Ruskin BB update...and what else is going on?

I emailed Ald. Rhodes-Conway for an update on the status of the Ruskin Street bike boulevard. She said that she asked Traffic Engineering to revise the project based on comments at the August public meeting, but didn't mention any reaction to the neighborhood's opposition or other feedback. She also said it's "likely" there will be another public meeting or a formal hearing once the revision is complete.

Meanwhile, there are developments on Sherman Avenue...

This morning, Amanda White of the Bicycle Federation of WI sent out an email recruiting volunteers to count traffic on Sherman:

From: AmandaWhite (amanda.white@bfw.org)
Date: Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Subject: Action Alert! Help Count Bikes on Sherman Avenue

Hello,

To better understand the number of people biking and walking along Sherman Avenue, Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway, Alta Planning Group, the City of Madison, and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin have teamed up to conduct bike counts at key intersections along Sherman.

We need your help counting! Please volunteer just 2 hours of your time for this important project. Counting bikes and pedestrians is very simple. We'll give you a brief training, assign you an intersection, and you'll count the bikers and walkers for 2 hours. The weather is going to be gorgeous, so use this as an opportunity to get some sunshine!

The available shifts are:

Thursday, Oct. 6
7 - 9am
4 - 6pm

Monday, Oct. 10
7 - 9am
4 - 6pm

Tuesday, Oct. 11
7 - 9am
4 - 6pm

If you are able to help, please contact Amanda White at amanda.white@bfw.org and include the shifts that you available and how many shifts you can fill. (Just because you are available for more than one doesn't mean you have to fill more than one.)

Thank you!

Amanda

So it would seem that the Bike Fed is working with a Portland-based planning firm on some kind of plan for Sherman, with the support of our alder and City staff. One has to assume this is the contentious and long-discussed idea to add bike lanes and reduce the number of traffic lanes, either to two or to something like the bizarre new three-lane configuration by Warner Park.

It's precisely this kind of behind-the-scenes maneuvering that got folks' hackles up about Ruskin.

Final observation: If we do end up putting bike lanes onto Sherman, doesn't that negate the need for the bike boulevard?