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Happy Bike Month, everyone.
And, no, I didn't mean that as a snide remark.
For whatever reason -- well, for many reasons -- biking incites huge passions in the city of Bikerly Sometimes Love.
Cycling is clearly one of the greenest transportation options going. Other than walking. A new report by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia takes an in-depth look at why Philadelphia has some of the highest rates of bicycling in the country. One of the reasons: Bike lanes.
But for many drivers, "lane" is a four-letter word. They say it reduces car lanes and doesn't work anyway. The debate inevitably devolves into an argument about whether cyclists are rude.
I like bike lanes. Since I'm a driver, I'm supportive of anything and everything that would get OTHER cars off the road. And I think cyclists should have a safe place to ride so they're not on the sidewalks endangering pedestrians. Or weaving in and out of traffic, which gives me the heebie jeebies. Some of these riders are like Evel Knievel.
So: for Soapbox Monday, I ask you, does the city need more bike lanes? More racks? If so, where? What else should the city do to encourage more cycling? Please weigh in by commenting below.
Meanwhile, for Bike Month, Philly cyclists are planning all kinds of events. Click here for the schedule.
One of my favorites is the commuter race. This year, on May 18, it will be a cyclist versus a public transit rider versus a ZipCar driver. The cyclist usually wins.
That day also marks the Ride of Silence, commemorating cyclists killed or injured by vehicles.
Philadelphia definitely needs a good southbound lane. Currently I use Broad Street from Spruce to Passyunk and I hate that I have to trust drivers with my safety. Not only do I have to trust drivers racing from red light to red light not to run me off the road, I have to trust parked cars not to swing their doors open into my path, I have to trust cars shooting the gap (oncoming traffic turning left) will notice me, and I have to trust drivers turning right will notice me. I can try to avoid most of those situations but when my eyes are wildly looking all over the place for dangerous situations I need to remember to look down once in a while for potholes.— GoneGreen- i bike everywhere in this city year-round and i have to admit i prefer using the lanes. riding across town on spruce or pine is relaxing and makes it easier to ride with a friend. having north/south lanes in that section of the city will be wonderful. think about how many people you see biking up and down south broad all the time. think about all the idiots you see riding on the sidewalk. if you're not going to fine them and correct the lack of education at least give them the lanes to lure them into the street. SHARE THE ROAD!— rational thought
- hey stu, i know your reading this, get out and ride!— papertiger
- Yes! We need more bike lanes...or for the police to actually enforce laws against aggressive driving. I bike everyday and feel like I'm escaping death most days.— amanda718
- There is no question that we need more bike lanes. We also need enforcement of those riding on sidewalks. More bike lanes actually create great safety for pedestrians, assuming the sidewalk riders would then use the bike lanes. More bike lanes actually encourage drivers to slow down...a really good thing for center city.— rickfitz
- Indeed we could use more lanes. Though our streets are narrow, adding additional devoted lanes will help cyclists have the space we need to be safe and more importantly,to ride legally. Better cycling in the city is a multi-faceted issue. Better cycling opportunities and places, a mutual respect between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Without the Bicycle Coalition advocating for cycling rights and the safer lanes, we may still be in the "dark-ages" when it comes to the rules and expectations of cyclists.— Denine
- Amanda718: What is needed is for the police to enforce the laws against cyclists who break the laws. They routinely (90% of the time, and I can prove it) blow traffic signals, ride on the sidewalks, jump the curbs and endanger people. Guess you don't remember the man who was killed last year by a cyclist in CC at rush hour who blew a light and didn't even stop? if they obeyed the laws and used the streets with bike lanes, no problem. otherwise, get off the road. And no, I don't drive in CC, I take transit— intelliwoman
- I'm a cyclist who does obey traffic laws. So I can say from experience that intelliwoman is mistaken: I do obey the laws, and I do use streets with traffic lanes (though, of course, not exclusively -- those don't go everywhere). And yet problems persist. Motorists weave in and out of the bike lane as though they don't know where the lanes are -- in some places their consistent lane incursions have erased the bike-lane divider. (34th above Girard and 38th at Woodland, for examples). They roll through stop signs "California-style", though the law requires them to come to a stop. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpRfUh1Dzlw It isn't a game of chicken, folks.
- "Get off the road," intelliwoman? Was that you yelling out the car window this morning? It isn't your private property. If you don't like sharing the road, you'll have to stop using the public ones.
- By that logic, intelliwoman, we should be banning cars! How many hit & run fatalities by motorists occurred last year? Let's agree that I won't condemn all motorists because of some motorists' dangerous and law-flouting behavior, and you won't judge all cyclists because you see out the window of the bus someone jump a light. It's just not a productive conversation.— Janebeth
- She's referring to the pedestrian who was killed by a cyclist in Center City.
The only slight error in her statement is that witnesses reported the cyclist did stop and look at the victim lying on the ground and then casually left the scene. - 90% of all statistics are made up on the spot!— rational thought
- And/or they're made up in undisclosed locations by a select few - biased? - members of a small group of benefactors who base their stats on foregone conclusions.
I do not necessarily disapprove of bike lanes. But I am insulted - infuriated - by the shabby, undemocratic process through which they were foisted upon the city.
Given Mayor Nutter's limited interest in opinions other than those of his most obvious benefactors - The Bicycle Coalition and The Philadelphia Soul (he's conspicuously participated in activities for both by chocking off traffic) - I'd say he has a very lame base of support. - More lanes and more enforcement would make getting around the city safer for everyone. But here's a nice, low-cost enforcement idea: SPEAK UP! If you see someone riding on the sidewalk, give him a hard time! Don't just grumble to yourself and then post an anti-bike rant on the internet. I'm amazed at how everyone in Philly hates sidewalk riding, but these guys can cruise past dozens of pedestrians on every block and nobody says a word.— lupulin
- I don't bother to say anything; I "accidentally" knock them over by leaning into the sides of their handle bars.
No one yet knows - or makes public - the identity of the bicycle rider who murdered a handicapped law-firm intern a couple of years ago on a Center City sidewalk. One death too many!
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About Sandy Bauers
Sandy Bauers is the environment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she has worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor. She lives in northern Chester County with her husband, two cats, a large vegetable garden and a flock of pet chickens.
GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science.
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