Ban bikes from Mountain accesses

RE: Cycling in Hamilton

As a Hamilton business taxpayer for over 40 years, I am amazed and disappointed at the excessive generosity of city council in financing bicycle everything, while Cycle Hamilton disavows any interest or responsibility to contribute toward the cost of bicycle infrastructure, according to vice-chair Johanna Bleecker. For council to spend an “emergency” $200,000 now and later $2.3 million, total $2.5 million, on less than one kilometre of just one extremely busy Mountain access, for a handful of cyclists daily is outrageous.

Urgent spending alternatives abound. A recent Spectator front-page article reported on hundreds of struggling Hamiltonians unable to pay astronomical hydro bills and overdue rent. City staff say $2,500,000 is urgently needed or these people may lose their homes.

So here is how Hamiltonians can help Hamiltonians. Firstly, license all bicycles. It’s time. (Brantford required me to license my bike for 50 cents annually in my younger years.) Today, $25 would be fair and reasonable. Secondly, prohibit all bicycles on all Mountain accesses at all times.

Thirdly, provide free transportation to cyclists on accesses via the HSR, to the limit of the bicycle racks on each bus. Fourthly, have council pay HSR $3 per bicycle carried. I estimate $50,000 annually for roughly 17,000 bike transits. It may be less.

Finally, council then has $2,450,000 remaining to assist those desperate residents with their sky-high hydro bills and unpaid rent so they don’t lose their homes. How good is that? Winners all around. Now, do it. Bob Welsh, Burlington