Bike Commuters Need On-Road Trails
The mayor of Laguna Beach, Ann Christoph, tries to use ambience, cost and safety as arguments against reconstructing Laguna Canyon Road with wide shoulders (“Laguna Canyon Bike Trail Best Option,” Letters, Oct. 16). The Orange County Bicycle Coalition is opposed to the mayor’s idea because it is not the best option.
Ambience? Wow! The mayor is saying that reconstructing with wide shoulders for cyclists will adversely affect the ambience created by cars with their noise, visual and air pollution. A remarkable argument indeed!
Cost? The fact is that reconstructing (Laguna Canyon Road) with wide shoulders will reduce its maintenance needs and extend its life. Thus, wide shoulders will actually reduce the total expenditure. The mayor advocates short-term savings and long-term expense.
Safety? John Forester, is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of bicycle safety, planning and facility design. Here is what Forester says about bike paths: “ . . . by far the most dangerous facility is the bike path, with an accident rate of 2.6 times that of the average roadway.” Clearly, Mayor Christoph, who makes the assertion that “bicyclists would have a safer . . . trip” on the off-road bike path, knows nothing about bike safety.
An experienced cyclist, commuting by bike, will rarely travel on a bike path. Paths are for recreational cyclists who want to have a pleasant experience away from motor vehicles. The best option is to reconstruct (Laguna Canyon Road) with wide shoulders for commuting cyclists and construct an off-road bike path for recreational cyclists. The (Orange County Bicycle Coalition) encourages the mayor and City Council to look at the facts, and choose the truly best option.
MICHAEL R. MOTT
Chairman, O.C. Bicycle Coalition
* Regarding “Laguna Canyon Bike Trail Best Option,” by Ann Christoph, mayor of Laguna Beach, Oct. 16:
As a cycling enthusiast, I ride over 4,000 miles per year on the roads of Orange County, including Laguna Canyon Road. While I appreciate Mayor Ann Christoph’s support of “access for bicycles parallel to Laguna Canyon Road,” I must take issue with her opposition to on-road bicycle lanes.
A parallel off-road bicycle trail would not reduce the amount of paving in the canyon, just change its location. In addition, for enthusiasts such as myself, on-road bicycle lanes are actually safer than off-road trails. Off-road trails are in reality multiuse recreational trails, used by runners, roller skaters, walkers, even people and their pets, in addition to cyclists. The large difference in speed of these activities creates some very unsafe conditions, forcing many cycling enthusiasts back onto the road. Therefore, an off-road trail would not be a “safer, more pleasant trip.”
There are only two extended stretches of uninterrupted, undeveloped roadway suitable for cycling left in Orange County--Laguna Canyon Road and Santiago Canyon Road. Eliminating bicycle lanes along Laguna Canyon Road is simply not acceptable.
JIM McINTOSH
Laguna Hills
