Jamie Barsimantov says riding his bike on the San Lorenzo River levee in Santa Cruz has become dangerous in recent years. Quick Take
We are building biking paths all over Santa Cruz County, but if we can’t keep what we already have safe, will that new infrastructure be underutilized? Jamie Barsimantov shares what it’s been like to ride on the San Lorenzo River levee bike path over the past 20 years.
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I’ve been riding my bike on the Santa Cruz levee bike path for over 20 years. First as a grad student in environmental studies at UCSC, then as adjunct faculty there. Following that, I rode my bike to the sustainability software startup I founded in downtown Santa Cruz. We had four different offices downtown (the first of which was a coffee shop), and I rode my bike to all of them – rain or shine.
Most recently, I bike my daughter to classes at the Tannery Arts Center on our electric RadWagon. I love riding bikes. It’s good exercise, it’s healthy to spend time outside, it eliminates carbon emissions that result from driving, and it’s just fun.
I also love the San Lorenzo River. This all sounds like a great nature, green transportation and exercise story, right?
Except for one thing. In those 20 years, I’ve seen it all on my commutes on the levee bike path: I’ve been pissed on, nearly pushed […]
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