Of Byko & bikes

STU BYKOFSKY, in his column

"Bicyclists given too much roadway?",

is unhappy about the city's "surrendering" nine feet of asphalt for bike lanes on Pine and Spruce because he is "annoyed, irritated, PO'd" at bicyclists.

As fellow columnist Michael Smerconish suggested in the Inquirer ("Time for Reconciliation on the Road," Sept. 9), we need to move beyond the "us vs. them" arguments that lead nowhere and focus on efforts to increase civility between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians for everyone's safety.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has begun this process by strongly urging all users of the road, whether they are bicyclists, motorists or pedestrians, to obey traffic laws. We have an adult bicycle-safety education program called Bicycle Ambassadors, in which trained instructors encourage cyclists to ride more safely and provide tips to motorists about sharing the road. We have published materials and developed an "I Bike PHL" pledge in which we encourage bicyclists to take 13 steps to ride safely and respect the rights of all road users.

While many people have strongly held opinions about bicyclists based on the behavior of some riders, there is no disputing that bicycles provide many public benefits. The more people use bicycles instead of cars for short trips, the more we can help Philadelphia reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and combat public-health concerns related to sedentary behavior. For all of those reasons, Philadelphia needs to continue to encourage more bicycling.

Surveys have shown that a majority of the population would like to ride a bike more often, but they won't do it until safer accommodations are provided. Buffered bike lanes like the ones on Pine and Spruce will attract these would-be cyclists.

Increasing the number of cyclists, in turn, enhances the safety of the street for all user groups. Studies show that doubling the number of bicyclists on the streets cuts their risk of a crash with an automobile by a third. Motorists drive more safely when there are more cyclists (and pedestrians) on the road. Having a dedicated travel lane also reduces the incentive cyclists have to jump red lights in order to stay out of faster motor vehicle traffic or to ride on the sidewalk, which should reduce the number of conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians. More bikes on Spruce and Pine will mean safer streets for everyone.

The likelihood that the bike lanes will worsen traffic congestion is very low. A traffic study conducted by Pennoni Associates (not hired by the Bicycle Coalition) found that there was excess capacity on Pine and Spruce and that a travel lane for cars could be removed without affecting traffic. With dedicated bike lanes, the city is making more efficient use of the road by filling that excess capacity with environmentally friendly bikes that use less space and don't impede traffic when parallel parking.

WE'D LIKE to extend an invitation to Mr. Bykofsky to join us for a bicycle ride on Spruce and Pine and help us conduct bicycle counts. We're confident he'll see why bikes are the fastest growing component of the city's transportation system and that creating more safe bike lanes will benefit all Philadelphians and help the city achieve

its vision of a sustainable future.

Kyle Gradinger

Board President

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Phila.