Ellen Fletcher, R.I.P.

[Jym Dyer]

=v= Cycle tracks will abound in Heaven. We lost one of the
great ones today.

=v= Shortly after I arrived in the Bay Area I read an article in
the _San_Jose_Mercury_News_ about Ellen Fletcher, who was over
twice my age, carfree, and biking everywhere. This left me both
inspired to do likewise, and without any excuses not to.

=v= Below is the earliest article about her in my e-archive, but
I'm pretty sure the one I read was from a year or so before.
<_Jym_>

=------------8<-------------Cut-Here-------------8<------------=

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
DATE: Monday, 09-Apr-1990
Section: Front
Edition: Morning Final
Page: 12A
Memo: Earth Day 1990

ELLEN FLETCHER
Lisa Lapin

Name: Ellen Fletcher, 61, Palo Alto.

Profession: Former City Council member.

Issue: Traffic congestion in Silicon Valley has tripled in the
past 25 years. Along with increased numbers of cars have come
noise and air pollution. In the early 1970s, Fletcher began a
campaign to encourage alternative transportation, especially
"clean" transit such as bicycles, to ease those problems. She
herself bikes everywhere.

Outcome: Fletcher has fought for bicycle commuting incentives,
including a Palo Alto law that requires bike lockers throughout
the city. Another law requires companies to install showers for
biking employees. She also got bicycle safety classes for
schoolchildren and a bikes-only boulevard. Her current project:
More bike racks on buses.

Lesson: "So many people complain about traffic, oil spills and
pollution. But what are they doing to help the situation? They
should make a personal commitment."

[doug....@gmail.com]

RIP, Ellen.

Thanks, Jym.

>Though Fletcher owned a car, a 1964 Plymouth Valiant,
Haha LOL - of all cars, of course it had to be a 64 valiant.