Reader's View: Rebuilt Brighton Beach great but not safe

I first contacted Duluth Parks and Recreation by email in mid-October about this concern. For whatever reason, no one from the department responded to me.

I live in Lakeside. I love to both bicycle up the North Shore on Scenic Highway 61 and hike through Brighton Beach. The reconstruction of Brighton Beach Park is fantastic, but the new southbound bypass lane, which avoids cars turning left onto Brighton Beach Drive, totally eliminated the highway shoulder. This location is one of the most popular cycling routes in Duluth (up the North Shore and the scenic highway). Cars coming off the Two Harbors expressway are always speeding, and now suddenly they will be presented with cars in a turn lane and cyclists in a bypass lane. (Remember, the shoulder was eliminated for this stretch of road.)

Cycling through the park is not a good option for serious riders. We know there are a huge number of walkers (most understandable) where a fast bicycle would be a hazard for both the walker and cyclist.

I love the rebuilt park, but would have expected safety to have been a larger concern.

Rich Hoeg