Where are our bike lanes?

Posted: Jul 4, 2010 at 7:23 PM [Jul 4, 2010]

Open letter to the Mayor:

  Mr. Mayor, you promised us bike lanes for our city of Ann Arbor.  Unfortunately, all I really see is piecemeal additions, implemented painstakingly slow, that don't really connect to anything. 

  As the Mayor of Ann Arbor, you almost have a defacto leadership role for our whole county (Washtenaw) as well.  Where is a countywide plan for increasing bike ridership and safety?  We need bike lane routes that can safely connect riders to Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, and that huge blob they call Pittsfield Township.  It is expecially enfuriating to see roads being repaved, but not widened for real bike lanes.  These current examples are S. State St from Eisenhower Rd all the way to Michigan Avenue AND Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. (Ann Arbor Rd) south of Wagner Rd.  WHY AREN'T WE ADDING BIKE LANES IN OUR REGION?!

  Our community truely lags other progressive areas around the country (i.e. Seattle, even upstate New York) with our poor roads, roads with no real bike lanes (or even sidewalks!).  My hope is that whomever becomes Mayor for this next term, will seriously address this issue, which seems to have become just a convenient green talking point instead. 

Signed,

Concerned Biking Citizen.

PS:  The local Police should not concern themselves with ticketing bicycles if they can't ensure our safety on our roadways.