Sharing the road is a two-way street
If you never ride a bicycle, please stop reading this column.
That’s right; move on to the next story.
I want to speak to my fellow cyclists, privately.
We all know that rural Central Kentucky is a cyclist’s paradise — the gently rolling landscape, the vast web of small, lightly traveled roads and the gorgeous scenery.
In the past few years, thanks to the Newberry administration and the Urban County Council, Lexington has made a lot of progress toward becoming a more bicycle-friendly city.
Each week, it seems, I see new bike lanes on roads that need them. Several bike paths and trails are planned. It’s a good thing: Each time gasoline prices spike, I see more people riding bicycles to work, to run errands and to get themselves in shape.
So what’s the biggest thing holding back cyclists in Lexington? We are. Not all of us, of course, but more of us than we would like to admit.
I ride my bicycle about 2,000 miles a year in Central Kentucky, and I drive several thousand more miles.
Sure, I occasionally encounter rude motorists when I’m cycling. I have had drivers cut me off, pass too close, pull out in front of me, honk, holler and glare. I was even hit once by a lit cigar stub thrown from a passing truck’s window.
Some people in oversized pickups seem to think they have a constitutional right to drive 50 mph on a country road too narrow for a center stripe. Other drivers think the roads belong to them, and cyclists should stick to trails and sidewalks — even though riding a bike on the sidewalk is often dangerous, and sometimes illegal.
Last weekend in Bourbon County, a woman in a red Honda passed our single-file cycling group going up a blind hill on a double-yellow line. Then she stopped in the middle of the road to chat with a buddy going the other way, forcing us to ride slowly between them. Then she passed us again on another blind hill. What a fool.
Honestly, though, I see more dangerous cyclists than dangerous drivers.
Admit it — you do, too.
Sad to say, some of them are my Lycra-clad brethren, who should know better. They ride in packs across the road, rather than two abreast, as the law requires, or single file, which is safer. Others blow through stop signs and act as if stoplights are for other people.
Most of the offenders I see, though, are people who don’t take bicycling seriously. Or they seem to be new at it. They ride on sidewalks. They ride on the wrong side of the street. They weave through traffic and run stop signs and lights.
Some of them don’t wear helmets. Others wear headphones or earbuds. I guess that’s so they won’t be bothered by those big, noisy trucks whose drivers might not be able to see them.
Many cyclists I know have never been shy about yelling at dangerous drivers.
But shouldn’t we do the same when we see dangerous cyclists?
For those who don’t know any better, tactful correction might help them learn. If they just don’t care, maybe they need to know that others do. And, of course, nothing is more effective than modeling good cycling behavior yourself.
If you care about everyone sharing the road more safely, be willing to speak up and be a good example. Better yet, get involved in local bicycle safety and education programs.
There’s a list of organizations and efforts on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Web site.
In May, certified instructors organized several bike safety clinics around town. The University of Kentucky is offering bicycle education classes for students, faculty and staff this fall.
City officials have applied for a grant to offer a more extensive “share the road” program next spring, said Kenzie Gleason, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. I hope they get it.
Sharing the road more safely will make Lexington a better city for everyone, but cyclists must take the lead.
It could be a matter of life and death. Maybe even yours.
CORRECTION: I overstated the case when I said it’s illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in Lexington. It’s only illegal in the downtown business district. You can ride a bicycle on a sidewalk elsewhere in Fayette County, but it should be done with great care, especially if pedestrians are around. Here’s the exact law:
Sec. 18-155. Riding on sidewalks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Click here for bicycling resources in metro Lexington.
Click here for information about Kentucky’s bicycle laws and rules of the road and safety advice.
Click here for information about the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission.
Click here for information about safe cycling in Louisville.
Click here for information about the Bluegrass Cycling Club
Click here for information about the Louisville Bicycle Club
Click here for information about Ashland Cycling Enthusiasts.
Click here for information about Central Kentucky Cyclists in Campbellsville.
Click here for information about Central Kentucky Wheelmen in Elizabethtown.
Click here for information about the Bowling Green League of Bicyclists.
Click here for information about Pennyrile Area Cyclists in Hopkins County.
Click here for information about the Chain Reaction Cycling Club in Paducah.
RSS Feed
August 31st, 2008 at 10:53 am
tom-
actually, it’s legal to ride on the sidewalk in lexington except in the business district. not that it’s a good idea… the better argument is that it’s much more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk, even though it feels safer to many new cyclists.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:25 am
I’m glad someone posted this — I always try to accommodate cyclists, but it kills me when I constantly see some of them blowing through four way stops (even when there’s traffic!). Last week I saw one cyclist turn left on a red light at one of our more busy traffic lights — it was terrifying. I want to share the road, but I want to share it with responsible cyclists.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Tom -
You point out some issues that blow my mind when i see them (i.e. riding on the sidewalk, going the wrong way on a one way, wearing earphones, etc.), so thank you for that. educating cyclists is definitely something Lex needs to work on. you might also want to add riding bikes that haven’t been worked on, are rusted out, or are otherwise unsafe.
But here’s where i disagree. To say that cyclists make up the brunt of dangerous activity is a serious overstatement. Every single high school age kid with friends in the car or talking on a cell phone is ten times as dangerous as a cyclist doing anything. As are soccer moms in a rush while dealing with the kids in the backseat (also probably on the phone), or business men looking down at their PDA’s. I would say from my own experience, that 90% of drivers are doing at least two things at once and certainly not checking to see if a cyclist is coming up on their right. Add in car doors opening with out the driver checking to see if a cyclist is coming, and the fact that most drivers think a cyclist moves at 5 mph instead 20+, pulling out in front of us at will. Seriously though, count how many people you see within five blocks talking on their cell phone, or blaring music, or freaking sending a text message - Do you think they see you? About the only drivers i trust are above the age of 60, other cyclists, or police officers.
I don’t know about you, but i’ll ride the way i need to ride to stay out of harm. if that means running a stop sign to get away from driver that makes me nervous, riding down the center of the lane to stay away from doors, or weaving through traffic to keep from pissing off the truck behind me on the restart, then i’ll do it. Certainly some people break the law out of ignorance, but not all … sometimes the law isn’t the best thing to follow.
in any case, i’ll do anything to keep from getting cigar butts (or in my case, an eight foot length of metal chain) thrown at me, or being on the wrong side of a thousand lb. piece of steel.
(seriously though, when was the last time you actually got three feet of space from a passing car? can you honestly blame newbies from taking to the sidewalk?)
September 1st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Dear Tom,
Accidently posted this earlier today on the wrong article. I see that other people have pointed out that riding on the sidewalk is legal.
Thank you for writing about bicyling in Lexington. This is an important issue with no easy solution. Even in bicycle friendly cities such as Portland, OR, there is ongoing tension between riders and drivers.
Contrary to what you write, the sidewalk can be used for bicycling, as stated in LFUCG Article X, Secn. 18-155, (c). To imply otherwise indicates a lack of awareness of people who use bikes to commute to work, as well as older and young bikers. For example, I ride on the sidewalk along Nicholasville Rd. from Rosemont to Washington Ave on my way to work because it is safer than the road during commute hours.
As Lexington becomes more bicycle-friendly, there is a need to accomodate the daily cyclist. As gas prices continue to increase while real wages decline, people are going to increasingly use bikes as major modes of transportation. I would ask that designers and advocates keep the needs of a diverse population of cyclists in mind.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I do ride on the sidewalk when I’m out in heavy traffic and the road is narrow with no bike lane. Even downtown in heavy traffic. So far the bicycle officers have been very accommodating to me. I didn’t know it was illegal.
I use bike lanes whenever possible. Sometimes it seems all the dangerous debris falls in these lanes and I’m on the watch to not get a flat.