The Jan. 1 editorial "Not Even HOV Bikers?" questioned why bikers “would want to tool alongside the whooshing highway traffic.”
Ask the thousands of bike commuters who ride to work adjacent to Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia on the Custis and W&OD trails. The Custis Trail is similar in many ways to the proposed intercounty connector trail; it was supported by many opponents to I-66 as a way to salvage some good from a disruptive project. It is not used only by commuters; thousands of recreational cyclists, walkers, runners and others use it throughout the year as an alternative to driving elsewhere to find a place for recreation and exercise. The cost of adding a trail to a major construction project such as the ICC is well worth the benefits to the community.
It's time for The Post to embrace multimodal transit solutions, including bicycle commuting, not just road-building and road-widening projects.
BRUCE WRIGHT
Reston
The writer is chairman of the Fairfax County Non-Motorized Transportation Committee.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company