The Bluegrass and Beyond

Have you noticed those colorful Kentucky license plates with two cyclists and a runner that say “Share the Road?”

I was happy to be one of the first to buy one a couple of years ago. They’ve turned out to be quite popular, both because they’re attractive and because more people are willing to pay a little extra to support cycling, running and walking as ways to have fun, get fit and stay healthy.

Money raised from the specialty plate fee was intended to fund safety efforts, and soon it will.  Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo joined Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and other officials Thursday to announce that the state is putting $63,000 raised from the plates into a foundation that will fund bicycle and pedestrian safety projects.

The money will go to the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission for its Paula Nye Memorial Education Grant program. The program is named for Nye, who was the state’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for five years before she died of cancer in 2005. Grant applications are available on the commission’s Web site.

Newberry also announced that 40 “Share the Road” signs will be posted soon on Fayette County roads that are frequented by cyclists. The state Transportation Department will pay for 20, and the other 20 will be paid for by the city, with help from the local cycling community. The city, thanks to a state grant, also plans a safety education campaign next year that will include additional signs.

“Lexington is committed to being the most bike-friendly city in the state,” Newberry said.

He noted that Lexington completed 13 off-road trail segments totaling seven miles this year and will begin 10 more, totaling more than 17 miles, next year. Much of the money is coming from grants. The city also is working to add bike lanes to streets as they are resurfaced, and Newberry said six of Lexington’s nine major arterial roads now have bike lanes.

It’s great to see government leaders “get it” when it comes to cycling and fitness. Thanks to Newberry and the Urban County Council — with leadership from Jay McChord, Tom Blues and Chuck Ellinger — a lot of progress has been made in the past couple of years.

As a physician and mountain biker, Mongiardo not only understands it, but he sees an economic opportunity for Kentucky. The state’s backroads and woodland trails already attract many road and mountain bikers from other states. Mongiardo sees an expanded trail system as key to creating a major “adventure tourism” industry in Kentucky.

Speaking of trails: Lexington’s Board of Adjustment meets Friday at 1 p.m. in the Council chambers to again consider approval of a land swap between the University of Kentucky and Vulcan Materials. That swap is essential to plans for the nine-mile Legacy Trail from downtown to the Kentucky Horse Park. At a lightly attended hearing last month, the deal lost approval on a 2-2 vote amid concerns that Vulcan’s limestone mining in the area might hurt the local water supply. Those concerns seem unfounded, and I’m guessing the land swap will win approval this time. But it still wouldn’t hurt for backers of the Legacy Trail to come out to show support.

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.