Tuesday's letters: City driving a game of red light, red light

Walter Martindale, Edmonton

Not everyone can afford a bike

I have been following city council’s decision on expanding our bike lanes and the subsequent discussions published in the Edmonton Journal’s letters to the editor with interest. I appreciate that bike lanes are intended to yield a cleaner and greener Edmontonm but I have not seen reference to the elephant in the room: i.e., privilege versus underprivileged. Not everyone in our city has the financial means to own a bike (let alone the funds to purchase the gear required to safely ride their bike in our inclement weather).

To be equitable and thus aim for a more socially equal and greener society, allowance needs to be made for those who do not have the financial means to own a bike. As a result, the City of Edmonton must direct additional funding to enable equal usage of bike lanes by everyone wishing to use them.

David Weir, Edmonton

Lawn bowling venue neglected by city

To echo a letter in the Journal, I am not impressed by some budget choices made by Edmonton council. Surely, priority should be preservation of facilities built and paid for over the years.

Commonwealth park, where I and others lawn bowl, has been largely maintained by member volunteerism. The city saved it after the Commonwealth Games but the gardens and bowling greens have been maintained by a team of volunteers. It provides healthy exercise for people from nine to 90. It is infrastructure that offers affordable and inclusive activity.

Now a deficit of tens of thousands of dollars threatens a facility recognized as one of Canada’s best. A modest grant of about $16,000 helped keep it alive. It has hosted interprovincial and national competitions but for those who pay to play there  — the volunteers who keep it going — the exercise is good medicine.

Perhaps Edmonton council feels billion-dollar projects are more important than support for a facility that has largely been kept alive by volunteers. But council is not immune to criticism. Their costly projets de grandeur have not distracted us. They have hurt some real taxpayers who will remember.