July 11, 2023 - Bike Talks in the Wild
Trying to break through my introverted nature
Today I met a couple, Rosa and Billy, who get around town primarily, if not exclusively, by bicycle.
While in the moment they couldn’t think of anything concrete that could be done to improve Ada for people on bikes, Rosa did indicate that she prefers to use the sidewalk instead of the road, because it doesn’t feel safe to ride with traffic.
I agree. With bicycles that are fully powered by the rider (non-eBikes), the typical speed of travel would be around 10mph, if that, on flat roads. This is substantially slower than surrounding traffic.
Most drivers that I’ve encountered while biking have been respectful and given plenty of space for me and other people on bikes, but there are a few who seem to regard the slower pedalists as annoyances; like a dog in the road, chasing cars.
This behavior, and the feeling that it’s not safe to ride, can be addressed in a number of ways, including:
Creating bike infrastructure
Slowing speed limits
Enforcing laws that protect cyclists
I’ve ordered these from most to least effective at helping people on bikes feel safe in their mode of transportation.
People on bikes are not second-class people or citizens. People walking, or riding mobility or power scooters, are not second-class people or citizens. They are all just trying to get from point A to point B.
Let’s give them names, and the consideration they deserve in funding and planning the road network of our city.