With the January thaw, can spring (i.e. training time for the Iron Horse) be far behind? Last summer, we were given the news about a possible ordinance on County Road 250 (Herald, July 15, 2008). We have been East Animas residents for more than 40 years and admittedly have not reacted positively to being held hostage to the changes imposed upon us by the ever-increasing invasion of cyclists. Our primary concern, however, has been about safety.
Though the sign at the south entrance to East Animas Road admonishes us to "share the road," the inconvenient truth is that there is no room to safely do that because there is no bicycle lane. Secondarily, if passing is to be done legally and safely, there is the very real issue of inconvenience to the motorists. Have people noticed how few legal passing stretches there are on Couty Road 250 from Missionary Ridge to Florida Road? The truth is that there's a whole lot of illegal passing going on. The temptation to cross the yellow line(s) is great and the resulting risk to which the cyclist is exposed is great.
And by the way, there are many things I participate in for health reasons, but when I do occasionally drive my dump truck on County Road 250, it's for profit. For people to say that cyclists are going to be using the road we drive on, and if we don't like it, we shouldn't drive, seems to reveal a low-level mentality that is irritating to most folks.
Finally, as a cycling destination and a bicycle-friendly city in which cyclists deserve greater protection, as Jenny Wren wrote (Letters, Herald, July 15, 2008), how can we not, without liability exposure, provide safe travel areas (i.e. bicycle lanes) and insist that cyclists use them and motorists respect them? The solution to it all seems so simple: You folks ride in your lane and I'll drive in mine, and all will be well when the day is done.
Gary Andersen, Durango
