Letters: Bike lane barrier issues, SB 202 concerns, cease-fire resolution, Penny Githens

Problems with new bicycle lane barriers

The new bicycle lane barriers on East Third Street on the Indiana University campus were a good idea, in theory. People had been illegally pulling into the bike lane, blocking the lane and partially blocking vehicular traffic.

The problem is that the barriers did not stop people from blocking traffic: Motorists are still stopping to drop people off and pick people up. It is apparent that this was done without proper planning.

There should have been more effort to educate motorists about why this behavior is unacceptable, perhaps in partnership with the university since most people doing this are students. To the extent that resources can be spared, the Bloomington Police Department and Indiana University police should be aggressively ticketing people who illegally block traffic.

Even worse, city planning confirmed to me in an email that the barriers were installed without a plan for clearing snow from the bike path in the winter. Snowplows will not be able to clear the path without destroying the barriers. Why was this done without having a snow removal plan in place? Snow after spring break is unusual but can happen. We had a significant snowfall in April 2021.

Finally, if you illegally block traffic, stop it. A busy street is not your personal drop-off zone, and it is selfish to blockade traffic and impede the movement of other motorists to save yourself a couple minutes. The fact that this had to be addressed by city government at all is another indication of how our society has degraded. Basic common courtesy should not need to be enforced by law.

Scott Tibbs, Bloomington

Signing of Senate Bill 202 raises concerns

I am writing concerning the recent signing of SB 202, which strives for “intellectual diversity” at Indiana’s public colleges and universities.

The bill establishes processes for institutions to collect data about how affiliates experience (or don’t) a range of political viewpoints in their college classrooms. The crux of this legislation concerns five-year tenure reviews for all faculty, which catapults job security for academics. Our top-notch university system is a core economic driver for Indiana.

As an independent contractor, I am not on a career path that will lead me to lifelong job security; quite the opposite, actually; nonetheless, I am concerned about the attractiveness of Indiana as a place to attract talent into any number of highly specialized fields.

I am concerned about all the current legislation restricting speech, bodily autonomy, women’s reproductive freedom, book bans, and bans on trans kids’ healthcare. It seems abundantly clear that the state of Indiana is pursuing restriction over all else. This doesn’t feel like “intellectual diversity” or diversity at all.

A trusted friend, a prominent public health researcher who long ago obtained his tenure status and just so happens to love Bloomington deeply, said, “It’s hard enough to convince people to come here.”

Kate Burnet, Monroe County

City council deserves praise for cease-fire resolution

The Bloomington City Council deserves high praise for unanimously passing a resolution for a cease-fire, release of hostages and increased humanitarian aid in Gaza. More than 30,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in this tragic conflict. More war would bring no one the security they deserve but only deepen anguish and stoke hatred.

Mayor Kerry Thomson should sign the resolution. Bloomington is not an island that can limit itself to its borders, but an engaged part of the global community that can be a voice for peace and justice. That is why the council passed a resolution against the Vietnam War, against the invasion of Iraq and for nuclear arms control ("Back from the Brink").

Today we add our voice to the scores of cities demanding a cease-fire. Advocates such as Bloomington Peace Action Coalition (BPAC) and Citizens for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel (CJPPI).

David Keppel, Bloomington

Vote for Penny Githens for county commission

I am appalled at the vitriolic accusations directed at Penny Githens (H-T 3/31/24). Penny is an outstanding county commissioner whom I and others have interacted with regarding problems that needed addressing in Benton Township. A few examples will suffice.

Penny Githens listened intently to our concerns about a culvert on our road that was caving in and a very dangerous turn from Highway 46 onto Kings Road. The latter was the site of a number of accidents resulting in injuries to people in the cars as well as damages to the cars involved. The reason for the dangerous turn was a very low visibility for oncoming traffic due to a curve in the highway.

Penny Girthens was instrumental in getting the county to repair the culvert and the highway department to put up a sign warning of the turn onto Kings Road and the curve ahead. Since the sign has been up, we have not had any accidents. These examples are only from direct contact with Penny Girthens in Benton Township.

Previous articles in The Herald-Times have charted all the hard work she has done for Monroe County as a county commissioner, and I urge readers to remember these as well.

Based upon our experience with Penny Githens, she was very knowledgeable. She listened to and worked diligently on our behalf to solve the problems we had. She is a perfect example of what a good commissioner should be, and I urge readers to vote for Penny Githens for county commissioner in this primary.

Paula Sunderman, Bloomington