'Complete streets': Incompleteness theorem
Middleton streets are generally safe for pedestrians and bicyclists, despite ill-conceived bike lanes that lull inexperienced bikers into a false sense of security, and frustratingly timed pedestrian-crossing lights that provoke impatient walkers into crossing busy streets against the light. Generally, motorists also behave better than their reputation would lead one to believe, and many if not most accidents between cars and bicyclists or pedestrians are avoided because it was the motorist who was paying attention, rather than the other way around.
Of course, if everybody followed the rules of the road (and stayed off their phones while driving, riding or walking) there would hardly be any conflicts between traffic participants at all. But that is obviously not the case and traffic safety remains a serious issue, while with steadily increasing numbers of cars and more and more new electric vehicles (including e-bikes, scooters and one-wheel skateboards) entering the parade, sharing the road space is only going to become more challenging.
In fact, e-bikes, scooters and one-wheel skateboards are already causing problems for and conflicts with pedestrians on sidewalks and trails, and a serious argument could be made that, as motorized vehicles, they should not be allowed on sidewalks and trails at all.
The City of Middleton is, among other things, trying to find the means for a more peaceful coexistence between the various traffic participants by making the transportation infrastructure less auto-centric. The Pedestrian, Bicycle and Transit Committee has been working on this 'complete streets' policy for many months now, and after a first round of feedback from other committees, notably the Public Works Committee and the Plan Commission, a new draft resolution is now being circulated for further review. The main inspiration for Middleton's draft is a similar policy called 'Complete and Green Streets' from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, which is being upheld as a model to follow by complete-streets advocates nationwide.