[SustainableTompkins] Making Way For Bikes

[Margaret McCasland]

I am in the middle of moving from the Town of Ithaca (4 miles up hill 
the whole way from GreenStar) back into downtown Ithaca so I can 
again use my adult trike, to which I will be adding an electric motor.

As far as I know, electric motors on bikes/trikes were always meant 
as "assists," and not as primary power sources.  Since they add 
weight, they are probably not appropriate for use in hilly areas 
where most of the pedal power is going to come from the rider.  But 
light-weight, well-geared bikes have resulting in people I know 
biking under formidable conditions (OK my friend who used to pull her 
6 year old daughter up West Hill in a trailer was an actual, 
competitive "Iron Woman" triathelete).

So we should encourage all kinds of bikes and trikes, teach and 
require safe riding habits, and work like the  ***** for well-marked 
bike lanes in the very near future and mixed-use PATHS  ASAP (but 
needing more lead time than bike lanes).

Speaking as a former member of the City's bike/ped advisory council, 
let's not have it just be recreation and tourists who get "paths." 
Let's make it safe for people to get to work, school, shopping 
without an internal combustion engine.

Margaret