Risks v. Fatalities

I take exception to the argument made in the letter State Sweet Promenade published on February 9, 2023, that “the Promenade space is much safer than before it was created.”

It’s true that injuries and deaths continue to happen in the city as a result of traffic accidents, but the point is not that there have been no fatalities yet within the so-called Promenade. The point is that there are very real risks to pedestrians, especially the elderly and children, because of irresponsible cyclists and skateboarders in that space.

If a person gets knocked down and seriously injured, their life has been changed forever for the worse. Besides that, electric bicycles are motorized vehicles and should be regulated as such, to protect both the riders and the public, not just regarded as “annoying.”

Separating bikers from the other traffic is fine if there is enough space, but within the Promenade there is not enough space to facilitate that. No amount of new bike paths will improve public safety if cyclists ride irresponsibly. As a pedestrian I observe this all the time.

The bicycle lobby should be more honest about the facts, and there should be much closer monitoring of riders and skaters within the Promenade, with real consequences for infringement of public safety.