In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:

Adding a shoulder or bike lane will just encourage more
speeders. We will hire lawyers. We will fight these improvements tooth
and nail, and we have the money to be able to do that. The City had
better watch out.

If they can afford lawyers for all that, they surely could afford
to put up for some traffic calming measures, which can be quite
decorative (double-duty as planters, etc). Such beautifications
can actually enhance property values. Better than a shabby,
decrepit old road, anyways.

In sum: we hate bicyclists. We hate pedestrians. We hate anyone using
the road for any other purpose other than to drive to their lakeside
or lake view home. And the operative word here is *hate* -- the level
of emotional venom was bracing.

Sounds like the old gated community/seige mentality thing, and
hate springing from fear of the "different" people (viz: cyclists
and pedestrians).

The City of Vancouver has addressed such fears as increased speeds,
increased crime and decreased property values along our bike routes,
with an online FAQ for residents along such bike routes. Here's
an excerpt:

(http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engs...residents.htm_
---
"4.How will a bicycle route affect my street or neighbourhood? Will
crime increase? Will property values decrease?

You likely will not notice much change on your street. For example, we have
observed over 60 cyclists per hour during rush hour on many existing routes
in Vancouver. In comparison, a typical local street may have 100 automobiles
during that same time. Traffic calming measures (such as medians, diverters
and traffic circles) are proposed to reduce non-local car traffic on the
bikeway and are often viewed by residents as positive additions to a
neighbourhood.

Previous studies indicate that property values and crime rates are not
affected by bike routes. Cyclists on bike routes, like commuters in cars,
are generally headed to a specific destination and are not interested in
lingering in neighbourhoods. Unlike automobile commuters, cyclists travel
at slower speeds and may provide an 'eyes on the street' presence in the
neighbourhood."
---

So, maybe these Lake Road residents can be sold on the idea of the
road improvements, with a little, gentle, marketing approach.
Gotta be gentle with scaredy-cats.


cheers,
Tom

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