Editor, Times-Union: I am new to Warsaw. When I relocated here, I moved into an apartment that was 0.8 miles from my place of employment. My first thought was that I could bike or even walk to work to save on gas money, get exercise and help out the environment. The day before I started my new job, I drove there to make sure I knew what time to leave my apartment, what the traffic was going to be like, etc. I quickly came to the realization that I will never be able to bike or walk to work because of the road conditions. There was no bike lane nor was there even a shoulder to safely bike or walk on. None of the roads had sidewalks, even though it goes right past a public school. All of this got me thinking – Warsaw promotes healthy lifestyles with the lakes, bike trails and hiking paths, which are leisurely activities usually done on the weekends or after work hours, but the rest of the time, when people are working, there are no bike trails or hiking paths. There are only unsafe conditions and risky situations. I did a small survey of 12 people, ranging in age from 24 to 73, all of whom work in a science-based field, some with children, both males and females. When asked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very unsafe and 5 being extremely safe, they gave the safety of riding a bike as a form of work commute a 2, meaning unsafe. This study showed I was not alone in my thinking and I began to research more in depth. Upon further research, I found a group called MACOG, Michiana Area Council of Government, that is just as equally, if not more, concerned about the same issues I am with bike safety on work commutes. MACOG, if you have not heard of them, are working toward more biker and walker friendly roads by 2040. Their website is full of interesting information, statistics and a survey that I think all members of the community should take, regardless of your means of transportation. The more voices heard, the better! The website is http://www.macog.com/activetransportation/ Alyx Hays Warsaw, via email
