Fort River Elementary Students Petition for Safe, Separated Bike Lanes

Source: amherstma.gov

Clerk of Town Council Athena O’Keeffe reported on November 18, that the Town Council had received 60 pages pages of signatures from young people in Amherst and from surrounding towns in support of safe cycling.

The petition reads: 

Petition background: We are students from Mrs. Paul and Mrs. Fisher’s 5^th grade class at Fort River Elementary and we are trying to reduce the use of fossil fuels in Amherst. To do this we are trying to make safer biking opportunities for families in Amherst to use instead of driving.

Petition letter: We, the undersigned, want to reduce the use of fossil fuels in Amherst by promoting safer biking opportunities for families and all Amherst residents. We ask the town to prioritize the planning and construction of family friendly separated* bike lanes and off-road bike paths. In particular, we want to see a separated* bike lane built on Belchertown Road from Echo Hill to the site of the new school in Fort River. We also ask the town to prioritize updating the Pelham Road sidewalk so that it is safe and clear for biking and walking. .Finally, we call upon the town to revisit, update and implement the Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Plan drafted by the town in 2019.

*separated bike lanes are on-street bicycle facilities with vertical separation from motor vehicle traffic provided by flexible bollards, plantings, or curbs as defined in the Amherst Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Plan (June 28, 2019) page 33