In a Sept. 6 letter to the editor, a writer proposes putting up physical barriers on the bike path to force cyclists to dismount and walk at all street crossings.
This is a terrible idea. Hundreds of people use our bike paths every day for recreation and to get to work. Commuting by bike helps reduce traffic congestion, reduces carbon emissions and offers health benefits. We should encourage use of the bike paths, and not penalize all cyclists because of the bad behavior of some cyclists.
If we followed this writer’s logic on the roads, cars would be banned due to the risk (and daily reality) of collisions.
For those concerned about getting in a collision with cyclists at crossings, try driving slower.
Alex Kahn
Northampton