The Bicycle----Revolution Watch

Right there on the front of our local paper is a big spread on the new bike path project. I will admit that it seems to be oriented toward recreation but still, the encouragement of bicycling over say, four wheeling with hopped internal combustion engines, is a good direction. Americans are developing very big fat asses and this has to be a step in the right direction.

Anything that gets away from burning more fuel has to be good. But is it a big enough statement. Does this plan set up a situation where more folks could commute to work? Or is it limited to a nice trail along the river?

I have to wonder too if this is not being done to make the city of Stevens Point "green" and thus a more likely destination for more home buyers who in turn make more congestion and in the end more consumption. What is the motivation here?

I suspect it is multifaceted. It is nice to have trails that are occupied by quiet participants getting exercise and it is also possible a few folks will commute using the trail. But if it encourages more people to move here, then the roads become more congested and those who do use the roads to bike are more in danger--and they have to breath more exhaust. It's like you can't win. You make something that adds to the quality of life and you get more people who in turn decrease the quality of life by their shear numbers.

In truth, the promoters of this probably are thinking it will bring growth, that is the key word, GROWTH. Maybe "green" growth but no matter how one looks at it it is still growth and there in lies the problem. Grow, grow, grow until everything is gone, used up by humans, the biggest locust ever known. Am I in a bad mood? Nah, I just like it the way it is, and I don't want to be surrounded by an endless sea of people. If I did, I'd more to LA or Chi Town.