text: Not a bicyclist, but I recall well the throttle of "purist" recreational types in Juneau, who shut down snow machine usage and managed to absolutely prevent anyone from riding a four wheeler (atv) anywhere. And other restrictive measures. This "political activism" sort of activity has crept insidiously into many spheres of life in the greater USA, and slowly, quietly, measures are passed and life becomes complicated, and more expensive. Unreasonable building codes, restrictions, and more. Governments profits from fees and become bloated, typically with an attitude which is unfriendly.
      There are nicely balanced responses here. The point brought forward is certain lobbyists need to be watched very closely. Strange stuff has been pushed quietly into law and regulation. Responsible recreational folks find themselves spending vast amounts of free time fighting often unreasonable restrictions, while other extremists of both ilk create hard feelings and can denigrate quality of life.