Perspective on cycling support on the Eastside

Imagine for a minute the following.

You like walking. It doesn’t produce pollution, is healthy, takes a car off the road.

As you travel through Redmond, imagine that the sidewalks are suddenly removed and all that exist are bike lanes that are on some of the streets.

Anyone who wants to walk from one place to another must use the pavement at the same level as cars. This pavement is one to four feet wide on the right side separated with a three- to four-inch white line panted on the pavement. Then imagine as you are walking along and suddenly, the walking lane ends.

No you are not dreaming. It ends.

Luckily, there is some other paint on the road letting you know you can walk in the middle of the road.

Thank goodness.

I imagine that since there are very few such walking paths, they would be kept clean. You must be dreaming. There is no money for that.

Then imagine the city of Redmond encourages everyone to walk to work by giving them prizes and throwing a party. I must be dreaming. However, it’s true.

Then imagine the city of Redmond encourages school children to walk to school. Nope, you are not dreaming. It’s true.

Then imagine the city of Redmond builds an extremely expensive beautiful walking trail that is nowhere near where anyone lives or gathers but beside a very busy road. Wish it was a bad dream, but that part is true.

The city of Redmond loves to boast how it’s doing such a wonderful job of supporting residents that want to walk the town.

Doesn’t the city of Redmond have a fantastic imagination?

However what is not imagination: two cyclists were killed in Bellevue this fall.

What are you going to do about it?

Brent Schmaltz

Redmond