Maintain bike lanes
Regarding “Is Houston becoming more bike-friendly? A car-free developer says yes,” (May 1): I rode the route described in this article and have a few comments.
If Lava Sunder and Joe Cutrufo are comfortable riding on a six-lane thoroughfare and cutting through a residential street that crosses two busy streets without street lights then I don’t see why they need bike lanes of any kind. .
They finally get to the Waugh Drive protected bike lanes with the green paint. These are fine when they’re not blocked by residents’ garbage cans as they were when I rode there or when they are not covered with debris, which they are beginning to be. We know how well the city maintains bike routes and bike lanes. I also noted that some of the plastic warning sticks in the concrete curbs had already been knocked down presumably by a car running over them.
“The smooth ride ends on Waugh a few blocks short of Allen Parkway.” If they had continued on Woodhead instead, the old bike route, and to Dunlavy Street, a pedestrian light over Allen Parkway connects to the Buffalo Bayou bike trails. The old bike routes are better and safer.
As for the 11th Street redo, a “handful of residents voiced concerns about the plans.” This handful of residents has a petition with over 1,500 signatures objecting to the plan. It’s not a good idea. It will be dangerous for bike riders who use it and it will create more traffic on the side streets, making them less safe for families and children. It is not necessary and a waste of money. There are better alternatives to ride through the Heights.
Paul Herrera, Houston
I understand BikeHouston Executive Director Joe Cutrufo acknowledging, “You don’t want to be the person always saying what’s wrong.” Still. While I applaud the new bike lanes protected by concrete barriers on Waugh, I invite him to return for a ride in several months, when the lanes will be clogged with leaves, garbage and, on trash day, bulky bins.
Two white bikes memorialize fallen cyclists within a quarter mile of my Montrose townhome. Spending money to build safer bike lanes is one thing, spending money to maintain them seems quite another.
Roberta MacInnis, Houston