To the editor: Re: "Social engineering at work on Pt. Grey Road," July 26.
Why are we paying an engineering department in the City of Vancouver to ignore maintenance and transportation planning while promoting rarely used separated bike lanes as a social experiment? Columnist Allen Garr has grasped the point - this is an attempt to rewire the brains of citizens rather than a practical solution to congestion in the city.
The concept that rerouting traffic is a minor glitch in our lives is the new mantra of the Visionistas.
Mobility is a huge issue in Vancouver. A very small segment rides bikes or ever will but if people can't get downtown efficiently, it will shrivel up as a business centre The other side of the coin is picking winners and losers for traffic calming measures Why should Fourth Ave residents suffer when the city owns enough roadway clearance on Point Grey Road to add bike lanes and widen the existing roadway at no cost other than cement and labour to reconfigure the street.
Simply use the full road allowance and take back the property the homeowners have freely homesteaded upon for decades.
Public disclosure that the adjacent properties are using city land free as a buffer could wake up voters to "the Big Con" that Vision is promoting secretly in this debate.
The only solution is to use a wider roadway. This way, everyone will benefit from a redesign without sacrificing beach and view access for the 96 per cent who don't peddle a bike or peddle false options as Vision propaganda policy against cars.
Rick Angus,
Vancouver
