Posted on 10/06/2011 5:00:16 PM PDT by MeNeFrego
For Portland bicycle commuters hoping that TriMet would build a “sonic bike path” connecting to the nation’s largest car-free bridge, Thursday was the day the music died.
The idea was for an intricate sequence of concrete grooves on the path that would play Simon and Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)” when bicycle tires rolled over them.
But Oregon’s largest transit agency announced a song that goes something like this: Not going to happen.
Citing concerns about cost, safety and design, the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project’s art advisory committee told TriMet and Portland’s Bicycle Advisory Committee today that it has voted to ditch the proposal...[click on link for rest of article]
I do like puns and good hacks.
Of course, taxpayer dollars should never fund it.
Get some aging hippie to put his trust fund dollars into it, or forgetaboutit.
/johnny
HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA /cartmann
Not gonna happen,
No, not gonna happen - ha-ha,
Not gonna happen,
Ain’t a gonna happen, no no
I would not suggest grooving any bike path! Bike tires come in many widths, and trapping a wheel in a groove would likely flip a bike, especially if the rear and front tire were not in the same groove.
A hill and dale design might be safe enough. But what bike speed would be needed to provide a reasonable transcription?
And what process would be used to mold the sound into the cement?
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” would be better.
ummmm the grooves would be perpendicular to the direction you drive
and about a quarter inch deep
spaced millimeters apart
These are the “live simply that others may simply live” back-to-nature idiots who have no idea what materialistic, luxurious lives they live, often at the expense of others.
When TSHTF, it will be funny to watch these worms devour one another.
South Korea wanted to keep its drivers alert by having the road play “Mary Had A Little Lamb” over and over and over and over... nice idea, poor execution.
Word.
Every Lib I know is just a “36 hours without food” away from murder.
This has been a kind of private business dream of mine for many years: Construct alternative roads that play music via bumps and grooves, and charge a small toll to enjoy the ride. I understand there is a road or two like this in Asia, possibly China, or South Korea.
The pet project of some asshats whose pet didn’t do well at the Dog and Pony Show. I laugh in their faces.
How about “Wipe Out”.
... and if you pedal backward on the bike path the groves say “Paul is dead”.
But then it would take 18 minutes to cross the bridge.
Get some aging hippie to put his trust fund dollars into it, or forgetaboutit.
But the first that came to mind was “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Actually, even though it was about footracing, “Chariots of fire” would be interesting. The best would focus on the rhythmic, as opposed to melodic, and even less likely harmonic. I’d ride in the “drum solo” lane, with a transcription of Joe Morello’s wonderful solo on Brubeck’s Take Five.
Even classic drumline riffs going back to Sousa and before would be a joy to ride over.
The next step (if you really wanted to peddle pedaling) is to have a programmable machine with bumps that can rise and fall, so you can get a different musical piece every day, or even a different piece for every rider, or even one that augments the iPod the rider shouldn’t be listening to.
Of course, the good stuff requires a unicycle.
This could also be used for those wake up strip when a highway ends.
One more thought. If you had parallel lanes, you could have quartets in harmony for riders keeping pace with each other. Now, I’m thinking Bach.
To find the piece that works best with 2 wheeled bicycles, you'd have to parse ithe collected works (is there an open source set of those?) based on the period between the front and rear wheels.
Works for lots of syncopated pieces with thirds.
It's a great idea.
I love the whole concept.
I am unamused that someone wanted government to fund it at gunpoint.
And if you refuse to pay taxes, guess what... they produce guns.
/johnny
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