Dear Editor,
Thank you for considering this letter to the editor for inclusion in The Westfield News. My name is Cory Pfau I am a Freshmen at Westfield State University and appreciate you taking the time to read this letter for possible publication.
On the planned Western Ave improvement project sparked my interest not only because it affects me directly as a student but also because I have been studying bike-friendly cities this semester, and I feel I could offer information of value to those behind this project.
First of all it is clear that Stanley Park is a highlight among Western Ave., along with Westfield State University, and I feel the city planners of Westfield should remember that in their upcoming project. My proposal is simple: incorporate a bike lane into the expansion of Western Ave. The benefits are clear and obvious. Throughout my research on bike lanes and what exactly they bring to a community I was able to find some eye-opening numbers.
During my research I looked at other cities that installed their own bike lanes. As stated on Peopleforbikes.org, “After New York City installed a protected bike lane on Columbus Avenue bicycling increased 56 percent on weekdays, crashes decreased 34 percent” (NYC Dept. Of Transportation, 2011). While New York City is not suburban Westfield, if bike lanes can be successful on scale as big as New York City why not in Westfield? Crossing Western Ave for students is already dangerous, never mind avid bikers who are forced to share the road. If the city of Westfield is able to incorporate a protected bike lane of any kind it will be used, and people will recognize that they are able to bike more frequently and safely.
The numbers are in favor of the bike lanes. As mentioned on Peopleforbikes.org, “75 percent of people who live near a protected bike lane projects say they support more in other locations. For those aged 18-34 its 85 percent for those aged 18-24, 97 percent” (Monsere,C.,et al. 2014). The facts say it all really; people who experience the bike lanes first hand support them. It is something that people want to see in their communities, and with a location such as Stanley Park it will only benefit the surrounding locations. Stanley Park specifically will see an increase of people biking to their park because visitors now feel safe doing so. On top of Stanley Park, Westfield State University will also benefit from this protected bike lane. College kids with no car would love to ride Western Avenue without potentially risking their lives. On top of this, downtown Westfield would see a major spike in younger population due to the direct route to Westfield State University. If the city provides the people with the ability to be active while still being safe, residents will take advantage of it. Although cost may be an issue, the city of Westfield may as well incorporate the idea now while they are already in the process of deciding on major changes to Western Ave.
Although there may be doubts behind this proposal, the precedent is set in other cities. These cities have seen positive changes to their community from incorporating a protected bike lane, and I feel the City of Westfield will as well. Whether it is New York City or a town like suburban Westfield, the benefits of bike lanes are endless, and I feel the City of Westfield should capitalize on this potential upgrade while it can.
Sincerely,
Cory Pfau, Westfield State University Student
Statistics Library – Protected Bike Lane Statistics Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/protected-bike-lane-statistics
