Denise Sanchez/The Morning Call/April 4, 2010
Shown above, Luciana Martucci, with her Barbie fishing pole, teaches her daddy how to fish in an Allentown park. Luciana is concerned that the Trail Network Plan will encourage many additional bicyclists, going much faster, which will make watching her daddy more difficult; He tends to wander when they walk on the paths. She doesn't understand why the paths are going to be dug up and paved to accommodate one particular set of users, at the expense of all others.
The parks are a nationally recognized heritage of all Allentonians, from one generation to the next. No one Administration, or set of Trustee's, is entitled to impose irreversible changes in its design or use.
This post is reprinted from one year ago. Despite assurances given by City Council at that time, to a packed chamber of citizens, that all future park plans would receive proper public notice and input, last evening funds were appropriated to begin construction of a bike trail connecting Cedar Park to Union Terrace and Lehigh Parkway.
Mr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Allentown approved that blacktopping of the bridlepaths?
On another unattractive matter, there
appears to still be sewage seeping from the manholes in Lehigh Parkway.
Sure hope someone doesn't host an egg hunt in any of those meadows.
MM: Just curious, did you not have a bicycle as a child?
ReplyDeleteBicycles are a scourge on society and should be banned completely.
ReplyDeleteAllentown is hopeless, just let it die already - it's going rather well as a welfare state 3rd world country.
anon 6:50, the funds are to be used for a matching grant to build a trail between our existing parks.
ReplyDeletegary, yes i had bike and rode it on the roadway through the park, but not on the bridle/walking path. to facilitate the cycling the paths have been paved in cedar park. city council indicated last year that each step of the plans would receive due diligence from the public. how many citizens knew of Bill 5 DCNR on wednesday evening?
Bill 5 DCNR Trail Grant
Amending the 2011 Capital Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand ($350,000.00) Dollars to provide for the receipt of a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This grant will provide funding which will be used to assist with the construction of a new trail as part of the City Wide Trail Network plan that will connect Cedar Creek Parkway to Union Terrace and the Little Lehigh Parkway.
Promises, schmomises.
ReplyDeleteGo Bulldozers.
Defeat natural charm and beauty.
It's Progressive, baby!
Allentown deserves the politicians it chose to put in power...
Can we pave over the canal towpath too? I really want to fly down there on my bike knocking over as many people as i can.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:54
ReplyDeleteDepends...a big enough campaign contribution can see to it that anything is bulldozed...how much do you have to contribute to Progress and the Civilized Society?
Wo is Herr Kleiner und warum hat er nichts zu sagen?
ReplyDelete"Can we pave over the canal towpath too? I really want to fly down there on my bike knocking over as many people as i can."
ReplyDeleteOh yeah? I double dare ya! I'll dip yer head into the old "hot pot" in the Lehigh over at the cement mill! Just joking! I walked that tow path many times.
What if this doesn't turn out to be the disaster you predict?
ReplyDeleteWhat if paving the paths means that people in wheelchairs can use them more easily?
My thinking is that these are good improvements to make to the parks. Parks are better when you have paths with a variety of materials. They certainly will not pave over every path in the park system of Allentown.
And, as it is, bicyclists on trail bikes ride on the dirt paths. Isn't this much ado about nothing?