By Arthur Moore

As we are trying to cope on several levels here in Somerville we have another problem happening to cripple our local businesses here even more.

The Somerville Bike Safety Committee wants to have more protected bike lanes here. While this may sound good on paper the last one in Winter Hill has been a crippling blow to the local businesses and also people who have ADA problems. The city ignores the letter from ADA about the problems with it. Plus the extremely low amount of usage it gets hardly makes it worthwhile.

Now they are asking for businesses to help. That’s like asking someone to cut off their own arm. This is not the time to even be discussing this with what is going on here. We are trying to get things going between the covid and reopening of Somerville. Which at this point we are not 100% sure that is going to work out.

If it does we will then have more vehicle use than before due to the many people who will not go back to public transportation. I am not against biking and safety but after seeing the problems it has generated on Winter Hill they will just have to find a better way. We can’t go around crippling our businesses and making life difficult for those with mobility problems. And a plastic pole is not going to protect anything.

I am not against biking or anti biking. I have biked all my life until I became disabled. I don’t need the services of the businesses in Winter Hill the unused protected bike lanes are screwing but I know I would not be physically able to use them. So businesses be aware of this before it happens so it can be stopped or your efforts to stay open during this will be for nothing if they take away more business from you.

Call the businesses up and talk to them and the Somerville retirement board. Know the facts before this happens.