Need Seen to Recycle County Thinking About Safe Bicycle Commuter Routes

Thank you for the editorial “State Should Look at Transit Priorities” (Feb. 9). The editorial was right on the mark concerning the transportation priorities of the county.

The Orange County Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe bicycling environment in Orange County, has learned that Orange County transportation officials plan to turn many major county bicycle arterials into “super-streets.” These super-streets are not designed with cyclists in mind, and riding on them may be quite dangerous. As if that weren’t bad enough, the super-street intersection design will make crossing super-streets by bicycle very difficult. If completed, this grid of super-streets will devastate Orange County bicycling.

As a bicycle commuter, I know that the super-street plan will discourage others from using the bicycle for transportation. With our air pollution problems, it is just wrong for county government to discourage bicycle commuting. The OCBC is working to change this planning.

MICHAEL R. MOTT, Chairman, Orange County Bicycle Coalition