Monday, August 9, 2010

The $40K man

Beyond the jaw-dropping fact that somebody would spend $40,000 in an effort to block bike lanes, there's not much to the Globe story about Eric Berger, the Arlington man who doesn't like that town's plans to make Mass. Ave. more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly. He doesn't think the plans are a good idea. He's spent all that money trying -- unsuccessfully -- to stop them.

Some irony in Berger's claim that the nearby (and parallel) Minuteman trail is so well-established that on-street accommodations on Mass. Ave. are not necessary.

1 comment:

dr2chase said...

By similar logic, Route 2 is so well established, it is not necessary to make accommodations for cars on Mass. Ave in Arlington. Cars have plenty of options.

And wow, he's worried about emergency crews getting through? What blocks ambulances is cars, not bicycles. Bicycles respond faster (because cyclists can hear and locate the siren long before drivers can), and bikes can be completely removed from the roadway (quickly) to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Cars are too heavy for humans to move by hand, and are obstructed by curbs, other cars, poles, you name it.

Does this guy have better arguments, or was the Globe just trying to make him look bad?