Bicyclists Deserve Access to Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton contains a major commuting and recreational bike route between Orange County and San Diego County. The route has been closed to bikes since Sept. 11, and the Marines are saying, “Now is not the time to have droves of bicyclists on the base.”

In general, bicyclists are ardent supporters of the war on terror, and they help decrease congestion and our dependence on foreign oil. Maybe it’s exactly the time to have droves of bicyclists.

If the usual few bicyclists are an inconvenience to the Marines, the Marines can close the base to the cyclists, as they’ve done. But the Marines should do their best to shorten the closure and minimize the impact. Hurting supportive Americans without a good reason is not the best way to fight terror.

Don Harvey

Executive director

Orange County Bicycle Coalition

Orange