Submitted by Ky Plaskon
The recent hit-and-run death of a cyclist on Peckham Lane in Reno is hitting home for drivers and cyclists, unveiling a pattern of mismanagement of snow in our community with deadly consequences.
Following snowstorms, snow plows, businesses and residents pile snow in bike paths and sidewalks, forcing cyclists and pedestrians to use streets with traffic.
It’s terrifying for everyone, drivers included. Mismanagement of snow puts our most vulnerable people at risk including, children walking to school, the elderly, and the disabled. Bike paths and sidewalks aren’t snow storage facilities. We need to do a better job keeping our roads safe for the taxpayers who paid for them.
Drivers find themselves dodging cyclists and pedestrians on icy roads. Hundreds who have read the Peckham Lane hit-and-run story on social media are commenting, wondering why the cyclist would be out in such dangerous conditions.
The answer is: Cycling and walking are some people’s only way to get to work and school. Nevada Department of Transportation data show that 25 percent of Washoe residents don’t have driver’s licenses.
Other cities worldwide and right here in the United States that deal with much more snow, clear bike paths, and sidewalks to serve the public immediately. Our cities in northern Nevada can do it too.
We need to:
- Buy plows to clear bike paths and sidewalks like in other cities.
- Police businesses and residents to clean sidewalks.
- Learn from other cities how to quickly clear paths.
- Install more protected paths and clear them.
- Improve the level of protection on paths currently being installed.
Even “protected” bike paths currently being installed by the Regional Transportation Commission would not prevent the kind of tragedy on Peckham Lane.
For instance, there is insufficient protection from passing cars in the current Oddie Wells Multimodal Improvement Project design. TMBA has called for changes to Phase II of the Oddie Wells to improve safety.
As a community, we should be rewarding healthy and clean biking and walking and protecting our most vulnerable people. Instead we are punishing them with deadly conditions.
Ky Plaskon is with the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance
Submitted opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of This Is Reno. Have something to say? Submit an opinion article or letter to the editor here.
