[What I didn’t think of till later was that with the bus stop right there, when it parks to pick up people, all west bound traffic stops, including the traffic trying to come off of Grand Avenue.]

It is absolutely terrifying when you come to the realization you are ruled by idiots. The City of Ames has taken one of the busiest traffic choke points in Ames (the mall and Walmart), and taken it down to 2 lanes just so they could be stylish and put in bike lanes. Like bikers would choose to be inches away from speeding cars that are not looking out for them. The Captain of this municipal Titanic (Schainker) seems determined to hit every iceberg along the way. First Mate John Haila just says full speed ahead! They did the same thing for a 2 block long “bike lane to nowhere” on Clark (picture below). It doesn’t go anywhere, they just created a choke point, and a green bike lane to be stylish. Turning South Duff into a parking lot wasn’t enough.

When I first heard of their plan to take US Hwy 30 (Lincoln Way) down to 2 lanes (the major east/west thorough fare in Ames) I knew they were dumb enough to do it. They go to school to get that stupid, that does not come naturally. You have to work at it. Just look around you sometime when you’re driving. Bikers (I am one) don’t ride on busy streets! We choose nice, safe residential areas. Not these busy areas they choke off, further aggravating drivers. Its just mind numbing. The mall and Walmart, and you choose to choke off traffic?? It just blows the mind. Its not even some grand green scheme to interconnect the town, these bike lanes go nowhere!

[Seriously, to get that stupid, it can’t be a 4 year degree, that has to be graduate level stupid. No way could you complete your unlearning in only 4 years. They must use steroids to get that stupid. The Ames Tribune isn’t going to criticize them. That “Moron in the Morning” Mel Crippen isn’t going to challenge them, he goes along with every stupid harebrained idea they have! We are on our own.]

People pay taxes on the basis of the money being used for roads for their cars. When they get gas they’re paying another tax, a road use tax. When they pay their cars registration that’s another tax. It comes with the tradeoff of your tax money in exchange for the use of the roads. Bicycles don’t pay tax. Every time you take out an entire lane of traffic that a car can no longer use, you just stole half their tax money.