Winter wrong time for summer sports

Re: “Closing path to cyclists is ridiculous, critic says” (Montreal Gazette, Nov. 15) The federal bridge corporation will spend $1.67 million to clear a bike path on the Jacques Cartier Bridge that will be closed to cyclists this winter.

More will be spent to study how to make the path safe for cyclists in the future, including the possibility of heating the concrete deck in lieu of using road salt.

But what about the reality that some sports just don’t do well in the winter? That’s why there’s skating, skiing, snowshoeing or even indoor swimming and tennis.

Since when is it logical to spend millions going against the elements instead of accepting you can’t do everything you want in any kind of weather?

How about spending the money on making sidewalks safer for pedestrians who risk life and limb after every snowfall just trying to get to the bus, métro or corner store?

Pedestrians — who greatly outnumber cyclists — too often don’t have an alternative to getting around other than on icy, unplowed sidewalks.

Keeping the bike path on the bridge open in winter would be expensive and unjustified. Get on with accepting we have seasons in Montreal instead of crying foul that you can’t do in winter what you can easily do the rest of the year.

Monica Shapiro, Westmount