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Georgia Jackson - Our bike paths
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'" ~ From: Brenda Niemand <brendaQestreet com>
`"" To: Georgia Jackson <~acksong@ci bouider co us>
Date: i/28/2002 2 42 PM
Subject: Our bike paths
Dear Ms Jackson,
P~ease be so kind as to relay to the members of the Board of Parks
and Recreation my strong feelings against permitting motorized
bicycles on Boulder's bike/pedestnan paths It is my understanding
that the board will be makmg a recommendation tonight to the City
Counal on this issue I am unable to attend this evening's meet~ng,
but wish nevertheless to voice an opinion
I'm familiar with the argument that the paths are designed to be used
for commuting and are integral to the city's goals of reducing
vehicular traffic on aty streets and pollution. Aside from
questioning the logic of plaang such transportation concerns under
the purview of Parks and Recreation, whose interests would seem to
lie elsewhere, I feel strongly that these paths should be restricted
at the very least to human-powered modes of movement
The ~oy and delight of these paths depend largely on the very fact
that they are NOT streets They are purposely bwlt at some remove
~ from streets, so that the grateful riders, walkers, skaters who use
them are screened from the noise and hurly-burly of street traffic
Allowing access by motorized bicycles is the camel's nose under the
tent IYs a small but significant concession that represents, in
fact, a change of vision
These machines are not noiseless, as some claim And they represent
technology that is poised to grow and develop This being America,
the current models will surely be followed by designs that go••you
guessed it--faster The Ginger prototype (or whatever iYs called
now) is being touted as alternative transport and would presumably be
welcome on our paths And if motorized bicycles are allowed, will
motorized scooters also be allowed to put-put along~ There can never
be such a thing as "one exception", better not to let the first one
in the door and thus avoid being besieged forever after by inventions
claiming to be ~ust another version of the one that was deemed
permissible
This is Boulder We believe in and encourage physical actrvity and
the fitness that results Reserve our wonderful paths for
people-powered pursuits Piease keep motorized bikes and their ilk on
the streets, where they belong
Sincerely,
Brenda Niemand
A` 777 15th Street
~ Boulder, CO 80302
file://C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\GW}OOOlO.HTM 1/28/2002
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