| Encourage cyc

Dear Editor:

Re: Lane change (Sept. 12 News editorial).

To continue the “common sense” arguments oudined in this editorial, I would like to question why the encourage- ment of non-vehicle means of commuting was absent from the discussion. The most “common sense” approach to dealing with commuter traftic congestion is not to pursue the blind, knee-jerk reaction of building more roads, but to instead establish safe and clean cycling routes.

Building more roads is a short-sighted approach for two reasons:

@ it doesn’t reduce the use of cars as a commuting method, it encourages it by making dri- ving more pleasant;

@it is a short-term Band-Aid

“solution” that will only be revisited when the new roads reach their capacity front future growth.

The current approach to dealing with commuter traftic congestion is fundamentally backwards: we should be mak- ing commuter driving unpicas- ant and cycling pleasant, So far, virtually nothing has been done to improve the safety and clean- liness of cycling on the North Shore and it seems that people want even more roads to make driving more pleasant.

As an avid cyclist, I am appalled by the lack of thought put into cycling facilities at new road projects, even recent ones.

I don't work in the down- town core; however, if I did, F would not cycle there. Doing so puts my life in serious risk, and in the hands of someone

We’ve lost drug war

Dear Editor:

Re: Finding friends in high places (Sept. 22 Leo Knight Crime and Punishment coi- umn).

__ Leo Knight is bewildered, “Some of the people at the head of our governments, police forces and civil service are protecting the bad guys and, frankly, I don’t under- stand why we are letting this happen.”

“Perhaps I can assist Leo in ‘clearing the fog, at least as far as drugs are concerned.

I believe there are two

- forces at work here. First, as

-- the prohibition of alcohol

demonstrated during America’s Roaring, Twenties and Thirties, prohibiting a drug that millions of cus- tomers want is a fools’ game because “the bad guys” will always have more than enough moncy to bribe “the good guys.”

Second, public support for the war on drugs is waning as more and more people come to the realization that the government has no right to punish individuals for what

. they choose to ingest into

their own bodies. Alan Randell Victoria

north shore news

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ing as commuter a

else. Tam not just talking abour the Lions Gate Bridge; the rest of the North Shore is equally dangerous and unpleasant: for evelists. ‘The almost. non-enis- tent bike lanes are lithe more than widened gutters and they do nothing to solve the prob- lem of exhaust fumes from passing vehicles. And bicycle lanes still put cyclists at serious risk because if a motorist acci- dentally swerves off the main road there is little a cyclist can do. So the current “facilities” existing for cyclist traffic across the North Shore (including bike Janes) are ridiculously

inadequate; they are unsafe and they are unclean.

To solve these nwo prob- lems city planners and develop- ers should seriously consider building designated bike routes to major areas of the North Shore, away from traffic. Essentially, these will be roads for cyclists only!

Ideally, as a long-term goal, these routes should be covered to keep rain and snow offof the cyclist. This may scem extrava- gant, but compare this with the cost of the construction and maintenance of regular vehicle roads.

School stance selfish

Dear Editor:

In a province with ever- dwindling education funding, T was surprised to read Marcie Good’s Sept. 17 News article, “Lynn Valley residents irked by new school.”

Eo think it commendable that the focal religious com- munity takes it upon itself to alleviate the burden of larger class sizes and insufficient teachers. | am appalled at the negative reaction of local resi- dents. Are we so elitist that the not-in-my-backyard phi- losophy could apply to schools, the purveyors of enlightenment?

Schools increase property value and while they may result in more traffic, school zoncs have enforceable speed limits making things safer for ali concerned.

If he were willing to slow

down, perhaps Mr. McKenzie would not need to worry about hitting school children with his car. Heaven forbid he have to live with that tragedy on his conscience.

As for the other issues dis- cussed, I believe we could all benefit from a little open- mindedness. Never before have I heard the sounds of children piaying described as noise poilution, nor listened to anyone express their desire to keep kids out of local parks during recess or lunch.

Residents do not own their communities, they — share them. Stop being so selfish. Gregory Sim North Vancouver elandral @home.com

ifwe keep the establishment of such a bicycle route as a pri- ofitv. in’ our development strategies, then over the nest few decades it might become a reali. City planners would be

iterative

surprised at haw many com- niuters would be willing to use their bicycles, if doing so was beth sate and clean.

Mark Cunnington

North Vancouver

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