Originally Posted by
Cat Daddy
I'm not from Eugene, so I can't verify the accuracy of the claims they make on their Advocacy page. But it does seem that the club does care about the cycling culture in the area.
I'm sorry your son had knives pulled on him. Eugene does seem to have a lot of homeless people. I wonder if it's ever been suggested to the city's "powers that be" to perhaps have a couple of bicycle cops patrolling the multi-use paths in town? I remember thinking last year when riding the bRamble that those bike paths would be kinda scary at certain times of the day.
I bike that area a lot and I have never seen bicycle cops... they have an ATV that they cruise around in but I dont feel that is as effective.
The real cause of homelessness is rent prices (although given the current economic situation that may change.) The UO brings in tens of thousands of renters (students) every year and the local landlords have the option of holding out for these renters who either have means or families with money. So folks at the low end of the rental spectrum have a hard time finding a places. Throw in some NIMBYism and development focused on high-end buyers (retired Californians I assume... there really isnt all that much industry here to generate wealth) and you have a perfect mix for a larger homeless population. I sort of wonder if the end of the illicit pot market may have played a part as people who used to make a ton of money working in that industry are now working for minimum wage, but that is pure speculation on my part.
That being said I have biked those trails quite a bit at night and haven't had any issues but I know that momentum is king and just keep on moving past the wandering pedestrians.