Dear editor,
Firstly, Andrew Gower, thank you for organizing the car-free Sunday in the Valley.
The amount of energy your team has spent on details for this event is astounding. Please ignore all the negative feedback in the newspaper.
Our latest letter to the editor mentions the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I would like to think that the cantankerous people are the squeaky wheel and the rest of the Valley population should speak up.
Another thank you to the communities of Courtenay and Cumberland who support the car-free proposal and subsequent closure. Please enjoy your day.
I have been following the issue in the newspaper and have been very disappointed in our community. I believe that having a printed forum in which to offer your opinion does not allow you to be vindictive and petty.
Would you say those same things directly to the person? People have been educated to the point where they should be able to present discussion without being argumentative.
I am not seeing discussion on this subject — or even opinions; I am seeing malicious subjugation of the Gower committee and the proposal and that is what is disappointing..
I believe car-free Sunday would be a great opportunity for all those people who own bicycles to ride on a road without fear of vehicular traffic; as opposed to the narrow bike lane that bike riders normally have or the narrow pathways throughout the Valley.
For people who ride a lot these narrow spaces may not seem to be a hurdle but to those with lack of experience they are intimidating. Car-free Sunday is an opportunity for all levels of bike riders to be car(e) free.
I also believe that there will be some inconvenience to the people who live directly on the closed streets. They, as Mr. Gower mentions, will be accommodated by volunteers who are available for the entire time of the closure to transport items or even, if absolutely necessary, to guide a vehicle through the closure.
For the remaining drivers who do typically use those roads as part of their commutes there are alternate parallel unclosed routes that can be used instead.
Have some faith in the organizational skills of Mr. Gower and his team; they are not inventing the wheel on this one. Car-free days are an event that has been held in many locations previously and a protocol has been established.
The car-free committee is aware of any problems from the previous experiences garnered by these communities. Those lessons learned have allowed for solutions to problems that have come up previously or may come up this time.
In the end, let's try to be adults on this one. Can we not use the same lessons that we give our children?
The first one is about sharing – cars get that huge expensive expanse of roadway to themselves for 365 days a year. The biking community of the Valley would like a few hours of that time and the request does not seem unreasonable.
The second lesson we give our children is about confrontation. It is never appropriate to demean your fellow humans over something as mundane as a street closure that will only last a few hours.
Don't sweat the small stuff, people. It will lower your stress level and lengthen your life expectancy.
Judy Morrison,
Comox