Bicycle Lanes

The Harrisburg area needs bike lanes. Bike lanes make the communities a safer and more attractive place to live and do business. I look to Riverfront Park in Harrisburg and see cyclists and runners and rollerbladers who would happily ride to work or the store if only they felt safe doing so. I bike to work every day and I'm forced to ride on the road, competing against cars for position. Those are simply not the safest conditions for a non-motor vehicle. I really believe that bike lanes will provide the incentive that people need to get out of their cars and onto their bikes. Portland, Oregon’s bicycle network has grown from 60 to 260 miles since the early 1990s. In that time, bicycle use has quadrupled with no increase in crashes. This issue needs to be taken seriously. People are becoming more health/environmentally conscious by the minute as well as financially strained from gas prices, as any radio ad or newscast will remind you. Even for those who are uninfluenced by the environmental or even the international political implications, they will appreciate the financial relief that cycling will provide them. Imagine parents sending their children out on their bikes to go to the movies or to soccer practice or to the mall in a safe environment. This helps eliminate a number of issues including the following: Obesity, Emissions, Traffic, and Financial strain from gas prices. The time to act on this is now. As regular fill-ups become more and more unreachable for the average consumer, more and more voters will be looking for alternatives. If the groundwork is laid now and the process begins, by the time it starts forcing the consumer to look for options, we will be waiting with open arms and open bike lanes. This is an issue that will receive very little resistance from motorists or bikers alike. I am certain that the drivers will appreciate having me out of their lane and fewer motorists overall clogging the road and I know I'd appreciate some space to bike safely. I think if it's properly promoted, we could see an enormous increase in cyclists and a fitter, happier, better local community.

Please leave comments and let this act as a petition for change!