The Elkridgean Cyclist: Tired Of All the Grief

Once again, I return after a few months hiatus. I think I stopped writing because I’m so tired of the motorist-vs-cyclist arguments. Here are the things I never want to hear or read again:

1)      It’s sad that a cyclist was killed, but cyclists don’t belong on the road.

2)      Cyclists are all arrogant and don’t abide by the rules of the road.

3)      Cyclists take up the whole lane. It’s just wrong.

4)      Cyclists should not be riding two or more abreast in a lane.

5)      It’s the cyclist’s fault that I had to drive off the side to avoid a head-on collision because another car had to cross into on-coming traffic to pass the bike.

6)      Cyclists don’t pay gas and car taxes so they should not be allowed on the road.

7)      We spent all this money on bike-trails and sidewalks. Why can’t the cyclists ride on those and not on the roads?

I like to keep my blog more positive and fun. This is not the place for this negativity. I’d like to say, “Just don’t go there here.” There are plenty of other bloggers out there who welcome these arguments. My blog is supposed to be about the joy of cycling, and I want to advocate for how much fun it is to commute by bike. For the faint of heart, I also want to expose other venues for bike-riding in this area, and nationwide. However, for the record, I’ll give my take on the 7 points above, and hope to put them to rest once and for all, so that at least MY blog can be a safe and positive place. I wrote a much longer, more verbose version on my facebook page, which I shared on “The Elkridgean Cyclist” facebook page. Join me there for more discussion if you like: https://www.facebook.com/TheElkridgeanCyclist.

1)      Cyclists do belong on the road. Here’s a link to the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan: http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/bikewalkplan, here is the link to the Maryland Laws relating to bicycles: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/Driver-Safety/Bicycle/default.htm, and here is an interesting blog about why people should be grateful to those who chose to commute by bike. http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/why-people-who-dont-bike-should-support-bicycling-infrastructure.

2)      Some cyclists are arrogant and don’t abide by the rules. Some motorists are arrogant and don’t abide by the rules. Most cyclists are fun-loving people of all ages, and are concerned for their safety. It is the goal of the Spokespeople group on Facebook to encourage “Rolling with the Rules,” both for cyclists and motorists. I have no ego when it comes to cycling. I’m out there for fun, and more often than not, trying to enjoy my commute by bike rather than white-knuckle-gripping a steering wheel. So please, don’t make comments on this blog about how arrogant all cyclists are. This is not the place for that.

3)      If there are multiple lanes going in their direction, and the shoulder is not acceptable, it is my understanding that cyclists are allowed to take up the whole lane. I don’t see that in the law link above, but please refer to that for other conditions where a cyclist may use the whole lane.

4)      There are cyclists, riding in pairs or groups, which will take up the whole lane sometimes by riding side-by-side. While this is not according to the letter of the law, it is actually safer in some circumstances as two cyclists are more visible than one, and it is a shorter distance a vehicle will have to travel to pass them. Still, I would not want to ride side-by-side with my husband (my usual riding partner) when a car is coming behind us. We always revert to single file when we see a car in our mirrors. My husband and I ride slowly and are easy to pass, so again, this is not the place to complain about cyclists riding abreast.

5)      Obviously, if a driver of a car is so aggressive that they cannot wait for traffic to clear before passing a cyclist, it is the driver’s fault if some mishap occurs. But I have had read many comments about people who blame the cyclists, who are acting within the law. I do not comprehend this point of view. Now we even have a dollar amount assigned to our lives. The driver who struck and killed Anne Arundel County resident Trish Cunningham was given 4 tickets amounting to fines of $2000.00. But what a sad thing she has to live with! Please don’t find yourself in that situation. 15 seconds of patience would have saved Trish Cunningham’s life.

6)      I’m sure there are some cyclists who do not own cars, but the majority of them do, and they drive just as much or more than everyone else. I am a fair weather cyclist, and while I hope to log 4000 miles on my bike this year, I will also log over 10,000 on my car. My husband does not commute by bike, so from this household at least, the tax coffers are well-supplemented. Besides, bicycles cause very little wear and tear on the roads. Put the “you don’t pay taxes” argument to rest. It’s just silly.

7)      I ride on the trails whenever I can. I love them. But I have to get to them. Shouldn’t there be some expectation of being able to ride from residential neighborhoods to the trails? Cycling athletes often do not like to ride on the trails because of their “need-for-speed.” It’s their option. As for sidewalks, they are side-WALKS. In some places it is not legal to ride on them, and in all cases, if there are pedestrians present, it is not safe to bike on them.

It would not be fair if I did not mention some improvements that some cyclists could make as well.

1)      Improve visibility. As a motorist, I thoroughly appreciate it when I see a cyclist or pedestrian in a day-glow top, or florescent colors, which happen to be in style right now anyway. Also blinking lights and reflective strips should be used when riding at night.

2)      Ride on the RIGHT side of the road. By RIGHT, I mean both “right” (unless you’re in England) and “correct” WITH traffic, not against it. So many people think it is safer to ride against traffic. In fact, in the last two weeks, I’ve seen an adult cyclist (perhaps the same one both times) in Elkridge wearing black, riding against traffic, at night. It’s a simple 5th grade math “story problem.” The short answer is that riding against traffic means that the relative speed between a vehicle and a bike is faster, hence the advance warning of a bike and a car approaching each other is much shorter, and the devastation of a collision is much greater.

3)      Be courteous to vehicles. For example, if you come up to a traffic light, having used the shoulder to pass cars that may have already passed you once, consider getting through the light as quickly as possible when it turns green, but then letting the car traffic by before proceeding. If you are riding on a road with no shoulder, and a long line of cars is piling up behind you, consider moving over somewhere and letting them by. Do not weave in and out of stop-and-go traffic. Do not cut off any vehicles. I don’t know who would do this last one but it is a common complaint, so I mention it.

4)      Obey traffic lights when possible. I say “when possible” because there are some lights which a cyclist will never be able to trip alone until a car comes. They could be there for a long time. If there is no cross traffic, a cyclist is just going to go when it is safe. This doesn’t make it right. It just makes it practical.

5)      Stop at stop signs. By “stop” I mean “yield right of way.” We’ll leave it at that.

6)      Yield to pedestrians. Give warning when passing. Sometimes pedestrians are so startled by the warning that they move left unexpectedly, or just turn around confused. Be prepared for that, especially when children are around.

7)      Make your children wear helmets. It’s the law that children under 16 need to wear a helmet in Maryland. Set the example and wear one yourself. It’s funny. I see more adults wearing helmets than children.

In summary, Role with the Rules.

In the article linked above about why people who don’t bike should support cycling infrastructure, the claim is that by 5-10 % of the population changing to cycle-commuting in some cities such as Portland Oregon, the traffic congestion was reduced by 30%! I find that fascinating. I’ve always felt that “If you build it, they will come,” which means, if you build more roads, there will be more cars to fill up the roads. When have we ever been able to get ahead of the congestion? Route 100 was filled up as soon as it opened. Try going east-bound on 100 from Meadowridge Road during morning Rush Hour. You have to merge into heavy traffic to get into a lane that is “exit-only” onto 95, so if you want to continue on, you have to merge again into even heavier traffic. It’s terrifying. On the other hand, if you build more cycling infrastructure, more people will start cycling. Cycling infrastructure is often touted as one of the most efficient uses of tax money (more bang for the buck, so to speak), because as more is built, more cyclists come out of the wood work, and the advantages already outlined in the article are compounded. The infrastructure lasts a lot longer without maintenance than roads do, as bikes cause so little wear and tear on pavement. There are always going to be people who do not like cycling, or cannot do it even if they wanted to because of health reasons. But those people should be grateful to us who do enjoy cycling. I like that thought. More parking spaces, more room on the highways, less pollution.

I’m really tired of the whole dispute between motorists and cyclists. I see the same arguments over and over. Either it’s been in the news more and more lately, or it’s come to my attention more since Trish Cunningham was killed, SpokesPeople was formed, and I was unceremoniously launched out of my happy bubble. There’s a lot of bitterness right now. There is bitterness on the side of the cycling community because they don’t feel the laws are being enforced, and penalties don’t reflect the severity of the offenses (such as the $2000 fine for the driver who struck Trish), and bitterness on the part of motorists who don’t think cyclists should be on the road in the first place. I want an end to the rancor. I want motorists to be aware of the bike laws, especially the “3-foot Law,” and to learn to appreciate the benefits of cycling even if they don’t want to do it themselves. I want the “arrogant” cyclists to stop giving the rest of us a bad name. I want the hapless darkly-clothed, wrong-direction cyclists to wise up and do the right thing before there is another tragedy. I want appropriate enforcement of the cycling laws, and more cycling infrastructure. Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I want my joy back.