One might hope that the cyclists gathering at City Hall protesting the city’s “inadequate” response to their demands for expanded bike facilities will be a wake-up call for city officials and the public [“Advocates push for action on bike plan,” Local News, May 18]. The city’s citizens have, over the past few years, had their ability to move around town made increasingly difficult by the loss of driving lanes and parking spaces resulting from the implementation of cycling infrastructure.
Unfortunately, the appetite of cycling activists can’t be quenched. They see themselves as the suffering victims of abuse and discrimination and are comfortable using their well-organized and financed organizations to pressure public officials. They oppose any suggestion that, like every other vehicle on the road, they should be licensed.
It’s time for officials and the public to stand up to cyclists and make clear that, yes, there is a place for them in the mix but, no, they are not a special class of citizen that has rights without responsibilities.
Dick Schwartz, Seattle