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BNSF and parking at the Wunder/WS Bar
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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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white salmon
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PostMon Aug 14, 17 5:08 pm    BNSF and parking at the Wunder/WS Bar Reply with quote

BNSF paid a visit to the Wunderbar today. They are concerned with the front end of vehicles extending into the highway right of way. WDOT, State Patrol and BNSF want cars completely off the blacktop. He had his tape measure out today checking distance from the solid white line to bumpers. 50% of the cars were in violation. There is a blacktop lip about 8 ft. south of the white line. Our bumpers can't extend over it.

This is a challenge for many vehicles like sprinter vans , large vans and pick-ups. My present solution is parking at more of a diagonal to decrease your footprint. He mentioned if this continues they will shut down the parking area. They will then allow parking 400 yards to the west where the shoulder is 3 times the area.

We need to self-police this change and alert kiters that we may loose this privilege if people continue having their front ends in the right of way. Thank you for your continued support!

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moondog

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostMon Aug 14, 17 5:32 pm     Reply with quote

Large vehicles will have to parallel park down around the Underwood turnoff.
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moondog

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Kmun

Since 05 Jul 2009
250 Posts

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PostTue Aug 15, 17 11:20 am    BIG NOSE? - Long & Tall Vehicals Danger to Pedistrians Reply with quote

Factors that "throw shade"

1. Height
TALL blunt nosed VANS & the tall hoods of TRUCKS place others at risk. When parked nose-out & close to the road they are too high & block visibility from the neighboring standard sized cars. Furthermore, pedestrians cannot view traffic over that vehicle hood. If we can afford the luxury of that big sweet gas guzzler we must suck it up & stroll the extra few steps from the proper farther WEST, wider shoulder.

2. Length
A bad parking job will force pedestrians to walk out into traffic.

Solution A:
Diagonal parking lines could be installed. This will suggest the somewhat unusual, space efficient parking diagonal while taking up less pedestrian path. These painted diagonal hash marks at the side of the road may also help alert traffic to the risks of congestion & pedestrians.

Solution B (a heavy lift):
There is an argument for a pedestrian path next to the chain linked fence to be leveled and protected from parked car encroachment. Although the train proximity is intimidating, pedestrians would be protected from traffic by those parked cars.

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lloyd

Since 16 Aug 2007
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 3:07 pm     Reply with quote

In 3 weeks none this will matter and any sense of urgency to deal with a long term solution will fade away. Then, next year at this time, the topic will come up again and nothing will change. Self policing doesn't work. Most of the violators are out of towners and those who know the rules are somewhere else during this crazy time frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day and aren't around to self police. If we truly cared about access issues we would hire someone to be at all of the "threatened" sites and have them enforce the rules. Swell City did that years ago with windsurfing. The Marina had an issue today with kites being where they shouldn't be. It was a mom concerned about her kids that brought the issue to light. That's unfortunate. It should never get that bad and a mom should never have to be put in to that position or role. So, do you really care about access issues and how much are you willing to pay for it?

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 3:58 pm     Reply with quote

I would like to address the last 2 posts.

!) If we have a walkway behind the cars for pedestrians, the front of our vehicles will encroach on the highway.
2) I totally disagree with the last post. Self policing has been working great for the last 4 years at the WS /Wunderbar We had 50% of the cars encroaching yesterday. After posting this last night we had !0% encroaching today! We had cards made up this morning explaining the issue. I only had to put them on 2 cars this afternoon. The key is to be respectful, polite and educational. In 4 years I have never had a confrontation when explaining the protocol.

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knotwindy

Since 25 Sep 2011
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 4:43 pm     Reply with quote

Moony, thank you for the time and effort you are always ready and willing to put into keeping things smoothly working for everyone. I, for one at least, appreciate all you do.

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FreerideWhiteSalmon

Since 17 May 2012
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 6:08 pm     Reply with quote

I'm happy to park my truck further away and walk, but I won't buy a Prius to have a lower hood!

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lloyd

Since 16 Aug 2007
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Hood River
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 6:57 pm     Reply with quote

Moon
You perfectly supported my stance. We are in the middle of August. The season has been in full force for months. Until yesterday people were not parking correctly. That means that the self policing efforts prior to yesterday were not working. At this point of the season the protocol should be crystal clear to all users. You stepping up the self policing also goes to support my stance that someone representing the site needs to be there every day. The people you talked to today won't be the same people who will be there next week. Your efforts are admirable, but not a long term solution. Swell City paid a guy to be there every day during the Summer. He made sure that people parked correctly, that their gear was in the right spot, etc. He was there everyday because everyday the crowd is different. The Swell City crowd saw and understood the benefit of having him there and hence we're glad to pay the $3 launch fee. I don't know the situation now, but this is how it was back in the day. we need to think about long term sustainable solutions. When you're gone Moon, who's going to step up? I hate the idea of paying to launch, but someone needs to be there everyday. I don't see them doing that for free. It's a shame that at other sites like the ES that there isn't a Port representative there everyday directing kite traffic. The Marina too. Lots of scary close calls that could be avoided if some one was there to direct and educate. I'm not afraid to help out my fellow kite brother, but I'm not there every day. And when I am, most of my time is spent on the water. Realistically, our invidual attempts can only be limited in there effectiveness.

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eric

Since 13 Jan 2006
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PostTue Aug 15, 17 6:58 pm     Reply with quote

Way to get it done Moondog! Your efforts are important and greatly appreciated.


Eric

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west

Since 09 Oct 2008
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 5:41 am     Reply with quote

One for The Moondog....in kiting, its always been about self-policing. Maintaining safety and access is a constant pursuit. This is on Maui, Hatteras, SPI, Santa Cruz, Lake Michigan; everywhere and anywhere kites are pumped up.... Fortunately there are some that understand this importance and help spread the word, spend their time and effort, and somehow/someway keep the access and the peace! Unfortunately some frankly just don't have the time, or don't take the time....

It's so easy to blame it on the visitors, the travelling kiters...it's up to the kiters who regularly kite an area to make certain that the rules are known and enforced. Either local kiters accept the responsibility or they don't. Access can be viewed as a privilege or as a right, and from that viewpoint the extent of one's personal responsibility is often derived.

One for the Moondog!

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 7:12 am     Reply with quote

Well said Mr. West, my feelings exactly!
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moondog

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 8:05 am    Re: BNSF and parking at the Wunder/WS Bar Reply with quote

moondog wrote:
BNSF paid a visit to the Wunderbar today. They are concerned with the front end of vehicles extending into the highway right of way. WDOT, State Patrol and BNSF want cars completely off the blacktop. He had his tape measure out today checking distance from the solid white line to bumpers. 50% of the cars were in violation. There is a blacktop lip about 8 ft. south of the white line. Our bumpers can't extend over it.


Moondog - maybe you should encourage the state trooper to issue tickets to the cars that are parked illegal.
I bet that would solve the problem.

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Matt V

Since 26 Oct 2014
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 9:12 am     Reply with quote

moondog,

What action was taken against those vehicles in violation?

Was the BNSF just collecting data?

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 9:47 am     Reply with quote

There were no tickets, just a data collecting mission. I imagine the State Patrol, BNSF and WDOT will meet in a Dark Smoky Room in Bingen and decide their next move. If we are well behaved there might not be a next move .

PARKING REVIEW: Heading west, go past the parking area to the Underwood turn off, pull off and clear traffic to the west(very important) then zip down and quickly back in at a diagonal as far against the fence as possible. If you vehicle's front bumper is hanging over the asphalt lip, pull out and go parallel park down past the Underwood turnoff. Your diligence will help save this access!

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moondog

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Kmun

Since 05 Jul 2009
250 Posts

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PostWed Aug 16, 17 10:58 am    Perpenicular parking vs Low angle paking. Reply with quote

Geometry Education:
Low angled diagonal parking consumes less transverse distance; resulting in a wider pedestrian pathway.

Signage:
A sign similar to the Event Site positioned on the path at the gateway/squeeze shoot (at the west end of the bridge guardrail) would inform all of expectations &/or risks of enforcement (citation). This sign will also illustrate van/big rig parking parallel to the road (farther to the west).

Examples to Follow:
Located steps away from the sign lets paint a few parking spots with lines that clearly describe the high angled parking orientation. These few highly desirable, parking pole positions will exemplify the angled pattern for following cars to replicate as they fill in east to west.

These two elements can teach a grade school geometry lesson. Perhaps this will remind us to cross busy pathways on the shortest route (perpendicular to the centerline).

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 3:42 pm     Reply with quote

After looking up the CCR's in the Wunderbar bylaws, it states in Section 6.1 paragraph 2B line 31 it states" After Aug. 20th, 2017 no vehicles will be allowed to park at the Wunderbar that exceed the length of the little Chevy depicted below."

The photo with the professional model show's the asphalt lip we need to be inside of, to keep the "powers to be" happy.


   image.jpeg 
   image.jpeg 

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moondog

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niknas

Since 18 Sep 2006
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PostWed Aug 16, 17 4:31 pm     Reply with quote

Quote:
After looking up the CCR's in the Wunderbar bylaws, it states in Section 6.1 paragraph 2B line 31 it states" After Aug. 20th, 2017 no vehicles will be allowed to park at the Wunderbar that exceed the length of the little Chevy depicted below."


Wasn't there a provision in the CCR's that the parking between "Tourists Activity" sign and entrance to the Wunderbar path was reserved for 98651 residents?

Nik Very Happy

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