At the request of Mayor Al Heggins, the Salisbury City Council will consider the formation of a bicycle/pedestrian committee at their meeting Monday. I applaud the mayor for her forward thinking in working to improve the city’s infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation and offer the following for consideration.

Motorists who decry the loss of road space for implementation of bike lanes should consider that, for every person riding to a destination, there is one fewer car to add to traffic congestion on the roads.

Business owners should consider that a person on a bike is traveling slowly enough to actually see what is being offered in storefront windows. Those same business owners should look at the use of a parking space for a bike corral not as a loss of a parking space for a single paying customer but, instead, as providing secure parking for up to 10 paying customers.

Finally, all citizens of Salisbury could benefit from fewer cars on local streets by cleaner air, safer walking space and a more relaxed city environment.

Salisbury is a good town to live it, with the potential of becoming a great destination to live, work and visit. I urge the council to approve the suggestion of the mayor and appoint a committee composed of individuals who have a vested interest in bicycling and walking as a means of transportation.

— Stuart Nottingham

Salisbury