To the editor:
I own a bike and sometimes enjoy riding it along our many bike trails. That said, I’m confounded by our city leadership’s seemingly unrelenting effort to convert our primary streets built for automobile and truck travel to alternate uses. If we need more bike lanes than we already have, let’s designate them off the main streets, through parks, trails and neighborhoods. That will allow vehicle traffic to proceed on busier, larger roads and bikes to travel in vast areas of Alexandria that offer a much safer and more scenic option.
There’s no need for nearly every arterial and secondary road to have bike lanes. For many of us, this feels like a war on those that drive cars and on businesses that need trucks to deliver their merchandise and supplies.
First vehicle traffic was hampered on portions of King Street, then on Seminary Road, then Van Dorn, then South Pickett, Eisenhower and coming soon the last big prize – Duke Street. It starts with delineating dedicated bike lanes quickly followed by a demand for “More Safety!” resulting in a substantial reduction in speed limits and space for motor vehicles.
If anyone questions it, they are accused of being “against safer streets.” The true problem is inappropriately commingling bicycles and motor vehicles on heavily trafficked streets. As they are being implemented, the dedicated bike lanes, proposed Bus Rapid Transit lanes and the city’s Vision Zero program feel like they really mean our city’s leaders and staff are promoting a Vision of Zero Cars allowed on Alexandria’s streets.
-Scott Sutherland, Alexandria
