Royal Oak doesn't want to be part of Detroit to Pontiac bike race.

**brizee** · December-04-12, 12:38 PM

No action taken on Gran Fondo
While most expressed enthusiasm for a June 30 professional bike race down Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac and back, commissioners were less excited about the community bike ride piece of the Gran Fondo or 'Big Ride' proposed by the Woodward Avenue Action Association [[WA3).

City Manager Don Johnson and Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue outlined their safety concerns regarding the event.

"We see this as a very high risk/low reward event,” said Johnson. “We think Royal Oak has little to gain from a successful event and much to lose should an accident occur, which the likelihood of an accident occurring is relatively high and the potential for any bicycle-motor vehicle accident to be deadly is very high.”

quoted from:
http://royaloak.patch.com/articles/in-brief-37903682

**jt1** · December-04-12, 01:03 PM

They're probably worried that all the bikers may think that RO is Michigan Avenue in Detroit if they see a security system at a business.

**daveyarm** · December-04-12, 01:17 PM

Does anybody have any idea what jt1 is talking about?

JVB · December-04-12, 01:27 PM

Instead of "Royal Oak doesn't want to be part of Detroit to Pontiac bike race", what you meant to say was, "The mayor has no problem with it, but his police chief has concerns about safety and so they want a few days to think about how best to address that prior to deciding one way or the other".

I guess that doesn't sound as good though.

By the way, I don't even like Royal Oak, but I just thought that was funny.

**bailey** · December-04-12, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

Instead of "Royal Oak doesn't want to be part of Detroit to Pontiac bike race", what you meant to say was, "The mayor has no problem with it, but his police chief has concerns about safety and so they want a few days to think about how best to address that prior to deciding one way or the other".

I guess that doesn't sound as good though.

By the way, I don't even like Royal Oak, but I just thought that was funny.

Also, I'm confused by vitriol of the thread starter.... correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the article say that there was much "enthusiasm" for the race and the issue is the safety concerns with the "open to the public" community ride portion?

But maybe I wasn't ascribing enough racism to RO city council motives to get the "real" meaning of it all.

**brizee** · December-04-12, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Also, I'm confused by vitriol of the thread starter.... correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the article say that there was much "enthusiasm" for the race and the issue is the safety concerns with the "open to the public" community ride portion?

But maybe I wasn't ascribing enough racism to RO city council motives to get the "real" meaning of it all.

You are the only one who even brought racism into the mix. This is the sedon topic of mine in the last week someone has put words into my mouth and it's more than a little annoying.

I no problem calling a spade a spade. I'm black, I don't believe admitting there's racism in the world will make cats and dogs fuck each other.

But that's not what this thread is about.

**Zozo** · December-04-12, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

But maybe I wasn't ascribing enough racism to RO city council motives to get the "real" meaning of it all.

Paging Detroitnerd...

**brizee** · December-04-12, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

They're probably worried that all the bikers may think that RO is Michigan Avenue in Detroit if they see a security system at a business.

On the very same page they're trying to establish a "Do-Not-Knock" registry and ban riding bikes downtown due to near misses...

Could you imagine a group of people you'd less like to spend your time with?

JVB · December-04-12, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

I don't believe admitting there's racism in the world will make cats and dogs fuck each other.

I don't know what that means, but I like it so much I had to quote it.

**brizee** · December-04-12, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

I don't know what that means, but I like it so much I had to quote it.

**Honky Tonk** · December-04-12, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by daveyarm

Does anybody have any idea what jt1 is talking about?

Yes I do, and it was funny.

**Johnnny5** · December-04-12, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

You are the only one who even brought racism into the mix. This is the sedon topic of mine in the last week someone has put words into my mouth and it's more than a little annoying.
.

Do you think the residents of Royal Oak find it a bit annoying that you chose to put words in their mouths?

**RO_Resident** · December-04-12, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

On the very same page they're trying to establish a "Do-Not-Knock" registry and ban riding bikes downtown due to near misses...

Could you imagine a group of people you'd less like to spend your time with?

I hope the city council can come up with a resolution to participate in the fondo. The larger fondos around the country can attract thousands of participants. It could be a nice compliment to the Tour De Troit, DALMAC, Iceman, and other races/rides in the state.

The 'Do-Not-Knock' ordinance is a direct response to the murder of Nancy Dailey just over a year ago.

Finally, bikes don't interact well with pedestrians on congested sidewalks. However, I can think of a few areas where cyclists should be allowed.

There is a bike summit in Royal Oak next week [[12/12). I'm sure the fondo and sidewalk issues will come up.

**rb336** · December-04-12, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

On the very same page they're trying to establish a "Do-Not-Knock" registry and ban riding bikes downtown due to near misses...

Could you imagine a group of people you'd less like to spend your time with?

Banning bikes on sidewalks is fine with me. It is, after all, a sideWALK

**wolverine** · December-04-12, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Banning bikes on sidewalks is fine with me. It is, after all, a sideWALK

I'm surprised it was allowed in the first place. I cannot imagine biking on a sidewalk. What if someone opened a door to a business and stepped out or there was heaved section in the concrete?

**leapfrog** · December-05-12, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by daveyarm

Does anybody have any idea what jt1 is talking about?

No, but I seldom do.

its pretty apparent though that Brizee has his anti Royal Oak axe out again to grind.

**brizee** · December-05-12, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by leapfrog

No, but I seldom do.

its pretty apparent though that Brizee has his anti Royal Oak axe out again to grind.

Never been to Royal Oak.

Don't know anyone from Royal Oak.

Couldn't give two pumps of piss about Royal Oak.

I just read the news.

**bailey** · December-05-12, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

Never been to Royal Oak.

Don't know anyone from Royal Oak.

Couldn't give two pumps of piss about Royal Oak.

I just read the news.

....and trash talk over half read, and half understood articles.

Isn't that exactly what everyone here bitches about when it's done to Detroit? How are you any different than people who don't know anything about Detroit and couldnt give two pumps of piss about Detroit, shooting their mouth off and sensationalizing a trivial matter?

**rjlj** · December-05-12, 09:31 AM

Worst thread ever. I feel dumber after reading these comments.

**Detroitnerd** · December-05-12, 09:58 AM

What was the point again?

Well, generally speaking, road designers make safety one of their priorities when designing roads. What that means in practice, though, is motorized traffic moves really, really fast and the nonmotorized public can't mix with it safely.

Some police have no idea you can even bicycle in the road and have the same right of way as any motorist. I'd expect better from a Royal Oak chief, but, hey, maybe what he's really more concerned about is the city getting sued somehow.

Then again, as noted from the piece on no-sidewalks-biking, where are the bicyclists to go? Can't mix with traffic, can't mix with pedestrians?

**Gistok** · December-05-12, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by daveyarm

Does anybody have any idea what jt1 is talking about?

Yes, easy to follow instructions....

1) go down the DYES forum thread first page list near the bottom.
2) stop when you get to "ROYAL OAK DOESN'T WANT SECURITY GATES ON RETAIL".
3) Read thread.

Downtown · December-05-12, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by brizee

No action taken on Gran Fondo
While most expressed enthusiasm for a June 30 professional bike race down Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac and back, commissioners were less excited about the community bike ride piece of the Gran Fondo or 'Big Ride' proposed by the Woodward Avenue Action Association [[WA3).

City Manager Don Johnson and Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue outlined their safety concerns regarding the event.

"We see this as a very high risk/low reward event,” said Johnson. “We think Royal Oak has little to gain from a successful event and much to lose should an accident occur, which the likelihood of an accident occurring is relatively high and the potential for any bicycle-motor vehicle accident to be deadly is very high.”

quoted from:
http://royaloak.patch.com/articles/in-brief-37903682

Booo. My satirical post got deleted.