Most people live in the burbs or live in areas adjacent to the center like the south side, beaverdale, ingersoll, etc. but that demo will likely be changing more and more.
Des Moines removing one-way streets, adding bicycling infrastructure, walkability
- Thread starter capitalcityguy
- Start date
Most people live in the burbs or live in areas adjacent to the center like the south side, beaverdale, ingersoll, etc. but that demo will likely be changing more and more.
Roads, bridges, pedestrian and multimodal facilities are all funded by motor fuel tax. My problem with bicycle facilities is that people using vehicles are funding this infrastructure for others. I think that if cities want to develop modal infrastructure, that is great, but they need to significantly increase the cost of or create a bike registration system. A 6' wide bike lane is half the cost of a normal 12' vehicle lane but no revenue to pay for that 6' is generated.
I work in downtown DM and was thinking the same thing...I'm not sure the demand is there for bikes but we'll see.
I work for a corporation in downtown DM and a lot of people live between 2-15 minutes from downtown. They don't live downtown but close to it.
This is a common misconception. While gas tax funds most of roadway construction and maintenance for state owned roads, more general funds are being used from the federal level for state owned roads (and local roads that get federal funds).
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/11/25/its-time-to-stop-pretending-that-roads-pay-for-themselves/
Local streets that use local funds (county or city) do not typically rely on gas taxes but property taxes.
These specific improvements will likely use a mix of local, state, and federal funds.
Bottom line, given the small amount of space and little wear and tear that cyclists put on roadways, they actually subsidize car drivers.
But not homeowners. We live in a rural setting. There was a plan to add bike lanes to a local county road with limited access. The plan was to assess the homeowners who lived within X number of feet from it. The lanes were not "commute" lanes - they were recreational. Turns out most of us living down that road really didn't ride bikes on it, and didn't want to pay for recreation for townies (who already have a bike path elsewhere). So let's not pretend that bikes are routinely subsidizing cars.
I think the two can co-exist, but let's be honest when depicting scenarios, okay?
The overwhelming majority of funds are from motor fuel tax both at State and federal. Those are generally protected in the legislature that they have to be used for roads. Very little, at least in KS and MO, the two states I'm most familiar with, have any money dedicated from general revenues. There are some small fed programs such as CMAQ and CDBG but those don't move the needle really.
Cities use a 20% local and 80% state formula to fund most of their projects. Sure, the city can use local property taxes for their 20 but the 80 received from the state is fuel tax. Google Iowa DOT Local Project Funding for info. Same principal applies at State level projects with fed funds.
The link you posted is light on specifics and heavy on generalizatioms. A quick glance to the home page tells me is is probably a little slanted towards bike/ped as well.
Sure, in this specific scenario (which I've never heard of happening anywhere else, and I wouldn't endorse in a rural area) bike lanes would be subsidized.
My example was speaking more to urbanized areas, where you typically see these sort of things.
Well, perhaps not, in Pennsylvania. Whether or not you believe my post, my only goal here is to keep BOTH sides honest. County roads are repaired/resurfaced on a rotating basis in Iowa. The plan in this instance was to "improve" the road by repairing it and adding the extra shoulder space before its scheduled improvement a few years later. Because it would have been done out of turn, so to speak, the money would not have come from the normal road repair funding sources. It may have been a one of a kind situation, but if it happened to us, I have no doubt it has also been tried elsewhere.
IF we are sharing the roads, we should follow the same rules, and be equally accountable when we don't. Bikes should be licensed the same way that cars are (for identification purposes AND for "usage tax" purposes), but the licensing should definitely be at a lower rate than that imposed on cars, SUV's, pickup trucks, and semis.
I'm all for improving things for those who DO ride bikes, but let's be realistic about just how much that infrastructure will be used.
Last edited:
Ames has started to do this in some areas, specifically South 3rd and on Clark near Lincoln Way. It's not perfect yet, but it's a start.
And it sucks! It’s a travesty when there are paths everywhere. I’m not against biking, I’m against the blending of the two. It looks like DSM is separating the two, so I think that is great.
Hopefully KC has better ideas then the cluster **** they tried on Grand
No soapbox here...unless asking for honesty from both sides is a soapbox.
If Des Moines was really serious about saving the solar system...it would remove humans from Des Moines.
Especially the Czechs.
Maybe we should charge extra surcharge to the political wonk reporters that fly in and out at caucus time. "Tom Llamas, that will be an extra $100 for you and each member of your camera crew. thanks."
Especially the Czechs.
Maybe we should charge extra surcharge to the political wonk reporters that fly in and out at caucus time. "Tom Llamas, that will be an extra $100 for you and each member of your camera crew. thanks."
I think it is funny how Gazette KCRG is constantly beating the Downtown CR is reinventing itself branding drum. Green Square Park re-landscaping will save downtown!!! NewBo market is the best thing since the Mall of America!!
I wonder if the boutique casino will get a bike trail paved up to it?
How about you get an IMAX theater? Oh, nevermind, your Chamber of Commerce/marketing/branding/tourism industry occupies the building that had one.
To be fair, Newbo has potential to actually be an authentic "bohemian" lifestyle neighborhood...but the artificial astroturf facebook hashtaging can't do it alone....
Just here to add I am not moving back to Des Moines just because they have added a bike lane to a street near downtown. 
I would take more than that, like Jen Garner saying she'd be with me but only if I move to DSM with her.
I would take more than that, like Jen Garner saying she'd be with me but only if I move to DSM with her.
