Yes, we need bike lanes. We also need to improve safety for everyone on our roadways. We should not let our feelings towards how people get around get in the way of creating a safer Roanoke for all of its residents and visitors.

I wrote a letter to the editor that was published by the Roanoke Times on October 11, 2022. You can find the published letter here: https://roanoke.com/opinion/letters/letter-williamson-road-safety-improvements-a-worthy-pursuit/article_c4f768d6-4430-11ed-b7f4-1f086b8d23ee.html

Here is the letter as I submitted it:

I am writing in response to Suzanne Osborne’s letter to the editor dated September 20, 2022.

Ms. Osborne first states that she was recently in France where she noted that “there are few bike lanes/paths – only narrow roads and crowded city streets with congested traffic, particularly in Paris….”

The mayor of Paris would almost certainly not agree that there are few bike lanes in the City of Lights. As of 2020, Paris had 650 miles of protected bike lanes, with another 125 in planning/construction. While bike lanes may not be present on all slower side streets, Paris has also made those streets safer by dropping most speed limits to about 20 mph. The mayor has committed to a “100% bikeable” city by 2026. These improvements in Paris have made the public streets much safer for all transportation users. 

Williamson Road is the most dangerous road in Roanoke, with 500 crashes and five people killed on Williamson Road in the past five years. To ignore this dangerous situation is irresponsible, and I applaud the City Council and VDOT for tackling this difficult problem head-on. 

Roanoke, which is approximately the same geographic size as Paris, has about 50 miles of bike lanes today, very close to where Paris was in 2000. With safety improvements like the one proposed for Williamson Road and the commitment of the City Council, we can begin to catch up. 

It is great that Ms. Osborne is such a safe driver. One of the great things about the proposed safety improvement for Williamson Road is that people crossing the street will only have to cross one traffic lane at a time. So a safe driver like Ms. Osborne can ensure the safety of the person walking and there is no second threat from another driver in a second lane. 

Yes, we need bike lanes. We also need to improve safety for everyone on our roadways. We should not let our feelings towards how people get around get in the way of creating a safer Roanoke for all of its residents and visitors.