To the editor: I’ve a couple of factors in response to Paul Thornton’s assist for extra cycle infrastructure reminiscent of totally protected cycle lanes in order that e-bikes might be the commuting instrument of the long run.
At first, he stated his 23-mile commute residence took 80 minutes. Assuming he stopped for site visitors lights, he was doing greater than 20 km/h when he was transferring. It’s not bicycle velocity. He principally rides a sluggish bike in bike lanes.
It’s not protected, and mixing a number of of those high-speed e-bikes with regular pedal-powered bikes will certainly trigger battle.
Secondly, a pleasant, relaxed bike journey when the climate is sweet might be doable. What about when it will get chilly or wet? How good will it’s?
Lastly, if individuals like Thornton wish to journey e-bikes, go for it. However do not take lanes away from the various who want them for the good thing about the few who take into account automobiles evil. We shouldn’t be compelled to affix your ideology.
Tom Fournier, Rolling Hills Estates
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To the editor: E-bikes are a laugh-inducing recreation changer. I had the identical realization as Thornton after buying a well-designed e-bike this summer time with the objective of slicing my automotive journeys in half.
A number of years in the past, the bike racks at the highschool the place I educate have been empty. Now they’re stuffed with e-bikes. Many of those youngsters are very novice and irresponsible teenage riders, however additionally they see the alternatives for lowered automotive journey.
E-bikes will not be lazy bikes; they’re an actual, actionable mobility alternative, and for a lot of of my college students they signify the identical freedom that older generations present in automobiles. I’m joyful to confess that there are regulatory points with e-bikes and we must always have discussions about them.
However what is admittedly missing is the infrastructure. E-bikes will not be a solution for everybody, however they’ll grow to be a protected possibility for considerably extra riders if we’ve got dependable biking routes.
I guess we might get some very nice bike infrastructure in place sooner and for lower than the $2 billion spent on widening the 405 Freeway in Orange County.
Brendan Karg, Torrance
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To the editor: Thornton’s article offers the the reason why I finished biking years in the past – the rising variety of site visitors deaths in Los Angeles. Moreover, with the modifications that growing older brings, at 66 I’m shedding a number of the bodily capability and nerves essential to navigate LA site visitors by bike.
To scale back my carbon footprint and fight air air pollution, I journey by bus and prepare. Biking in daylight is worrying sufficient, however the risks are enormously exacerbated within the rain or at night time.
Once I journey transit within the rain, I carry an umbrella and galoshes. At night time I take advantage of further warning and shine a flashlight round me for visibility.
I rode Metro’s trains and buses at midnight ages in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and instantly after, when drug use and chaos reigned. Metro has since achieved the heavy lifting to make the driving expertise a lot better.
I do not know if I’ll ever return to driving a motorcycle in Los Angeles, however I’ll proceed to journey buses and trains.
Matthew Hetz, Los Angeles