Roads are to be shared

Responding to two letters concerning bike-pedestrian issues, I would ask the authors to give consideration to the following.

The streets of Spokane were originally designed for multiple users, and, as spoken to in the Comprehensive Plan, should reflect such even many years later. Although usage patterns have changed, motorists have not been granted priority of the roads because they both outnumber and outweigh other users. The relationship between vehicular speed and pedestrian/bike fatalities is well documented and our urban street speed limits reflect this.

I do not condone poor cycling behavior. Nor are motorists off the hook. Posted speed limits are not simply recommendations but the law, and 5-mph buffers don’t exist, maybe to the surprise of some drivers.

There are laws against using cell phones and texting while driving that we can all agree are too often abused. The majority of cyclists own vehicles and homes, and their taxes pay for the same services as noncyclists, to include the roads we should be sharing. Pedestrians and cyclists are not going away, so it would be wise that we all learn to get along.

Bob Lutz

Spokane