Dear Editor:
My partner and I came upon Sam Lupton's accident only minutes after he was hit riding his bike up the Keith Road hill (Cyclists Want Keith Road Bike Lane, Sept. 5). Seeing him lying on the road beside his mangled bike was horrific.
The new road configuration leaves little or no room to go around a cyclist and cars are accelerating to drive up the hill. It is also not uncommon to drive up the Keith Road hill as the sun is starting to set and be totally blinded by the sun. The section of Keith Road where Mr. Lupton was hit is also not pedestrian friendly. My pictures show you the tiny path directly beside speeding traffic that I must walk when going to and from the bus stop. It's very frightening when large vehicles go flying by me, only inches away. Add a rainy day to that and I'm avoiding spray from the vehicles as well. This section of Keith Road is dangerous to both bikers and pedestrians.
Coun. Roger Bassam's response that the District of North Vancouver is a car-centric community lacks imagination and progressive thinking. I'm not a cyclist because of the mindset of decision-makers like Bassam. So I walk everywhere. Without sidewalks in many areas where I live, I must walk down the road - the same road cars are using.
Holly Cole, North Vancouver
