These Feet Were Made for Walking….

The bawl of the engine tells you it’s coming; the puff of salt-laced road dust tells you it passed—the faster the vehicle is going, the louder it is and the bigger the puff. Walking and bicycling in Madison is not for the faint of heart, yet many of us depend upon our feet to get to the store, the bus, work or to stay in shape. Gripes aside, Madison has sidewalks, crosswalks, and multi-use bike paths, making the city more pedestrian- and bike-friendly than most. [Splash photo: April morning weekday traffic on the bike path by S A Kindstrom on Flickr. CC license.]

Mobility of people and goods is critical to the economic and social development of our community.  Like the rest of the United States, Madison’s transportation system prioritizes vehicle modes of transport through subsidies that include inexpensive public parking, low gasoline taxes, low insurance coverage minimums and low vehicle registration fees. But it doesn’t take into account climate impacts. Right now, cars, buses and trucks are the second largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions. To protect ourselves and our economy from the looming dangers of climate warming, we need to transform our transportation system. 

Madison and Dane County are on the way to making transportation changes. You can learn what officials are thinking and planning and you can learn about actions you can take. On March 8, the Four Lakes Group of the Sierra Club is sponsoring a workshop, titled Transitioning Transportation - Clean, Just & Resilient. Background information about Madison’s projected Climate Action Plan will be presented. Crucial small group discussions will follow. The focus will be on citizens as they share their sentiments and ideas for sustainable Madison. This is all of our opportunity to participate in our city’s climate action planning in the transportation sector!

The Climate Fast Forward report developed by the Wisconsin Academy of Arts, Letters and Sciences sets transportation changes as a priority to address the impacts of climate change.  “Transportation is vital to daily life in Wisconsin, and our citizens, regardless of income, age, or race, should have equal opportunities for mobility. The increased demand for transport alternatives creates an opportunity to invest in a more balanced transportation system to serve our communities. Increased investment in bike paths, sidewalks, and public transit can… attract and retain businesses and young professionals in our communities,” the authors write. Suggested transportation goals include:

• coordinating efforts among state and local and federal governments;

• engaging individuals, landowners, organizations and businesses to restructure and establish regional transportation authorities and alternative means of transportation of people, goods and services;  

• encouraging employers to invest in public transit and active transportation and promote public transit and other forms of transportation to work;

• electrifying buses and taxis; and

• establishing non-motorized transportation infrastructure utilizing the concept of Complete Streets, a concept that prioritizes all users to make the transportation network safer and more efficient. 

Dane County’s new webpage for the County Climate Action Plan has information about the plan, meetings and actions. It also includes a page where local organizations can list their events—a handy reference to keep yourself informed. Check it out! 

And last but not least, if you haven’t before, please take in the pedestrian view for yourself for a unique glimpse into the community we call home. (And just so you know, be they bikes, cars or trucks, pedestrians always know who is speeding and who isn’t.) It’s quite an eye-opener.

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This blog is written by LWVDC’s Climate Team. If you receive blog posts by email, our system automatically inserts “by Brook Soltvedt.” Brook is the webmaster, not the author of the blog.