More speed traps

I love that the Madison police department announces where it will lay its speed traps. Here are this week's:

• Tuesday: 900 S. Midvale Blvd., school zone

• Wednesday: 3500 block of Highway 30, construction zone

• Thursday: John Nolen Drive, speed and red light

Watch out, drivers!

Broom/Gorham done

Thank God the construction at the intersection of Broom Street and Gorham Street is finally done. Not sure why such a small area took so long (bigger projects in other parts of the city took far less time, such as Campus Drive). Anyways, that was one of the most annoying of all projects.

IAM Union Should Accept Mercury Marine Offer

Mercury Marine, an outboard-engine manufacturer, has 1,900 employees at its headquarters in Fond du Lac. Like many other companies, it has been hurt by this recession. In order to save jobs, Mercury offered a contract that kept wages at $20/hr while hiring back laid-off employees at $13/hr (same wage for new hires).

No surprise that the union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 1947) overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. That short-sightedness and greed will come back to bite them in the ass, because Mercury will now likely move to Oklahoma, which offered to pay for moving expenses (estimated to be several million dollars) and doesn't have a union to deal with (at the Stillwater plant).

I repeat: the union's shortsightedness and greed will be its own undoing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that there has been talk of a re-vote. The members would be wise to change their mind. Otherwise, why should anyone feel sorry for them?

Congrats Mad-City Ski Team

For the fourth straight year, the Mad-City Ski Team won the National Show Ski Championship, which took place this past weekend at Shorewood Park in Loves Park, Ill. Check out full results and a highlight video from the state championship on the team's Web site, madcityskiteam.com.

We are fortunate that we can watch the team perform for free every Sunday in the summer on Lake Monona (by the Monona Terrace). Bring a lawn chair and your own snacks!

Catch those bicyclists

Many bicyclists forget that they must obey traffic signs as cars do. This is easily apparent when bicyclists blow through stop signs/lights, go the wrong direction on one-way streets and don't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

(Recently, a bicyclist didn't stop at a stop sign and got hit by a car on the near-east side. It was the bicyclist's fault.)

In an article in today's Capital Times, Madison police are starting to crack down on these bicyclists, who really mar the image of otherwise good people. I like that Madison is bicycle-friendly; I just hate when the few idiots out there feel empowered to do whatever they want.

Let's not lose out to Gary, Indiana

Just read this amusing letter-to-the-editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about transit (or lack thereof).

My favorite part:

"By 2016, Gary, Ind., will more than likely have a more viable transit system than Milwaukee and probably a new venue or two. Then Milwaukee can stand up and proudly say it lost jobs and income to Gary."

In a related MJS article, the Urban Mobility Report produced by the Texas Transportation Institute said that traffic congestion in Milwaukee cost about $307 million in extra fuel and lost time in 2007.

So, let's get our transit improved in Madison so that we don't lose time or money or lose out to Gary, Ind.

Approve the Edgewater Hotel expansion

For a city built around beautiful lakes, it's a shame there are only a handful of public places (non-beaches/parks) to gather on the lake. Take Lake Mendota, for example: you have the Memorial Union and the Edgwater Hotel (places like Captain Bill's are not adjacent to the lake, as they claim).

Developers have proposed expanding the Edgewater Hotel, and plans include giving the pier a make-over. Of course, with every proposal in the city, it has to be fought tooth and nail. As reported by the Wisconsin State Journal, the proposal is supported by Downtown Madison Inc., the Wisconsin Alumni Association, nearby First United Methodist Church and several neighborhood leaders, but not by Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. and the Mansion Hill Neighborhood Association.

An issue that was raised was concern over traffic and noise. That's odd, since the Edgewater is one block from Gorham (very busy) and on Langdon Street (home of Greek row). Anyone living in that vicinity should already be used to traffic and noise!

One thing that former Mayor Paul Soglin correctly points out in his blog is that we need to have density in downtown or face more sprawl.

Lastly, I think the Edgewater would make a nice north-of-the-Capitol complement to the south-of-the-Capitol Monona Terrace (which should also have a terrace like the Memorial Union's--save that for another blog).