Bike Lane Rehash

Reader Luther Abel raises a few more points.

More on Those Bike Lanes

While I am not against improved safety and access for bicycles, this plan [“Road Diet Rage,” February] seems to have holes in it large enough to drive not just a bicycle through, but maybe a tractor-trailer!

Central has a severe parking problem on both sides of the street, and we’re just going to eliminate 50 percent of parking spaces with no impact on neighborhood residents and homes?

Delivery trucks constantly double-park along Central. And we’re going to reduce the number of traffic lanes?

There is no mention of how bicycle traffic will be potentially affected by the high school consolidation effort. Looking at the work being done on the old Alameda High School building, I can’t but suspect that the result will be closing Encinal High School.

Despite words in this article (and the illustration), the plan mailed to residents by the city says that there will be a two-lane bike path on the south side of Central from Main to Sixth Street (or maybe to Webster), and there will be lane-on-each-side-in-direction-of-traffic bike lanes from Eighth Street to Sherman — and there is currently no plan for Webster to Eighth. How do east-bound bikes get across Central between Eighth and Webster? Hey, bicycle safety advocates, how are bikes going to get completely from one side of Central to the other without endangering riders?

Last but not least, as in so many illustrations of “the better future” presented to or by city planners, there are significant defects that nobody seems to point out. In the illustration at the head of this article, there does not seem to be a left turn lane from Central eastbound onto Webster.

— Luther Abel

Put the speed bumps on Lincoln and Sherman area. The area is a death trap waiting to happen. And in this city nothing seems to happen until it is too late.

— Craig Merrill

In Praise of Town Tavern

Been there and plan to go back often [“A Go-To Place for Comfort Food,” April].

— Howard Harawitz

And that is the kind of neighbor one needs … one with their own bar!

— Sarah Vetters

Those Momos

Cafe Tibet on University Avenue has been selling first-rate momos [“Steamed Dreams,” March) for 20 years.

Also, strange comment about southern Indian being “mainstream” in the United States. Americans think of northern Indian food — chicken tikka masala, matter paneer, naan, etc. — as “Indian food” and restaurants that specialize in southern Indian — dosas, sambar, uttapam, etc. — are far less common and usually serve northern Indian dishes as well since many customers expect these dishes to be served at any restaurant.

— Ben Collins