Burbank ignores its bikers

Once again, Burbank has completely ignored the other population --

the “leftover” kids who ride bikes. Once again, Burbank has catered

to its select own.

There is a huge population of kids in our city who ride bikes.

These kids have endured being chased off and ticketed by police.

Subsequently, their parents are needlessly contacted -- not to

mention unnecessarily made to worry -- by police.

But more important, these kids have had to leave the city they

live in to go somewhere with skate parks that also include bike

riders.

These cities have enough common sense to have sessions for their

skaters and bike riders, therefore avoiding any incidents and,

ultimately, keeping the children out of trouble.

Burbank can find 101 excuses for why it won’t allow bike riders in

skate parks or won’t consider a park for them. Here are a few

examples of those excuses, with simple solutions that the city

ignores:

* Excuse: The cost of insurance is way too much.

* Solution: Combining these two populations would cost the city a

whole lot less for insurance than it would to build a completely

separate park.

* Excuse: Burbank no longer has the funds to build a new park.

* Solution: Have sessions for both populations. This would help

the city avoid the tremendous cost to build a separate park. Instead,

use those funds to cover the insurance cost for bike riders.

* Excuse: Sessions would not work.

* Solution: See Northridge or Ontario. View how they have run

their combined skate and bike parks for the past few years.

Our children have had to build their own do-it-yourself parks,

only to have the police or city employees destroy them. You have no

idea how many times this happens each week. As mentioned above, our

children have to travel to Northridge or Ontario to enjoy a park

built for both skaters and bikers. How pathetic is that? I thought

our city backed its children, as it so professes to do.

This is the third letter in the past few years that our City

Council chooses to ignore.

The city has always replied with saying, “The Burbank City Council

holds its meetings every month. If you want to be heard, you must

attend these meetings.” I have heard this over and over again. Yet

the council does not think to consider that some of us do have to

work for a living and our schedules do not allow time for the

meetings.

Enough is enough. Stop catering to a select population. Include

all the children who reside in our city.

We shall see if the City Council once again chooses to ignore the

request of its “leftover” population. Time will tell.

GAYLA CHISHOLM

Burbank