Teammates in safety

Re: The abandoned pedestrians of Victoria Street — Sept. 28

If Peter Shawn Taylor thinks that walking along Victoria Street North is difficult, he should go for a walk in winter when there is snow on the ground. I tried doing this two years ago and was forced through deep snow in several front yards and even twice had to go out onto the roadway. I was so discouraged I recorded the names of all the businesses that did not clear their sidewalk or paved strip or grass pathways and reported

them. I was informed that there are no “official” sidewalks and that they are not legally required to clear them. The result is that pedestrians have to walk on a very busy vehicle lane to reach some businesses.

I am a pedestrian and also a bicyclist. I don’t understand why the funding for cyclists is criticized in his column. The active transportation committee in our area works hard for cyclists and pedestrians. We are teammates. The money spent on cycling compared to the amounts on vehicles is extremely small so shouldn’t we be looking at the general transportation budget? Many of the cycling infrastructure improvements help pedestrians also. People who walk should learn from bicycle riders and speak up. As Shawn Taylor says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” We should organize more pedestrians to get shoes that squeak louder. Ed Hummel Kitchener