Picnic Point is an accessible natural area all of the campus can enjoy. On any given afternoon, students arrive at the natural area by foot, bike and boat from across University Bay. As a peninsula in a city on an isthmus, Picnic Point's allure is its accessibility.
Now that accessibility may be under attack. This Wednesday the Campus Natural Areas Committee will hear public testimony about whether to continue to allow bikes on Picnic Point. The hearing is set for 7 p.m. at Memorial Union.
The Restore Picnic Point for Pedestrians Committee contends Picnic Point must be restored to its original purpose-a natural area set aside for everybody to enjoy. Bikers do not present a threat to the natural area and allow more people to get out to the Point. Besides, the Arboretum offers plenty of natural areas for Madisonians.
However, the Arboretum does not offer the proximity to campus Picnic Point has. Many students only get out to Picnic Point because it easily accommodates bikers by running off the Howard Tenim Lakeshore Path.
Another critique is that bikers ride too fast on the path and present a hazard to other Picnic Point users. This is also a moot point because most bikers naturally slow down to take in the landscapes the area provides.
Anybody interested in keeping Picnic Point accessible should voice their concerns Wednesday night.
