We need protected bike lanes
It was very interesting to read the op-ed by Yia Lu Llu about making streets safe for bicycle riding (“Pedals over pavement,” Dec. 25). I myself never rode a bike, but I see them all the time navigating our crowded streets or sometimes venturing onto the pavement. The author was right. There really are no safe lanes for two-wheeled-pedaled vehicles. I am especially shocked to see a child strapped in a passenger seat behind the adult pedaling their bike.
The op-ed offers a variety of solutions to make bike riding safer. It would indeed require a lot of adjustments to sidewalks and driving lanes. With all the street work going on already in South Philly to replace pipes and other improvements, I simply cannot imagine the impact of such widespread construction or the cost.
Nevertheless, there is an urgent need for some improvements. The author gives us a list of tragic consequences of the current bicycle traffic. In a city already overcrowded with all kinds of motor vehicles, it seems almost impossible to accommodate human-powered, two-wheeled vehicles.
In spite of the problems involved, it really is necessary to provide protected bike lanes. Not everyone is licensed to drive a car, and not even public transportation is available or always safe. So perhaps we should start making plans to solve this life-threatening problem. No one should have to risk a life to operate what is a perfectly legal mode of transportation.
Gloria C. Endres
