Monday, January 05, 2004
LITTLE BICYCLE FUTURE IN SPRAWL
The Sunday Patriot News ran a number of feature pieces about sprawling development in Central PA and the negative effects it is having on our communities. Sure if you only look at growth as an indicator it may seem a good thing, but of course along with the growth, comes loss of open space and farmland, more and bigger highways and traffic, the loss of community from our currently developed boroughs and business centers and thus wasted infrastructure, and more and more negatives.
Sprawl affects bicycling and commuting in numerous ways too. The bigger highways mentioned above are often too fast and unsafe for bicycle commuters to traverse, and the spaces they connect get farther and farther away making it harder for citizens to access the shopping, living and working spaces they need without the use of motor vehicles.
Public transport would be an option, but in our small sized metropolis the system is not large or frequent enough, nor does it thoroughly permeate the region enough, to easily cater to everyone's needs. Thus leading people back to their cars. Of course, the light rail system coming to town will help with this somewhat.
One reason I am still riding my backup Giant is that I haven't been able to get to a larger hardware store without getting in my car, and I often don't want to get in my car, especially if it is afterwork when the roads are always jammed, nor if it is only for 1 or 2 items. A trip cross town in my car after works eats up most of the evening, and leaves little time for dinner with Sue, or for taking care of other non car and retail pursuits, and it stresses me out.
Most of the pieces in Sunday's feature on sprawl do not paint a good picture, and I can only hope that those involved in land protection and law can put an end to the destruction that is going on. Maybe we'll all be able to take to the woods when were older and living in town, without having to drive 1 or 2 hours to find the little pockets of green left. Save our Lands, Save our Towns is a good place to start to learn more.
Sprawl affects bicycling and commuting in numerous ways too. The bigger highways mentioned above are often too fast and unsafe for bicycle commuters to traverse, and the spaces they connect get farther and farther away making it harder for citizens to access the shopping, living and working spaces they need without the use of motor vehicles.
Public transport would be an option, but in our small sized metropolis the system is not large or frequent enough, nor does it thoroughly permeate the region enough, to easily cater to everyone's needs. Thus leading people back to their cars. Of course, the light rail system coming to town will help with this somewhat.
One reason I am still riding my backup Giant is that I haven't been able to get to a larger hardware store without getting in my car, and I often don't want to get in my car, especially if it is afterwork when the roads are always jammed, nor if it is only for 1 or 2 items. A trip cross town in my car after works eats up most of the evening, and leaves little time for dinner with Sue, or for taking care of other non car and retail pursuits, and it stresses me out.
Most of the pieces in Sunday's feature on sprawl do not paint a good picture, and I can only hope that those involved in land protection and law can put an end to the destruction that is going on. Maybe we'll all be able to take to the woods when were older and living in town, without having to drive 1 or 2 hours to find the little pockets of green left. Save our Lands, Save our Towns is a good place to start to learn more.
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