Sidewalks and cyclists | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re Christopher Smart's article "SLC to cyclists: We will ticket you for road violations" (Tribune, July 17):

It is about time something is done. There are some bicyclists who ride on downtown sidewalks and crosswalks and demand that pedestrians get out of their way. They are rude and they are dangerous.

For more than a year, I asked that the city and the police department look at this issue but still there was no enforcement.

My husband and I, along with our dog, walk twice a day all over downtown. That's the blessing of living downtown. We can go everywhere: to the grocery store, clinic, mall, pharmacy and farmers market, for example. But the pleasure of walking can turn nasty. Heedless bicyclists and the terrible condition of the sidewalks are hazardous to pedestrians.

However, Mayor Ralph Becker seems more concerned about building a new theater downtown than in taking care of the sidewalks.

As for the bicyclists, I understand the concept of going green, of promoting biking over motorized transportation. But bicyclists should be held as accountable as drivers for not respecting road laws and pedestrians.

Teresa Sanchez Howes

Salt Lake City