This is regarding the story in the Sept. 30 Morning Star showing business owners on 43rd avenue marching with their protest signs saying, “We are the boss,” etc.
Perhaps they do not live in Vernon, or if they do, they have not been paying attention to what has been going on in their city for the past year or so. Where were they when the new city plan was being presented to the citizens of Vernon so that we could choose what kind of city we wanted to live in. Saying that bike lanes should only be in certain parts of the city makes no sense. For cyclists to be able to ride their bikes safely in Vernon, there needs to be bike lanes throughout the city instead of having them end suddenly like some of the sidewalks in Vernon do. If we create a safe environment for cyclist to ride their bikes, there will be more of us out there. One business owner asked where the mandate for making these changes came from. It came from the citizens of Vernon. The ones who live here in town and walk and cycle here in town and the same ones who help to keep the businesses in town going. We took the time to attend the forums that the city of Vernon presented in every area of town so we could make a choice as to the kind of city we wanted to live in.
The changes to 43rd Avenue are part of what we asked for. So it looks as though the boss (people of Vernon) has spoken some time ago.
I commend the City of Vernon for the incredibly well-presented plan that allowed us to make a choice for a more pedestrian-friendly city and for carrying through with that plan in the face of opposition. Keep up the good work and stick to the plan we chose.
Betty Morrison, Vernon
