Friday, June 11, 2010

Halkett's Confession - She Bikes in the Dreaded Spruce and Pine Bike Lanes

In true Fox News fashion, Fox 29 Anchorwoman and Cyclist Keri Lee Halkett fails to challenge the nay-sayers in this not so friendly news story. Keri Lee, are you ashamed of your bicycling habit? Speak out for your fellow cyclists. We've got your back.



Speaking of Fox 29 Executive Director Alex Doty was scheduled to debate Stu Bykofsky at 5:30. We'll post the video as soon as it is available.

2 comments:

Katie VanVliet said...

The spruce and pine bike lanes are great, BUT have two major flaws that leaves them less used: 1) the road condition is VERY poor on either street, and 2) they are too far south for the majority of bicycling commuters. The same adjustment made on Walnut or Chestnut, or Market and Arch would see a significantly greater number of bicyclists because those are streets that South Philly, West Philly, and North Philly residents would logically use to get to far more destinations.

A North or West Philly commuter is only going to use Spruce or Pine to get to South St, and in that circumstance, the road conditions on Lombard and South are far more comfortable than Spruce or Pine.

I'd rather face the gauntlet of Lombard Street over the potholes of Spruce St any day, and often get fed up and move to South St when I try to take Pine east on my way to Southern destinations.

Perhaps after those streets are repaved, they can recount the ridership, and the city will know what a difference the quality of the street makes in a bicyclist's choice to use it. Bikers ride Walnut st because the street is smooth, not because it's bike-friendly...it's a very smooth gauntlet.

Jim said...

I OFTEN avoid parts of pine and spruce due to the horrible road condition. I've been riding in the city for over a decade and accustomed to the dangerous drivers, tight squeezes and potential "dooring" of everyday riding. I'm tired of bikes making accommodations for cars. I'm for bike lanes as long as they are safe to ride on. I don't want to feel that the city can save money on repaving just to put a bike lane there.