Letters From Our Readers
Please note: Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Urban Conservancy. If you have a letter, or wish to respond, please contact us.
The Challenge: Bike Lanes
To The Editor:
The tragic killing of a bicyclist on Elysian Fields last Thursday was as disturbing as it was preventable.
Although a cyclist is no match for a hulking 18-wheeler, clearly-striped bicycle lanes could have provided a visible and vital reminder to the trucker that bikes are on the roadway.
With the help of local bicycle activists last year, the City Planning Commission established cross-town bicycle lanes which would provide greater visibility and safety to those riding bicycles in New Orleans.
Unfortunately, the Department of Public Works has yet to stripe these bike lanes, and is only planning to do so during future resurfacing of those streets—which we all know could take years or even decades.
The Mayor’s own Transportation Task Force has urged bike lanes as a “low cost and minimal effort” project that’s only challenge is finding “the political will to provide bike lanes and bike paths to promote a more livable city.”
Let’s rise to that simple challenge: the DPW should immediately stripe all bike
routes in the city to prevent another unnecessary death.—Jason S. Neville
Campaign for Sustainable Transit
May 4, 2005
Jun 29 2005