It’s time to end the bicycle-car war and seek common ground

Re: Questionable decisions put coffers and safety at risk — April 10

Letter writer Michael Mohr asserts that tax money for road infrastructure remains unspent.

He ignores the enormously expensive reconstruction of the Victoria Street bridge, the current Highway 401 widening and the future replacement of Highway 7. Provincial highway projects are costed at $25 billion for the next decade.

Perhaps he actually means to refer to carbon taxation? Much of that money is allocated to green transport.

The initial carbon-tax allotment just to Kitchener is $865,091 with further amounts to Waterloo and Cambridge. Much of this is for trail upgrades, starting this spring.

Mohr blames on-road cycling facilities for city-wide congestion and he heaps special disdain on roundabouts and speed bumps, but these are not for cyclists (just try negotiating any of them on two wheels, Mr. Mohr, and you’ll know that).

Looming gridlock stems not from cycling infrastructure, but fundamentally from regional population growth, urban sprawl and from lengthy commutes forced on us by the economy.

Cycling infrastructure is absurdly cheap compared with parking spots for Ford F2500s and enhanced road capacity. Cyclists who quit their cars actually free up road space and parking, so let’s put this phoney bike-car war behind us.

We all need to seek common ground to confront real issues.

Roger Suffling

Kitchener