Good evening everyone!
As you may recall from an earlier diary I have been commuting by bicycle, now for about seven weeks. Two days ago I bought a new ride:
This has been a total blast, and my new ride has gotten me to really reflect on what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and how we can do better.
Care to read on?
My new bike is a Trek 7.3 FX. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/200 8/road/fx/73fx/ for more information. It's a "performance hybrid" which means it's essentially a road bike with flat handlebars so I can sit upright. It flies.
We have two problems, as I see it, preventing more people from cycling (commuting by bike and recreational riding) safely. The first is that we lack the infrastructure. This is a big deal and frankly an easy (and cheap) thing to fix. While some cities don't have the room, most can be modified such that bike lanes, trails, racks, and so forth are common. That's the easier problem to fix, frankly. We just have to spend money and build this stuff. It's been done elsewhere and we can learn from others (Europe, for example).
The other problem is bigger. Drivers need to understand two things and if they don't then people are going to run the risk of death or dismemberment:
First, a cyclist is not obstructing traffic. He/she IS traffic! Second, cyclists would probably not break so many traffic laws if there was a safe way to ride without breaking them.
Too often I see some idiot riding on the wrong side of the road, or barrelling down the sideway, or running a red light, or a stop sign. I've started to obey traffic laws pretty consistently now. I'm stopping at lights religiously, and most stop signs. I'm trying to behave predictably so I risk my life (and those of others) as little as possible.
Forget the government for a second. The citizenry isn't doing this right. A cyclist should act either as a pedestrian or as a driver on the road - not both! A driver should not act like a bike is some alien creature or foe that needs to be obliterated. I belong on that road as much as you do, but I should obey traffic laws.
Moving forward we could solve this problem by modifying our driver's education programs with more emphasis on cyclists. The problem that is stickier is what do we do with all current drivers? Changing the law is great and all but we've got a culture that (with some exceptions like Portland) just does not understand why someone would ride a bike on the road, why they should be allowed to do it, and why that person is delaying them.
I wonder if the folks who participate in Critical Mass have it right. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Ma ss They basically try to make their presence so obvious that they cannot be ignored. This may be the only way. If drivers don't understand that bikes are there and aren't going to leave, then perhaps we can start to change some minds and perspectives.
I ride because it's fun, it's healthy, it's good for the planet, and it's the most sustainable form of transportation this side of walking. I shouldn't have to risk my life in order to do it, but this is where we are. Drivers often freak out when they come across a cyclist. The government can play a role in fixing this mess, but ultimately this is a problem of behavior and perspective.
It works pretty well in Europe. It doesn't work very well here. I think that those who wish to opt out of the car-culture should be able to do so as safely as their own skills and due dilligence allow. This fosters a healthier America and cuts our dependence on foreign oil.
I don't want to force anyone to ride, but I do want this country to understand that we're doing it wrong. Empower me, that I might be an example to others. The more of us you see on the road the more comfortable you will be when you consider it yourself.
Thoughts?
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