Take your time

For a place that values green transportation, Chico is a dangerous place for people moving under their own power.

Anyone who’s crossed a street downtown—Main, Broadway, Second, Fifth—knows what we’re talking about. Cars start around corners without regard for pedestrians. And that’s where there’s a signal or stop sign; at other crosswalks, you need Moses to part the red Sebrings.

Cyclists face similar jeopardy, on Nord and elsewhere.

Same thing in Paradise. The town has a fantastic bike path roughly parallel to Skyway, but where it intersects arterial roads, it’s biker beware. (Let’s not even get started about lower Skyway …)

We’re not curmudgeons complaining about all the traffic and how fast everyone drives. We’re not asking for motorists to stop, lay their coats over mucky gutters and wish the walker a most pleasant afternoon. We’re not pining for the good old days.

Just keep your eyes open. If you live in Chico or Paradise (or, really, anywhere else in the North State), how big a hurry are you really in? One thing is certain: You won’t arrive on time after a senseless collision.