Letter: Bike West Hartford Can’t Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer
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To the Editor:
Safe roads and pedestrian safety are clearly everyone’s priority at a time when drivers and pedestrian in our town and all across the state regularly flaunt even the most basic rules of the road as well as safe biking and walking. Far too often, we see cars speeding, bicyclists running red lights or stop signs, and pedestrians ignoring crosswalks or walking in the road.
Fortunately, the Town Council continues to develop, fund and implement smart safety measures. Yet, judging by the public scolding at a recent Town Council meeting, the Bike West Hartford lobby clearly cannot take yes for an answer. This group, however well intentioned, seems to envision West Hartford as a would-be Amsterdam for the small portion of our taxpayers who regularly bike recreationally or in transit to work. Indeed, how often do you actually see anyone in the miles of bike lanes that the town has already funded?
None of us can be tone deaf to the huge financial uncertainty threatening state and local budgets as Trump, the Musk-rat and a complicit Republican Congress take a chainsaw to federal government and federal aid. Simply funding our core town and school budget priorities while considering all our local taxpayers will be harder this year, let alone paying for vehicle and pedestrian safety improvements already in the pipeline.
Sadly, Bike West Hartford just doesn’t seem to get it.
Kevin Sullivan
West Hartford
What bike lanes are in West Hartford? Painting “share the road” chevrons or leaving a foot wide stripe on the shoulder of road where the average traffic travels 50 mph does not constitute creating a bike lane. I’m not sure about turning West Hartford into Amsterdam but it is pretty clear that the town center is maxed out on traffic density and is only going to get worse with five more developments in construction. It’s time to try something different.
The presentation focused on affordable pedestrian safety measures in dangerous school zones. Not one mention of bikes.
I’m just tickled pink that you think we are a bike lobby! Actually our presentation on Tuesday wasn’t even about bike infrastructure. It was about building safe routes to schools for kids, and we offered to do the first pilot project for free. The projects we proposed are extremely inexpensive and effective. Check out the presentation before you bash it!
-Jason (scary member of the all powerful bike lobby/maybe actually Illuminati?)