A recent letter writer claims not to understand why bike lanes are needed in Northampton when there is a rail trail nearby. Presumably out of concern for cyclists’ safety on streets crowded with automobile traffic, she asks “why riding bikes on a congested Main Street is preferable to keeping on the rail trail.”
The answer is fairly simple: More than simply a piece of exercise or recreational equipment, a bicycle is an essential form of transportation. It’s a way of getting from one place to another, and that other place may well be a business on Main Street and not on the rail trail. For many people, a bicycle is their primary form of transportation. Many cyclists do not even own a car.
Is she suggesting that cyclists park their bicycles in remote bike parking lots (which do not exist) and walk the rest of the way to their downtown destinations? The bicycle is a beautiful machine: Unlike cars, bicycles do not contribute to climate and environmental destruction. They are virtually silent. They provide healthy exercise for the rider. They can carry substantial amounts of cargo. They are unlikely to injure pedestrians.
If the writer is truly concerned about rider safety (or is she more concerned about inconvenience to motorists?), she should know that the best way to assure bicycle safety is simply to have more bicycle riders on the streets. That way, motorists will become more aware of cyclists and will be less likely to hit them.
Alex Kent
Amherst