Dear Editor:
As a Lima Township resident owning property on Dexter-Chelsea Road, I am reaching out to the community to share vital information about the proposed Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative bike path to run between Dexter and Chelsea.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about this proposal that I want to bring to light. There are many, many concerns about this project, but the one that seems to be garnering the most attention, from those not directly affected, is this. If this proposal is approved and moves forward, this will in no way cut down on the amount of bike traffic that anyone traveling Dexter Chelsea Road experiences on any given weekend or evening.
The common misconception is that this bike path will alleviate the bike traffic and help prevent more accidents like one that took the life of Mrs. McKeachie last summer. It’s so sad to say, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. This path is not designed or intended for that type of bicycle traffic, it is intended for the casual biker or walker.
In fact, the bike path will not be connected to the roadside at all. It will be a completely separate entity occupying front yards of the property owners. The bike racers and long-distance bikers will still be on the road where they are now. This is information that has been given directly to the Lima Township residents from the Initiative representatives in their presentation.
The proposed path runs through the close to 70 parcels and crosses the driveways of more than 50 residents who have legally built and maintained their homes and yards for over one hundred years.
Please, take a moment, even visit the link below, and think about this before you give your support to this project.
https://www.limaconservation.org
Tracie Stoffer
Lima Township
