I'm writing to support Joel Barde's [opinion column] "The Valley Trail is for everybody—but not e-bikes," written a few weeks back (Pique, July, 11).
I felt he gave a very balanced opinion.
I rode my bike in San Francisco for nearly 30 years before transplanting to Whistler. It makes me sad to see the same kind of policies being adopted (or rather failing to be adopted) here as in the City by the Bay.
When I first started riding in the city in 1992, there was one bike lane. Many years of time, money, protesting, lobbying, and at times, blood, finally led to many changes that provided a reasonably safe network of bike routes. But this lasted for only a short while before e-scooters, e-bikes, etc., co-opted our bike lanes.
To me, it's simple. These vehicles are motorized and have no place on lanes/trails designated for pedestrians and bikes.
The only exception that is plausible to me is for wheelchairs or similar modes of transportation for people who are seriously immobile.
I'm pro-e-bike, but they need to stay out of the wilderness and off non-motorized routes.
This may take a new way of thinking about how streets/roads are designed, but we don't allow "motorcycles" on the Valley Trail and that's really what e-bikes are. I read one letter to the editor in Pique by a woman who was so happy her husband could get on the Valley Trail again.
I'm getting on in years myself, and have had to give up many things I love. That's a fact of life. I don't think we should create a world where the great majority has to suffer just so a few can enjoy what, whatever the reason, they would not otherwise be able to without some kind of assistance. That is why we do not have escalators to the top of every mountain. Let's work together to make the drivers of cars (of which I am one) make the sacrifices, not cyclists and pedestrians.
Michael Ames // Whistler
