R
Ron Wallenfang
Guest
I wrote not too long ago that my long streak of never having gotten
zero bike miles because of weather was broken in early February; in
fact, by the time the month was over, I had three zero mile days.
But ultimately, why were the roads impassable for bicycles on those
days - at least why did I judge them impassible? The one undisputable
factor relative to bad patches in past years was the lack of salt.
Because of the unusually severe snows in southern Wisconsin this
winter, the area salt supply was stretched to near the breaking
point. In order to save enough salt to keep the freeways cleared, and
at least a lane or two of the major arterials, other areas were cut
off. This included not only all the side streets, but also the curb
lanes of most of the arterials. That has never happened before in my
memory. The effect on bike riders has been devastating. With snows
coming every 3 or 4 days throughout Dec., and Feb., and part of Jan.,
It's been difficult to find good places to ride, and especially
difficult to commute. So my monthly mileages those three months was a
little under 600 in Dec. and Feb., and a little under 800 in Jan.
That's the first time I've had 3 months in a row below 1000 since I
started keeping daily logs in 1993.
Why not just buy more salt? Price was a big factor. According to
newpaper accounts, most local agencies load up on salt during the
summer at $35 per ton, when it can be shipped in by boat. But there's
no shipping on the Great Lakes during the winter. Hauling it in by
train costs over 4 times as much - $140 per ton. So they've purchased
only enough for priority uses.
To be sure, salt has its downside, including for bike riders. It
plays havoc with the mechanical parts of a bike and with the
finishes. It cuts short the life and appearance of pants and shoes.
Snows melted by salt can temporarily degrade water quality in streams,
until diluted.
But its big virtue - never better illustrated than this year when its
availability diminished - is that it makes the roads in a northern
city as passable as those in the sunbelt.
zero bike miles because of weather was broken in early February; in
fact, by the time the month was over, I had three zero mile days.
But ultimately, why were the roads impassable for bicycles on those
days - at least why did I judge them impassible? The one undisputable
factor relative to bad patches in past years was the lack of salt.
Because of the unusually severe snows in southern Wisconsin this
winter, the area salt supply was stretched to near the breaking
point. In order to save enough salt to keep the freeways cleared, and
at least a lane or two of the major arterials, other areas were cut
off. This included not only all the side streets, but also the curb
lanes of most of the arterials. That has never happened before in my
memory. The effect on bike riders has been devastating. With snows
coming every 3 or 4 days throughout Dec., and Feb., and part of Jan.,
It's been difficult to find good places to ride, and especially
difficult to commute. So my monthly mileages those three months was a
little under 600 in Dec. and Feb., and a little under 800 in Jan.
That's the first time I've had 3 months in a row below 1000 since I
started keeping daily logs in 1993.
Why not just buy more salt? Price was a big factor. According to
newpaper accounts, most local agencies load up on salt during the
summer at $35 per ton, when it can be shipped in by boat. But there's
no shipping on the Great Lakes during the winter. Hauling it in by
train costs over 4 times as much - $140 per ton. So they've purchased
only enough for priority uses.
To be sure, salt has its downside, including for bike riders. It
plays havoc with the mechanical parts of a bike and with the
finishes. It cuts short the life and appearance of pants and shoes.
Snows melted by salt can temporarily degrade water quality in streams,
until diluted.
But its big virtue - never better illustrated than this year when its
availability diminished - is that it makes the roads in a northern
city as passable as those in the sunbelt.
