By Soaring Bear
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 23, 1997

Biking woes a result of poor planning

Editor:

I was delighted to see this year's annual article on the problems with bicycles on campus. It had the interesting twist of including comments from a landscape architect.

However, it lacked attention on the real decision makers who created the abominable clash of transportation modes. Under Henry Koffler's reign of the '80's buildings sprouted up by the dozen with no attention to how people would get between the buildings and, additionally, some important bike lanes were permanantly closed. Under Marlis Davis' continuing direction of the Parking & Transportation department, the emphasis has been on fees for cars and she is so ignorant of biking issues that she refers such matters to her underling, Larry Barton, who always appears to be pure spin doctor. It is unfortunate you missed those two key players.

I tried bringing attention to this pedestrian/biking conflict a number of years ago. But now that the buildings are in place we, and students through future decades, must live out the tragedy that very little can be done about this situation except more policing, which is likely to cost as much as better planning would have.

Another important factor you missed is that many of the pedestrians (and administrators) who get most upset about about bicycles are exaust spewing automobile drivers when they're not walking.

Soaring Bear
Medicinal Chemistry graduate student