Today is Bike to Work Day 2015

May is National Bike Month and today (the 15th) is Bike to Work Day! It's encouraging to see bike commuting gaining traction in America, though we still have a long way to go to bring balance to how we commute. A widely recognized event like this is essential for getting people to give bike commuting a try. I hope you take the opportunity to encourage your friends and colleagues to bike to work this month (and year-round).

Many people stick with the car because it's the norm, and because they simply do not realize how easy bicycle commuting can be. The best way to dispel this myth is to have them simply try it once and see for themselves! Anyone who lives within 6 miles of their work and who is in adequate health can bike to work with little or no training or practice. More importantly, once you've broken the myth that bike commuting is difficult or impractical, it suddenly becomes a viable option for many people.

The League of American Bicyclists has published some great resources about National Bike Month and Bike to Work Day 2015, including a poster addressing the myths of bike commuting which you can view below. Now get on your bikes and ride!

Dear Drivers - Have a Little Patience and Give Me a Bike Lane!

Dear drivers,

Please, learn a little patience. It's said to be a virtue, you know...

I get it, you don't like being slowed down. Neither do I. You don't like having to wait for the road to open up or the oncoming lane to clear in order to pass me. Fair enough, I don't like it either. Believe it or not, I really don't want to hold you up! I know you're faster than me, have somewhere to be, and could easily run me over with little to no harm to yourself. I also know it can be unnerving to pass a cyclist, especially with tight lanes and oncoming traffic, and they really don't teach you how to deal with cyclists in drivers ed. Finally, based on your actions, I'm sure you feel entitled to be driving as fast as you can down this lovely two-lane road. But guess what: it's my road, too.

Photo credit: https://richmondva.wordpress.com/

We're both just trying to get to where we're going in one piece, on time and in a decent mood. But seriously, have a little patience. I guarantee you, once the road opens up, and you (safely) pass me, you'll still get there on time. If 30 seconds makes that big a difference to you, you need to re-prioritize, and possibly start your commute a bit earlier...

I'm sure when you honk at me, or shout out your window, or honk at the person in front of you who is actually waiting patiently until it's safe to pass me, it's because you're frustrated with the situation. That's fair, but getting angry isn't a solution.

Do you know what is a solution? Bike lanes. Give me a bike lane, and I won't hold you up any longer! Give me a bike lane, and I'll feel safer and so will you! Give me a bike lane, and the whole dilemma of cyclists being not-quite-vehicles but also not-quite-pedestrians will be solved.

Give me a bike lane, and more people will bike commute, freeing up the roads for the people who are still driving.

So when you get stuck behind a cyclist and are getting frustrated, remember:

1. Bike lanes will help drivers as much as they will help cyclists, so support their creation. We'll both win.
2. Have a little patience. Really, you'll still get there on time. It's not worth the anger. It's also not worth the risk you cause by driving aggressively.

Keep rollin'
-K

Why do Drivers Get so Angry at Cyclists?

In the past two days, two separate drivers have yelled at me, unprovoked, as I biked along minding my own business.

The first instance was the other day, as I was biking home along a busy but comfortably-wide three-lane road. I was cruising at a good pace and the lanes were wide enough that I was not impeding the traffic flow at all. I emphasize this fact because, in spite of it, a driver in the lane next to me, who I was not affecting in any way, screamed at me to "get on the fucking sidewalk!" It was jarring not just because of what he said (bikes are absolutely allowed on the road), but because of how genuinely angry he was at my mere presence among traffic. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, and cyclists frequently report verbal abuse from angry drivers.

How I picture these drivers

The second instance happened just an hour ago, again as I was riding home. This time I was in a left-turn lane, venturing out into the intersection and waiting for the oncoming cars to pass so I could turn. Again, I was biking in a completely legal, reasonable manner, following the rules of the road, and not impeding traffic in any way, shape, or form. In spite of this, a woman in the oncoming lane felt the need to yell out as she passed, "You're not a car!"

First off, A+ for making such an astute fucking observation. As most two-year-olds could point out, no, I am not a car. Neither is my bike, for that matter. But guess what? I'm still allowed on the same roads, subject to the same laws, and entitled to the same rights as a person operating a motor vehicle. (Click to Tweet) Yes, I am slower than most vehicles. I realize that and genuinely try to be considerate and to not impede traffic, as long as it doesn't jeopardize my safety. To be honest, the majority of drivers I share the road with are fairly courteous in return - waiting to pass until it is safe for everyone. When both drivers and cyclists work to share the road in this manner, it goes quite well: no one dies or gets in a wreck, and there are only minimal delays for drivers.

So why is it so hard for some people to accept that bikes are a part of traffic? More importantly, why does the sight of a cyclist make them angry enough to yell obscenities at a complete stranger? I honestly don't know - maybe it's a sense of entitlement that has come from the predominance of car culture, or maybe it's the same anonymity that contributes to road rage. Maybe some people are just angry in general. Either way, it's something that we need to address, because cyclists aren't going anywhere. Maybe drivers-ed classes need to include a section on cycling and sharing the road? (Click to Tweet)

Why do you think cyclists make some drivers so angry? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

Celebrating the Important Victories

"Victory" is defined as "an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition." Obviously this applies to bike races like the Tour de France, but it applies to other areas of life as well.

The Charleston peninsula

Recently, we witnessed a truly encouraging victory for cyclists here in the Lowcountry when the Charleston City Council approved a proposal to add a bike lane to a bridge that is currently dangerous even for experienced cyclists.

Living on the coast, having bike lanes along bridges is essential for those of us who commute by bike, as many times that's the only way to get where we need to go. Charleston is a peninsula: you WILL need to cross water to travel between the various urban and suburban areas, but many of these vital connections are either dangerous for cyclists or actively closed to anything but car traffic. If you don't live in a coastal area, it's hard to process just what a big inconvenience this can be. To put it in perspective, picture only having one road between where you live and where you work, and not being able to safely bike along the road because there is a wall on either side and no shoulder.

The current bridge - not very bike friendly.
From The Post and Courier

This brings us to the Allen T. Legare Bridge (pictured), which connects downtown Charleston to the well-populated West Ashley region. To give you an idea of just how important this bridge is, roughly 56,000 cars travel over it DAILY, and it's one-way. Just think - how many of those people would give bike commuting a try if it was safe for them? How much would that reduction in traffic compensate for the lost fourth lane? Even if only a measly 1% of people crossing this bridge daily make the switch to bike commuting, that's 560 cars off the road, and 560 people living happier, healthier, more engaged lives. Not to mention, a prior study determined that replacing the fourth lane with a bike lane would only add 16 seconds to people's commutes, eliminating concerns of traffic congestion.

Sadly, even though there was a precedent for how valuable, appreciated, and widely-used this infrastructure is (the Ravenel Bridge, completed in 2006, has a hugely popular separated biking and walking path), there was still resistance to adding a bike lane to the Legare Bridge. Why? I honestly can't figure it out. People resist change. People ignore evidence (16 extra seconds) and convince themselves that it will cause massive traffic jams and delays. Maybe people just don't get how wonderful bike commuting is. Whatever the reason, 5 council members voted against the project.

But 8 council members voted FOR it, thanks in large part to widespread support and a tremendous push by local advocacy group Charleston Moves. The project was approved, and now it's just a matter of implementing the changes, and cyclists will finally have a safe way to travel over the Ashley River.

So why should you care about this one bridge in Charleston, SC? For the same reason I care, even though I am not likely to personally use this new bike lane (it is well outside of my normal commute). It's a victory because it reflects a larger, ongoing shift towards opening up roads to bike traffic. It reflects a growing desire by people to have options; to not be limited to traveling by car. It also reflects a growing willingness on the part of legislators to listen to cyclists and take us into consideration when planning roads and urban areas. And it shows that cyclists can be given options, space, our own lanes, without negatively impacting existing traffic. We can coexist, we can have choices for how we get from point A to point B, and we can all enjoy the ride.

Is there a bridge or road where you live that stops people from bike commuting? If so, see if there's a bicycle advocacy group in your area that can help make sure cyclists have a voice and contact your local legislators to let them know that cyclists have a place on the roads, too.

Thanks again to all the people who keep working to make bike commuting an easy choice, especially Charleston Moves. Keep it up.

-Keegan