Erick Ingvald Ask
The Benefit of Active Transport Infrastructure
I was raised to count blessings. My mother grew up during WWII in occupied Norway and my father was a child of the depression as well as a WWII veteran. My parents weathered their trials and tribulations over their lives (my mother is still with us at 85 years old) and were quite successful. During all the ups and downs they reminded my brothers and I of our good fortunes… our health, our safety, a roof over our head, food on the table, our ability to work for another day. They taught us to take none of this for granted.
So, as we undergo this current tribulation, COVID-19, I look for blessings and take nothing for granted. I have family members and friends who have lost jobs, who struggle to keep businesses afloat,who struggle with health issues. I worry about my wife, who is a medical professional, lacking PPE, yet heads to work every day. And I, my wife, and children try to be of support for those in need.
One blessing I’ve noted in the Town of Milton is our active transport infrastructure. That is sidewalks, bike lanes and multi-use paths. Given gym closures and work/study from home, these facilities are in extensive use by Miltonians who are walking,running and cycling. Flowers are blooming, tree buds are opening -its a gift to be outside this special time of year. And it’s so good to exercise our bodies when faced with deprivations and change. Being a family oriented town,it is also nice to see families with young children bicycling around their blocks and motorists understanding enough to slow down and be careful. We are fortunate this town was built up during the 1950’s when sidewalks were the norm. We are fortunate for the efforts of the Milton Bicycle Advisory Committee, the DPW, Parks and Recreation and other organizations that have promoted and implemented this infrastructure that we are now using extensively during COVID-19.
We will get through this and we will all be changed, according to my mother, for the better. I’ve seen so much generosity and caring over the last weeks that I tend to agree with her. I hope we will also remember how much we have been enjoying our sidewalks, cycle lanes and multi-use paths as well so that we can continue supporting their upkeep and implementation in the hopefully soon,post-COVID-19 world.
Stay safe, take care and we are all in this together.
