Letters to the Editor

What You Say

We like your style, Punk Rock Payroll

I love what these guys are doing with this label [Music, "Shooting Gallery," John Vettese, June 18, 2009]. They're providing awesome bonus materials with the already incredible tunes. Frede, Misty and the bands get so involved in their projects, it's remarkable. I can't wait to see what other projects they have up their sleeves.

Fairmount Park and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia regularly partner to address bicycle issues throughout Philadelphia's park system. We're writing to clarify some issues raised in Isaiah Thompson's "Biketopia" article in the June 4, 2009, City Paper.

One partnership not mentioned in the article is the new Bicycle Ambassadors Program. This team of adult safety educators are an education and outreach program of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia sponsored by the city of Philadelphia, University City District and Fairmount Park. Bicycle Ambassadors encourage adult bicyclists to ride more often and more safely, and educate motorists on the rules of the road and provide tips for sharing the road. Ambassadors teach bike safety, sharing the road, bike lane and mixed-use path etiquette and how to bike to work and school. We encourage your readers to learn more at bicyclecoalition.org.

In 2006 Fairmount Park installed 61 directional signs on the River Drive mixed-use paths. These blue and white signs, mounted to lights and other poles along the paths, stretch from the Schuylkill Banks at Locust Street to the Montgomery County line. Additional directional signs were installed by the Schuylkill River Heritage Corridor that connect path users to the regional trail network.

A striping plan has been prepared for the entire length of the King and Kelly drives' paths. Based on national standards and scheduled for implementation this fall, the plan calls for the painting of solid and dashed lines, "keep right," "slow" and other indicators where necessary to help users know the "rules of the path."