Editorials

What do phantom bike lanes teach the town?

When the town completes resurfacing Los Gatos Boulevard, there will be bike lanes--sort of. They'll be there, but only those in the know will be aware of them.

That's because the bicycle stripe reminding motorists to share the road with bicyclists will not be painted.

Back in 1997 bicycle enthusiasts and those promoting the establishment of a more pedestrian-friendly boulevard as part of the new "vision" for Los Gatos Boulevard were putting pressure on the Town Council to create bike lanes north of Blossom Hill Road.

Meanwhile auto dealers insisted that bike lanes would create a hazard to bicyclists and an inconvenience to motorists who just might take their business to more accessible dealerships.

Councilmembers also worried that striping a bike lane might falsely suggest that Los Gatos Boulevard is a safe place for bicyclists of all ages and levels of experience to ride.

So the council settled on a compromise, one that would allow additional room along the side of the road for bicyclists and also give the town an opportunity to evaluate the success of narrowing traffic lanes before committing to full-fledged bike lanes.

We've never been convinced that these phantom bike lanes are a good idea. Creating bike lanes but not striping them makes about as much sense as installing a traffic signal that just blinks yellow.

Many motorists are hostile enough to bicyclists already. Bike lanes, at least, alert these drivers that they are sharing the road with the two-wheeled mode of transportation.

We fear that without actual marked bike lanes, motorists will wonder why bicyclists are on the road. And they'll act even more hostile.

The problem with creating half-way bike lanes to evaluate the effectiveness of bike lanes is that lack of success could mean that bike lanes on Los Gatos Boulevard north of Blossom Hill are a bad idea.

Or it could mean bike lanes that aren't striped are a bad idea.

Here comes summer

Anyone who is still wondering what Los Gatans mean when they talk about town character should have attended the opening concert of Music in the Plaza on Father's Day.

Here was a community come together in a downtown park for a Sunday afternoon concert. They sat on blankets and lawn chairs, nibbled on picnic lunches and chatted with friends and neighbors.

When the mood struck, they grabbed a partner and danced to the lively music of the Joe Sharino band.

Down the street, people strolled past shops and enjoyed the ambiance of historic buildings set against the backdrop of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

It's summer; Music in the Plaza is back; all's right with the world.

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