a Public Meeting FOUR days before Christmas! All are hoping you don’t show up! http://www.cityblm.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/7657/17 The City wants to redesign the intersection of Fairway Drive and Empire to include BIKE LANES and a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before the headline – a commercial: If you have never attended the annual Evergreen Cemetery Walk you have one last chance tomorrow This year all the actors are portraying characters from WWI and McLean County. Details here: http://www.mchistory.org/learn/programs/cemwalk.php After I went on the walk this morning, I had one stop to make. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Jim Karch knew. The Planning Commission knew. The Council knew. Putting bike lanes on E Washington was going to create congestion. All of the above wanted congestion because you drive too fast. Yes – your government attacked your ability to drive safely because they wanted to. From a reader: Don’t know if […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council meeting last night was conducted without the mayor and without any accusations against citizens like “crazy”, “nasty”, and “small vocal minority”. Renner did hold another edition of his media blitz earlier in the day, but Karen Schmidt only announced he wasn’t there. According to media reports of the […]
The truth about adding bike lanes on Washington Street has little to do with safety, as Bike BloNo would have everyone believe. There are Illinois State Statutes as well as municipal codes governing the safe use of bicycles. https://www.activetrans.org/sites/files/Illinois%20statutes.pdf City Code Article XIX Regulations for Bicycles Chapter 29: Section 158: Traffic Laws Apply to Persons Riding Bicycles. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is now run by special interest groups. The Council will pass a Citizens Advisory Board at the next meeting if only to pacify the large crowd that showed up last night and will show at the next meeting to intimidate them. Of course, the Council will pretend to not be intimidated. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Scott Laughlin clarified this morning on WJBC why the local media is useless. The host hates people who think government should do nothing. Scottie doesn’t realize “those” people don’t want government doing nothing, they want them doing only the things the population can’t do themselves. Like fix the roads! How are the Bloomington […]
Ask Tari to explain the contribution illegals make verses the cost: https://www.nationaleconomicseditorial.com/2017/07/04/illegal-immigration-cost-illinois/ _______________________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Tari Renner wanted to lump 3 controversial items together at Monday night’s Council, but one got derailed. The Council will consider: Bike Lanes on E. Washington to create congestion Welcoming ordinance for illegals The Citizens Advisory Board to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every vote was 9-0 with virtual no discussion, so the Council part of the meeting was boring. Public comment was better. Note to City: The length of public comment isn’t 30 minutes – the time citizens spend talking is 30 minutes. The chair is capable of wasting the public’s time. First up […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington wouldn’t have a Bike Master Plan without Bike Blono. Bloomington wouldn’t have a Complete Streets plan without Bike Blono. Bike Blono had private meetings for months with Public Works to make lanes on Washington happen. (as stated by Michael Gorman of Bike Blono) Bikes have always been allowed on the roads, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bike Blono thinks their few numbers have superior rights. They are launching a bullying campaign against anybody who doesn’t agree with bike lanes on E Washington. From Facebook: The speakers knew there wasn’t a vote by the Council, they knew there was another hearing yesterday and a vote TODAY by the Planning […]
By: Diane Benjamin Renner didn’t ask to extend the time so everybody could speak, so everybody didn’t get to. Tari did make sure Mike McCurdy of Bike Blono, WGLT radio, and Connect Transit got to speak though. To hear all of the public comment – just hit play below. Then listen to the second Public […]
By: Diane Benjamin Only a tiny group of citizens want bike lanes. Tari Renner ran for office twice pledging to fix the roads. He obviously isn’t as serious as the people with damaged vehicles are. This is from 2015: http://www.cityblm.org/government/departments/public-works/streets-sidewalks/street-resurfacing The table shows how much money per year is required just to have TERRIBLE STREETS. […]
Update: The lady in the video reported Amelia stated her family won’t be using the bike lanes – too dangerous! She is supporting the plan because Bike Blono wants it. By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I attended Renner’s Open House for the first time. I don’t attend because I already know what answers are going […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bike Blono wants all cars to drive slower. TENS of THOUSANDS more cars than bikes is immaterial. Even kids understand that riding a bicycle in the road is dangerous, Bike Blono wants you to change your behavior. If you don’t agree, you are evil. They have at most a couple hundred members, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The silent majority who just want government to leave them alone are being stomped by the local boots of government. They stayed home yet again for the local elections. Evidently their destruction is the only remedy for narcolepsy. Stay asleep, that’s what they want (and your money). This is what Democracy looks […]
By: Diane Benjamin A few days ago a saw a biker on Veterans Parkway, he constantly looked over his shoulder to see if he was going to get hit. Yesterday a lady on a bike made a left hand turn in front of me without any signals. Remember when we were kids – left arm […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s government is a never-ending supply of giggles as they attempt to “control” behavior. Since the Mayor owns a bike shop, it’s easy for him to justify biking. I’ve written before and shown pictures of the grand street plans that will evidently promote bikes. Nobody has explained how narrowing intersections does that, […]
by: Diane Benjamin Cars are supposed to stay 3 feet away from bikes. Cars are not allowed to cross the yellow line – according to the law. This is East Front Street. If you encounter a biker, unless they get out of your way, you get to drive behind them at whatever speed they are […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is a picture of the Bike lanes on Jersey Avenue. Government thinks it can dictate expected behavior of citizens. Since Americans refuse to be dictated to, government is forced to take stronger action. Get ready for action to force compliance.
by: Diane Benjamin When I took pictures of Jersey Avenue in Normal and the new bike lanes, it seemed silly that the lanes just stopped before getting to Towanda Avenue. https://blnnews.com/2014/09/10/the-wonderful-world-of-bikes-normal/ On the Bloomington City Council Agenda for Monday night is this: G. Bicycle Lanes on Jersey Ave. (Recommend that the bicycle lanes for Jersey […]
by: Diane Benjamin In Normal there is a great sledding hill on Jersey Ave. I remember taking my kids there. Even with parking on both sides of the street, at was still hard to find a parking place at times. It’s a great hill that attracts a lot of kids and their parents. Unless you […]
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously the Bloomington City Council has no interest in questioning City Manager David Hales. Years from now Hales will be blamed for all the ills of the City, but the Alderman elected to represent their Wards don’t care now. Hales does what Renner wants, Renner has all but banned free speech of […]
by: Diane Benjamin The opinion of average citizens don’t matter. The only voices heard by government are the ones that make the most noise. There is a group of ardent bike riding adults who want bike lanes on major streets. They have been working for years to get them. They finally succeeded because they convinced […]
by Diane Benjamin The McLean County Regional Planning Commission has been very busy planning how to spend YOUR money. The complete Long Range Plan is available at: http://www.mcplan.org/egov/documents/1350666761_64351.pdf Keep in mind, these people are un-elected. You will never vote on the members of this commission. Some are elected in other areas of government, some are […]
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