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Off the sidewalks

Resident urges cyclists to be responsible when around town

I write to applaud the City of Vernon for conducting three bike skills and safety courses during May.

Thus far this year, more than 42 per cent of all moving bikes I have personally witnessed, that is 27 out of 64, have been on sidewalks downtown.

For this reason, would Vernon's manager of protective services, Clint Kanester, please advise readers of The Morning Star how many tickets he and his staff have issued, since his April 22 "Bike safety message driven home" article in this newspaper clearly states "Cyclists are not allowed to ride on sidewalks."

Recently mid-day, I observed a young woman in a bike crash while riding along on the 30th Avenue sidewalk next to Monashee's liquor store, fortunately with no pedestrians nearby.

There have also been various instances of skateboarders zooming by me on downtown sidewalks a lot faster than the proposed five kilometres an hour, and I am a 2014 gold medal racewalker at the BC Seniors Games, and member of the Vernon AAA Track and Field Club.

Jerry Reitman

Vernon