As a long time bicyclist, I disagree with Virgil Moore's letter, "Bicyclists aren't safe on roads" (Jan. 7) and especially to her proposed solution — stop cycling. Roland Avenue has been a heavily used bikeway for over 30 years, and Tom Palermo's tragic death is out of character with Roland Park. Whether it be Roland Park, Federal Hill, Hampden, Towson or Catonsville, people should be able to safely walk or bike in their neighborhood without fear of being killed.
Pedestrians shouldn't be expected to give up walking or traveling on foot to the bus stop because of a few errant motorists. The same should be true for bicycling, as evidenced by the Roland Park community's strong support for the New Year's Day memorial ride in Tom' Palermo's memory. I'm pleased by the Episcopal Church's strong support for Tom, his family and the cycling community. I encourage our churches and synagogues to build on improving cycling safety and emphasize protecting human life — including the need to slow down, not text, and drive carefully.
Our younger generations are using transit, walking, and cycling more and driving less. We need to care for one another and realize that people should have other travel options than driving. Let safe streets for bicyclists and pedestrians be our goal in 2015!
Jeffrey H. Marks, Baltimore