A student is writing a persuasive paper, trying to convince the local city council to increase the number of bike lanes. Which reason would be the most important argument to include in the paper?
a. Other towns have multiple bike lanes that are used frequently.
b. Adding bike lanes would be costly for the city to add to the roads.
c. My friends and I really like riding our bikes around town.
d. People in our town often, but have no safe place on the road.
d. People in our town often, but have no safe place on the road.
The most important argument to include in the persuasive paper would be option (d): People in our town often bike, but have no safe place on the road.
The most important argument to include in the persuasive paper would be option d: "People in our town often bike, but have no safe place on the road."
To determine the most important argument, consider the main purpose of the paper, which is to convince the city council to increase the number of bike lanes. In order to make a persuasive case, it is crucial to focus on arguments that address the council's concerns and highlight the benefits of adding bike lanes.
Option a, "Other towns have multiple bike lanes that are used frequently," may be a valid point to support the argument. However, it does not directly address the issue in the local town.
Option b, "Adding bike lanes would be costly for the city to add to the roads," may be a valid concern for the city council, but framing the argument in terms of cost may not be as compelling as emphasizing safety or the demand for bike lanes.
Option c, "My friends and I really like riding our bikes around town," is a personal opinion rather than a strong persuasive argument based on broader community needs.
Option d addresses a significant issue by highlighting that people in the town often bike but lack a safe place to do so. This argument appeals to the council's responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents, making it a strong argument for increasing the number of bike lanes.
To strengthen the argument, the student could also gather data on the number of cyclists in the town, accidents involving bicycles, feedback from residents, or any relevant statistics that support the need for safe cycling infrastructure.