Dear Moonshine Ink: Truckee needs more bike lanes
I am writing you this to voice my concern about the safety of biking in Truckee and solutions for this important issue. According to the Town of Truckee web site, funding from the downtown parking meters has been earmarked for paving and parks. We need to consider the cyclists who are in need of clearly marked bike lanes. In a town with five bike shops, it should be easy to generate interest for local fundraising efforts in support of this issue. From something as simple as putting donation boxes at restaurants and shops to a Cadillac Ball for cyclists, there has to be a solution.
I must choose between continuing the contamination of my beautiful town by using a car or putting my life in danger by biking down dangerous roads. I choose the bike even though it is more hazardous to my personal safety. It is less costly than driving and a lot more fun, not to mention that is great exercise in a country that is getting fatter by the minute.
I conducted a random poll near Safeway and asked five people if they would rather ride a bike or drive a car to get around. Three said they preferred the bike because of the exercise factor. Two said they didn’t like to ride bikes and would never consider using them as a form of transportation. ‘You live in the mountains. Why don’t you just ride a mountain bike on the trails in the forest?’ asked one of the people.
The reason is that I am using my bike as a form of transportation to get from point A to point B. I’m not just looking for a scenic bike trail; my bike is my car. It’s how I get to school, work, skate park, my friend’s house and then home again. I recorded the amount of people who seem to be using their bikes the same way and I saw more than 20 in one day.
In conclusion, the Town of Truckee needs to start encouraging more of us to ride bikes by widening the roads for safe bike paths. In addition to solving the energy crisis and the obesity problem, it would help keep Truckee a beautiful mountain town.
~ Leif Hutchinson, Student Grade 11, Forest Charter School
