I'm a relative newcomer, so I'm having trouble following the line that bikes are going to be the downfall of nature as we know it. I actually see the attitude behind the boots, bikes, and hooves, combined with how we choose to interact with our neighbors (both the wild and tame ones) as what will make a real difference.
Sharing the road with folks who don't want bikes around (more common than I expected it to be) or simply don't expect them to be (very common and expected) does make driving feel like the safer choice when you are making a decision for more than just yourself (e.g. when I have our infant or 3 y/o along for the ride), especially when going to disconnected locations. I actually prioritized our home search in Lincoln based on mapping out ways to get to schools, store, and rail with two wheels and minimal road traffic exposure (made possible thanks to Google Street View). Although I do really appreciate what is here (thank you fellow citizens!) I do wish there were more destination bike paths in this town (even if just next to roads). I bike more than the average Lincolnite (taking my kids to school, myself to the store/station, and letting the older kids go on their own on a regular basis), I don't go fast, avoid roots and rocks, and stop for pedestrians regardless of location, and train my kids that can bike to do the same. I would bike even more if Lincoln were better connected (e.g. protected paths to the Nursery School at The Sculpture Park, Walden, and across Rt 2 are sore points for me) and would support any efforts that support less driving. I moved to the area from Germany over a decade ago and experiencing truly interconnected and protected bike/walking paths (through towns, fields, and forests) opens the mode to the old and young alike and changes perspectives around bicycles across the board (i.e. folks that would typically walk/drive start to take a bike). It also results in pedestrians and bikers learning how to behave both safely and respectfully around each other. The joy of going from home to school, school to work, or town to town is hard to explain till you experience it, but other than a few exceptions around the world this discussion makes me feel like we are closer to autonomous electric cages moving us around this town than we are to acceptance of light human powered vehicles. Nothing against metal cages, like most in this town I couldn't live comfortably here without them, but I do wish we could find a way to make driving seem less appealing for shorter trips. Carl Blesius Todd Pond Rd On Wed, Jul 6, 2022 at 1:24 AM RAandBOB <raand...@earthlink.net> wrote: > For those who are unaware, Quincy Adams was a long time resident of > Lincoln. He was early involved with the Conservation Commission, and may in > fact have founded it. He was chairman of that body for many years. He was > also the original owner of Adams Woods, and was instrumental in making it > permanent conservation land for use by the general public. > > Ruth Ann > (She, her, hers) > > On Jul 5, 2022, at 9:34 PM, DJCP <djcp0...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I cannot believe given recent news that this conversation has devolved to > the point of invoking John Quincy Adams. As if it even remotely matters > what a privileged white male who died hundreds of years ago thinks, or even > that anyone short of a Supreme Court Justice has the ability to divine his > thoughts. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄(And what would he think of me communicating via > emoji??!!) > Diana > Giles Rd > > > On Tue, Jul 5, 2022, 5:27 PM Gordon Woodington <alpinemeado...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Horse hooves promote water absorption by their imprint, a good thing, not >> run-off as bike ruts do. So I think Quincy would be ok. I will bet that >> he would not like bikes be permitted on the trails in Adams Woods. >> "Original intent" to use a recently invoked term. Who will foot the bill >> to repair bike rut damage? Yet another unprovisioned expense. >> >> Gordon Woodington >> >> On Tue, Jul 5, 2022 at 12:15 PM Leslie Turek <leslie.tu...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> >>For example, I see no need to allow them in the idyllic Adams Woods. >>> Quincy would roll over in his grave. >>> >>> I'm not taking a stand for or against bikes on the trails, but I have to >>> say this statement made me giggle a bit. According to Tom Gumbart, who used >>> to lead our conservation walks through Adams Woods, some of the trails >>> there are depressed below grade because Adams and his friends used to >>> gallop horses down the narrow trails. The 19th-century equivalent to dirt >>> bikes? So not sure he would be rolling over in his grave. >>> >>> Leslie Turek >>> >>> On Tue, Jul 5, 2022 at 11:43 AM John Kimball <selen...@earthlink.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> John Kimball, here since 1972. I have voted for every conservation >>>> purchase since, and have very little sympathy for bikes on conservation >>>> land. Bikes do not use the roadside paths but feel entitled to use the >>>> roads, and I have no confidence that they would confine themselves to >>>> approved conservation trails. For example, I see no need to allow them in >>>> the idyllic Adams Woods. Quincy would roll over in his grave. >>>> Speed seems to be the norm for bikes and the thrill of going downhill >>>> over rocks and roots. Look out below for all mere pedestrians. Bikes should >>>> not be allowed on any narrow paths where they may run into walkers and >>>> especially children. Bikes and dogs are even more incompatible. I strongly >>>> oppose the vast proposed expansion of bike trails. >>>> -- >>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>>> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >>>> Browse the archives at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>> >>>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >>> Browse the archives at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >>> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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