The American Spectator

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(Page 7 of 14)

But I would like to point out, that not all hardcore bicyclists are at ease with this mania for bike paths. I did about 5200 miles of bike touring and commuting last year, some of it shown on the maps here at http://www.johngorentz.com Very little of it was on bike paths, and sometimes I avoided bike paths where they were available. The problem with bike paths is that they are often slow, unsafe, and boring. The safety hazard comes in part from all the extra sideroad crossings that are needed.

I am all in favor of making roads more bicyclable. Sometimes that can be done by improving them for motor vehicle traffic. For example, resurfacing a road and adding a bit of a shoulder means I can ride without being endangered by motorists who are dodging potholes.

p>There is a place for bike paths. They're good for leisurely family rides with small children. Maybe they're the right thing for some heavily urbanized areas. But I'm afraid that in the long run, bicycle paths will work against bicycle transportation. I am wary of the state bicycle coordinators being hired under congressional mandates from the '90s. In the name of helping bicyclists what these people are really going to be doing is shunting them off onto a bike path ghetto and keeping them off the regular roads. That is not what we want. br> -- John Gorentz br> Battle Creek, Michigan /p> p> Why is it that bikers get their paths and lanes for free? Everyone else has to pay a road use tax in the form of a license for EVERY vehicle they put on the road, except a bicycle. I think that if bicyclists want ANY lanes, they should PAY A TAX for the extra vehicle they are putting on the road, just like everyone else has to. I'm not talking about the kid who rides his $50 bike to school or to deliver papers; I'm talking about those who buy bikes with $2,000 titanium frames, $200 wheels, $100 tires, $100 helmets; $90 tights, etc., AND PAY NOTHING, while others who want to use a $200 utility trailer have to pay a tax. br> -- Gordon Paravano br> Sedona, Arizona /p> p> If people actually rode their bicycles, bike paths might have some value, but even when there are bike paths, most people don't use them. Also they become paths for other things like golf carts. br> -- Frank Mauran

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