November 12, 2005
Mr. City Manager, tear down this wall!
Try to imagine a time when there was no fence and you could ride a bike through and through this huge cemetary and the adjoining park areas. No fences to stop you, no speed bumps to ruin your rims and interrupt your ride.
I remember such a time. It was almost 30 years ago.
Now... I understand the need for speed bumps and vehicle barriers, but THIS is not a solution. It fails on so many levels.
1 - It's ugly.
2 - It looks temporary.
3 - It's easily damaged.
4 - It breaks up the esthetics of the park. (Did I mention it was ugly?)
5 - It totally inhibits the riding experience of bicyclist.
6 - It punishes the many for the sins of the few.
Solution: Speed bumps with a small gap centered in the lane and/or along the sides of the roadway. Vehicle barriers with gaps for pedestrians and bicycles. Remove the fencing from the grassy area between roadways and open the green spaces back up. If you need to stop vehicles on grass, use berms and trees instead of chainlink.
Now imagine miles and miles of open road, ideal for bikers looking to burn off some calories on a "closed course" free of the usual traffic.
Ahhh... bliss.
I remember such a time. It was almost 30 years ago.
Now... I understand the need for speed bumps and vehicle barriers, but THIS is not a solution. It fails on so many levels.
1 - It's ugly.
2 - It looks temporary.
3 - It's easily damaged.
4 - It breaks up the esthetics of the park. (Did I mention it was ugly?)
5 - It totally inhibits the riding experience of bicyclist.
6 - It punishes the many for the sins of the few.
Solution: Speed bumps with a small gap centered in the lane and/or along the sides of the roadway. Vehicle barriers with gaps for pedestrians and bicycles. Remove the fencing from the grassy area between roadways and open the green spaces back up. If you need to stop vehicles on grass, use berms and trees instead of chainlink.
Now imagine miles and miles of open road, ideal for bikers looking to burn off some calories on a "closed course" free of the usual traffic.
Ahhh... bliss.
