While the municipality and the GFNY organizers celebrate the major international cycling slot here, the powers-that-be refuse to explain why it remains off limits for the cyclists.
By BARRY DAVISTHE SECOND edition of the Jerusalem version of the international Grand Fondo New York bicycle race takes place today, with 28-km., 72-km. and 130-km. routes.(photo credit: RONEN TOPELBERG)
It probably hasn’t escaped the attention of motorists in and around Jerusalem that there are increasing numbers of human-powered two wheelers out there on the roads.The Jerusalem Municipality has made some efforts in recent years to install cycling paths in certain parts of the city – even though, it must be said, they often give the impression of being planned by non-cyclists. If any bikers out there have ridden along Henrietta Szold Street, for example, from Kiryat Hayovel toward Mount Herzl, they will be painfully aware of the lack of continuity of the bike-only route, with bus stops and various other impediments interrupting their healthy, environmentally friendly go-with-the-flow travel.A few years back there was also the fiasco of the presumably well-intentioned installation of bike routes over at French Hill. The idea was, mainly, to enable students to cycle between the dorms and the university campus. Unfortunately, there were fundamental flaws in the design, including at one juncture making it almost impossible for buses traveling in opposite directions to pass each other.While we’re on the subject of cycling in the vicinity of the capital and, sadly, mismanagement of cycling infrastructure, note should be made of the advent of the second edition of the Jerusalem version of the international GFNY (Grand Fondo New York) bicycle race, which is now held across the globe. The race takes place today, with 28 km., 72 km. and 130 km. routes, in Jerusalem and out of town, up some pretty challenging Jerusalem Hills ascents. All told, some 1,400 cyclists of all ages and from 21 countries are set to take part.Anyone who took part in last year’s inaugural event will have delightedly trundled their way through a beautifully crafted tunnel, a full 2.1 km in length, which starts near Kerem Junction, below Hadassah Hospital, and comes out near the Jerusalem Aquarium. It really is something to marvel at. The tarmac is smooth and velvety, complete with a white dotted line down the middle, and there are highly efficient lighting and ventilation systems in place. What more could any cyclist ask for? The “only” problem is that the said fine specimen of engineering opened on the day of last year’s GFNY ride, and for that day alone. That’s right. All those resources were invested for a one-day-in-a-year event, and the tunnel remains under lock and key for the other 364 days. I asked several officials and others connected to cycling and the municipality about the reason for this astonishing state of affairs I received a broad range of explanations.So, while the municipality and the GFNY organizers quite rightly celebrate the major international cycling slot here, the powers-that-be refuse to explain how it is that a wonderful cycling path remains off limits to the very people for whom it was created in the first place – the cyclists.When I asked then-mayoral candidate Ofer Berkovitch if he could dig into the matter, he obliged by asking Jerusalem Development Authority CEO, Eyal Haimovsky, if he had any idea what the problem was. Haimovsky duly came back to Berkovitch, saying that the tunnel is closed “because the fire department is raising obstacles. I hope that we eventually sort this out with them.”MOSHE LICHTENSTEIN (second from right) (Credit: Courtesy)That was back in August – eight months ago. Ever hopeful, naturally I was keen to find out whether, in fact, anything had shifted in the interim. The bottom line is: nothing, nada, zilch. When I recently contacted the municipality spokesperson, someone called Amalya provided me with the local authority’s terse official response: “After obtaining approval from the fire department and detailed guidelines for opening the tunnel, the municipality has begun carrying out work, on the completion of which the tunnel will be opened.”Hallelujah! Is there a glimmer of light at the end of the long tunnel after all? Before local cyclists begin jumping for joy, please be advised that the municipality currently has absolutely no idea when the tunnel will, in fact, be open on a permanent basis. Oh, well.BUT LET’S not look a gift horse in the mouth. Let’s be grateful for any crumbs of support and encouragement the taxpayer-funded authorities provide us with. After all, the tunnel will be open today, albeit only today, and several hundred riders will be able to enjoy its silky facilities.One of those will be Moshe Lichtenstein, a 58-year-old Californian-born inhabitant of Beit Shemesh who not only gets out there on his carbon steed to sweat his way up and down the Jerusalem Hills, he also does his best to get others on board with him. Lichtenstein was a latecomer to the cycling fraternity, and began pedaling in earnest only nine years ago. But now he heads the quizzically-named Beit Shemesh Roadies group, which comprises around 20 religiously observant male riders who, of course, do their roadwork on Fridays.“We do three rides of two-and-a-half to three hours,” Lichtenstein says.As we locals know only too well, it’s not just about the mileage, it’s about altitude gains, too.“A lot of it is hills – most of us love hills. We do 1,000 to 1,500 meters in climbs, and 70 to 80 km. distances.” Not bad going for someone, to put it delicately, past his first flush of youth.The Roadies gang is Lichtenstein’s cycling group, and it was a community that got him into pedaling in the first place.“Our shul had a little biking thing. I ended up going on it and I thought, ‘This is kind of fun,’” says the Ramat Beit Shemesh resident who started out as a runner, but had to give that up following an injury. It was love at first ride and Lichtenstein was well and truly hooked.“All of a sudden I was riding a road bike. It reminded me of running. It was just amazing. I haven’t been able to get enough of it since then.”Shabbat observant, Lichtenstein and his fellow Roadies particularly look forward to the now annual GFNY Jerusalem event.“All the competitions in Eretz Yisroel are on Shabbos,” he notes. “The biking society [in Israel] is basically not frum (religious), so the only time you can participate in a group ride is this kind of thing. The GFNY was the first one. Besides that, you are out there riding on your own. That’s nice, but if you’re trying to point to a goal, if you want to train for something, it’s very hard if you are shomer Shabbos here. This has been a real boon for us.”WHILE HIGHLY appreciative of the efforts of Shaun Gad, from the States, who is a driving force behind the Jerusalem ride, Lichtenstein feels more could be done to encourage people to get away from their steering wheels and climb into the saddle, and make getting around on human-powered transportation more comfortable and safer.“I am a little bit frustrated that they [the authorities] don’t ask road cyclists about how to build infrastructures. It’s not hard to find road bikers. They put up signs, a couple of years ago, to watch out for cyclists, so that was at least something. I have noticed, in terms of clearing the sides of the roads around here [of spilled cement and gravel] they have done a little better job. But it would be nice if they took the cycling community more into consideration.”That goes for drivers, too.“We ride on or near the yellow line, and people say why don’t you move over to the side? Well, we don’t want to get flat tires or get into gravel. I find that if I am respectful to drivers, they are respectful to me, but a lot of the time they don’t understand what we’re dealing with.”Like many cyclists around these parts, Lichtenstein just got his head around the continuing shutdown of the aforementioned tunnel.“What’s the point in making a bike tunnel and then having it closed all the time? That’s ridiculous. It’s a shame.”For now, Lichtenstein and the rest will be on our markers near Teddy Stadium today, at the crack of dawn, to enjoy a traffic-uninhibited ride through this beautiful city and its scenic surroundings. Perhaps before the third edition of GFNY Jerusalem ride comes, the tunnel will be available to riders all year round.For more information: www.gfnyjerusalem.com
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