Bumpout Blues

Several years ago, the City of Brookfield had a Mayor-ette, and she had "vision."

Her bike-trail "vision" didn't work all that well. The bicycle folk (those wankers who NEVER stop for stop-signs) objected that the trails were not wide enough for their delicate taste--which they called "safety". So they're back on the roads, where the automobile lanes had to be narrowed to allow "bike rights" next to the shoulders.

Good move. Pave the green space, narrow driving-lanes, and make nobody happy.

Another "vision" was to recreate some sort of Primeval Paradise condo development. "Primeval" means that it kinda sorta maybe looks old, like colonial Boston or something. So Norhardt Drive has "bumpouts" which allow parking in front of the condos--but only a few spaces, here and there. So the curbs literally "bump out", preventing parking near driveways.

(The real reason it 'looks old' is that this stupid idea was tried by the City of Milwaukee on "Old" Mitchell Street, and torn out several years later.)

Why torn out?

Because it SNOWS in Milwaukee (and Brookfield, too.) When the snowplows hit the "out" part of "bumpouts," something's gotta give: either the iron of the plow or the concrete of the curb.

Drive south on Norhardt from North Avenue someday. I figure there's about $5K in concrete curb repairs which should happen immediately, and another $5K will happen next year.

DPW probably can give you the numbers for plow repairs. But they won't like doing it.