I noticed the city painted bright green markings on several streets downtown. I came up with three possible reasons for this but thought Action Line might have more insight. Is it ...
A) Just part of the city’s never ending “go green” policies?
B) A way for the city to display where it will spend “green” marijuana shop tax revenue?
C) The city’s response to rising fees at Hillcrest Golf Club and creating a more affordable alternative?
– Curiously, The Green Machine
Most people will probably choose “A,” seeing that Durango can’t resist anything labeled “green.”
After all, we manage weeds by spraying turf with molasses and kelp. Why not spray asphalt with green paint?
Or maybe the blacktop is truly green, a special organic road blend made with locally grown, free-range hemp.
But no. It’s just plain old asphalt, which is made by heating bitumen to dangerously hot temperatures and mixing it with sand and rocks.
Bitumen is a hydrocarbon derived from the waste material left over after the manufacture of gasoline, kerosene and diesel.
So one could claim bitumen is “green” because it’s a waste product put to beneficial use, kind of like recycling kitchen scraps – except the mulch pile is an oil refinery.
Anyway, the real answer is “D,” none of the above.
The green pavement markings springing up all over downtown streets are the latest multi-modal project.
For some color commentary, we turn to Amber Blake. Color. Amber. Get it? (Lame.)
Amber is the city’s multi-modal administrator whose job covers the rainbow of transportation methods.
The green thingamajigs are “bike boxes,” a special safety zone designated for bicyclists only, she said.
Bike boxes increase visibility for bike riders, especially when drivers are turning right, and cyclists are going straight.
For really detailed info, she suggested visiting the bike box page on the National Association of City Transportation Officials website. Here’s a shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/bikebox-dgo.
So heads up, drivers and riders, you’ll need to make some adjustments.
Motorists: When the traffic signal is yellow or red, you must stop behind the white stop line. Don’t stop on top of the green bike box.
When the light turns green, motorists and cyclists move through the intersection as usual, with cyclists going first. Watch for cyclists to the right.
Cyclists: When the signal is yellow or red, enter the bike box from the approaching green bike lane. Stop before the crosswalk.
When the light turns green, proceed as normal and be aware of right-turning cars and trucks.
As for playing golf in the street, this sport poses certain risks. Remember, it’s a bike box, not a tee box.
H H H
The Mea Culpa Mailbag has a note from D.J. Webb, who objects to the headline, “Bi-polar street sign doesn’t predict epic global shift.”
As you recall, last week’s column took potshots at a sign that read “West Second Avenue” installed on East Second Avenue. Was this because the polarity of Earth flip-flopping?
D.J. says the street-sign humor went down the wrong road.
“It is insensitive and not OK to use the term ‘bi-polar’ in a glib way in such a context, in the same way that referring to contrasting situations as ‘schizo’ or ‘schizophrenic’ is callous,” she writes. “It’s not cute. It’s not clever.
“Mental illness is not a joking matter any more than breast cancer or a brain tumor,” she writes, adding that “regardless of how this was intended, that headline is out there – contributing to the ignorance, stigma, misunderstanding and cruelty that are commonly aimed at the mentally ill.”
Email questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if you think that the city is thinking outside of the box.
