HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-01-22 Public Comment - C. Crayton - Fowler Land TrailFrom:chester
To:Agenda
Subject:Fowler Lane Trail
Date:Thursday, September 1, 2022 4:14:50 PM
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Hello, as a lifelong Bozeman Resident and homeowner I would like to weigh in on the
planned Fowler expansion. To me the primary benefit of living in town is the ability to stepout of my door and walk or cycle wherever I need to go. These kinds of greenways are a
welcome respite from the noise and air pollution along roadways. They give me a chance tocalm my nerves between encounters with aggressive and inattentive drivers. There are many
members of our community for whom driving is not an option. Children, the elderly, peopleliving with disabilities, and those who don't own a car should not be discounted and
marginalized by our infrastructure. As much as people appreciate them, these trails are evenmore vital for urban wildlife. Asphalt, concrete, and chemically treated grass would support
only a miniscule fraction of the biomass that exists there now. Bozeman doesn't have to makethe same mistakes other cities have before us. Traffic is a growing problem but not one we can
solve by building more roads to bring more cars into congested areas faster. I believe thatstreets and the cities they comprise belong primarily to the people that live there. Building
infrastructure that caters to commuters over residents feels fundamentally unfair. We shouldn'tsubsidize others' unsustainable lifestyle choices while simultaneously negatively impacting
our quality of life. I think eliminating single family zoning and parking minimums andfocusing on transit, walkability, and cycling infrastructure would be much more responsible.
Bozeman should be the last best place, not just anytown U.S.A.
Respectfully, Chase Crayton