Letter to the editor: Cyclists should use bike lanes, not sidewalks

Being in my 70s, I can tell you that it hurts more when struck by an object than when I was younger. Currently, I’m recovering from an incident, and part of my therapy is walking, which I do daily. My usual route is to the corner of Leucadia Boulevard and Hymettus, where I go uphill on the sidewalk.

Parallel to this sidewalk are bike lanes going east-west in the street. In recent months, I’ve been hit twice by bikes on the sidewalk. The last one, occurring four weeks ago, still has me feeling pain. The rider was going uphill, and struck me from the rear as I also was going uphill.

I respectfully request that the city mark the sidewalk with signs advising bikers to walk their bikes or use bike lanes. I urge the city to consider this matter carefully. Failure to do so could lead to costly lawsuits. In my case, the biker, well dressed, rode off, would not give his name, and left me in pain from which I still suffer as it slowly heals. I did make a police report.

Sincerely,

Steve Ellis