Letter: Community vision

To the editor:

Sincere thanks to the Lawrence Pedestrian Coalition and numerous sponsors for conducting the Safe Routes for All town hall meeting at Liberty Hall on Wednesday evening. The event featured excellent national and regional speakers who presented to a packed house on successful bicycle and pedestrian initiatives, and built-environment improvements.

Using examples from other cities across the U.S., as well as our neighbors in Topeka and Manhattan; Lincoln, Neb.; and Columbia, Mo., the speakers provided a vision of the more healthy and vibrant place our great city can become if we plan now to increase safety, social equity and physical activity through increased walking, wheeling and bicycling and reduced use of individual motor vehicles.

The audience also heard from the mayor, vice mayor and City Commission candidates regarding how they would support such initiatives. Kudos to all who put time and energy into this exciting educational opportunity! Now, it is up to each and every Lawrence citizen to do his or her part in making this vision a reality, for ourselves as well as our children and grandchildren.