T
The Mississauga Muse
Guest
Observer Walt wrote:
Here is what I reported Councillor Iannicca as saying in my previous message:
Observer, I just listened to the tape of yesterday's council meeting. I will summarize Councillor's Iannicca's comments here.
re: bike paths
Councillor Iannicca mentioned Montreal as a city woven with bike paths going as far back as 1979. On "annual spectacle" days, these paths are crowded with 20-30,000 "recreational" cyclists. But the next day --the paths are empty. The paths just aren't used for utilitarian purposes.
Iannicca mentioned practical limitations to utilitarian cycling. He mentioned that in 2003, a bizarre weather year, Mississauga had "30 days of 30 degrees above zero in the summer and 30 days in a row with 30 degrees below in winter all in one calendar year. "Not a great time to be riding a bicycle for utilitarian purposes." he observed.
Councillor Iannicca then offered China as an example of a bicycle culture. He suggested they are this way because "they have to" --bikes are their practical and sometimes only way of getting around. Except of course, walk. They have no other options.
Then he said if Mississauga had a "marginal dollar to spend", on a dedicated bike path or a general path, it's important to remember that we're aging --and for every person who's buying a bike at Gears, there are a hundred older folks (like him) buying walking shoes because it's the fastest growing activity in North America."
Iannicca also said that when the snow falls (and it will) and traffic is backed up and people look out and see the empty dedicated bike paths... he mentioned it'd be a "tough nut to crack".
Hope this clarifies. And having just gone over the tape, yes. I reported Councillor Iannicca's comments accurately.
Iannicca is an idiot if his comments actually were as reported above.
Here is what I reported Councillor Iannicca as saying in my previous message:
Nando Iannicca commented that the demographics of an aging population suggest that many (and he used himself as an example) will trade bicycles for "walking shoes". Demographic trends certainly suggest that "future cycling" will be less cycling.
Observer, I just listened to the tape of yesterday's council meeting. I will summarize Councillor's Iannicca's comments here.
re: bike paths
Councillor Iannicca mentioned Montreal as a city woven with bike paths going as far back as 1979. On "annual spectacle" days, these paths are crowded with 20-30,000 "recreational" cyclists. But the next day --the paths are empty. The paths just aren't used for utilitarian purposes.
Iannicca mentioned practical limitations to utilitarian cycling. He mentioned that in 2003, a bizarre weather year, Mississauga had "30 days of 30 degrees above zero in the summer and 30 days in a row with 30 degrees below in winter all in one calendar year. "Not a great time to be riding a bicycle for utilitarian purposes." he observed.
Councillor Iannicca then offered China as an example of a bicycle culture. He suggested they are this way because "they have to" --bikes are their practical and sometimes only way of getting around. Except of course, walk. They have no other options.
Then he said if Mississauga had a "marginal dollar to spend", on a dedicated bike path or a general path, it's important to remember that we're aging --and for every person who's buying a bike at Gears, there are a hundred older folks (like him) buying walking shoes because it's the fastest growing activity in North America."
Iannicca also said that when the snow falls (and it will) and traffic is backed up and people look out and see the empty dedicated bike paths... he mentioned it'd be a "tough nut to crack".
Hope this clarifies. And having just gone over the tape, yes. I reported Councillor Iannicca's comments accurately.