Editor;
Dear Byron the Bicyclist;
I share your excitement and enthusiasm for the new bike infrastructure from South Lakeside Drive to Mackenzie Avenue!
I personally ride this route to work several times a week, at least partially due to your encouragement and example. It is much safer and more enjoyable now. (For cyclists and motorists alike, as we are not in each other's way!) I knew intellectually that I was increasing my lifespan by biking more, but it sure didn't feel that way when massive trucks would go by! I have personally found that the drivers in Williams Lake are great at slowing down and making way, but there was only so much room for them to work with.
Speaking of health benefits: safer active transport will hugely benefit my patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Twenty minutes of physical activity per day is more effective than any pill I can prescribe. I have also seen first-hand the health impact of climate change, from infants with dehydration during heat waves, all the way to elders forced out of their homes and into hospital due to wildfire smoke exacerbating their asthma and COPD. I am delighted to reduce my fossil fuel usage to benefit these patients, and perhaps just slightly reduce the demand and price for gas for those who truly need to rely on this resource, eg our farmers who rely on fossil fuel to power their equipment and have little other choice at this time.
Finally, I think the new bike lane speaks to our character as a rural and outdoor paradise. We are already a world class mountain biking destination, and further increasing our cycling options in the city can only build on this. Overall, it has made Williams Lake a much better place to live and visit. We have a ways to go before we can steal the title of "Winter Cycling Capital" from Oulu, Finland, but what an exciting step in the right direction!
Warm regards,
Dr. Kate Knuff
(Whether you opt to publish this message or not, please do pass along my thanks to Bert Groenenburg for his much appreciated weekly column.)
