Apollo Gonzales's Blog
On cycling and a loss.
July 10, 2008
Posted by Apollo Gonzales in Living Sustainably
When I was about 13 years old, my folks bought me my first 10-speed bike. I’d been riding a single speed starter Huffy for years already, but the gift of the Sears Free Spirit sent a clear message – my parents we done driving me to the neighborhood pool or my friends' birthday parties. I relished in the new found freedom, the name of the bike said it all.
Since then, I’ve clocked thousands of hours in the saddle of a bike, from the mountains of Mexico, riddled with thorns the size of a man’s finger, to the streets of Washington, D.C., with its teenage thugs who throw milk jugs full of urine. And despite the dangers, and the heat and freezing rain, I’ve loved every minute of my time on a bike. I don’t count myself lucky when I say I’ve never been seriously injured (run-ins with trees and parked cars excepted), because it hasn’t been about luck, it’s been about education.
When my parents handed me my bike, they also handed me a guide to riding safely and made me read it. And when, after years of riding my bike, I finally bought my own car, I was extra careful to watch for cyclists on the road.
I’m writing this post for two reasons. First, because on Tuesday of this week a cyclist on her way to work in DC was struck and killed by a garbage truck. And second, with the rising cost of gas, and concerns about global warming people in cities around the country are starting to consider, perhaps for the first time, getting on a bike for their commute to work.
DC residents are blessed with a great public transportation system that includes one of the cleanest subways in the country, and buses that seemingly cover every nook and cranny of the city. Add to that miles of bike lanes and sidewalks, and the options for getting to work and play are endless. But there is a lot of work yet to do, both in education and smart growth planning. Alice Swanson was in a bike lane, and obeying traffic laws when she was hit and killed. I make no excuses for the driver of the truck, but it’s probably a safe bet that the driver didn’t see her when he made a right turn into her (this remains to be determined). In this, and in all cases, there are three responsible parties, the cyclist, the driver and the city planners. I've been riding the streets of DC for years, and from my perspective we all have work to do. I have great hope that the city of DC is working to make its streets safer, and with feedback and input from the cycling community I can’t wait to see the future of this city.
So, as some of you out there consider getting on your bike, or buying your first, as a way to escape the rising cost of gas, please remember to educate yourselves about bicycle safety. I’m sure there is a local cycling advocacy group doing good work in your area (in DC its WABA), and they’d be happy to suggest a safe route for your commute.
And for the drivers who can’t ride, for whatever reason, please keep an eye out for us. One less driver on the road doesn’t necessarily mean one less person on the road.
~photo credit: vassieux
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Comments
Ian Wilker — Jul 10 2008 04:14 PM
I'm all for bike lanes, but I have to say that in my years of bike commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan, I'm pretty sure I had more close calls riding in bike lanes than I did on streets without them. Without a designated lane, there was no question that the safest way to ride was to practice the kamikaze, full-lane-occupying, "you damn well BETTER see me" style popularized by bike messengers. With a designated lane, I often relaxed and allowed a false sense of security to creep in. The fact was, lane or no lane, the road culture in the city was simply that all things mobile -- pedestrians, cyclists, trucks, cars, etc. -- are always playing a rigged game of chicken with everything else. Sounds like Alice Swanson died in similar circumstances in D.C.
I love bike lanes, but a "share the road" culture has to take deep root before I'll feel that lanes actually put a buffer between me and the behemoths. Cities that encourage bike commuting -- as they should -- would be well-advised to put a major public awareness campaign into action.
aleister williams — Jul 10 2008 09:40 PM
I think it's the sane thing to do to ride a bike instead of a car, anytime you can.
I just think our culture looks down on bikes, and pushes people towards thinking that driving a car is somehow cooler than riding a bike. It's sad, really.
Steve L. — Jul 12 2008 02:15 PM
I'm fed up with your great ideas. I've got arthritis in both legs, and I have trouble even walking. For me, bicycling is out of the question.
Why don't you environmentalists just get out of the way and leave us alone to pursue our energy future in our own way. I have enough trouble struggling with TWO chronic illnesses to also have to carry the lot of you on my back.
Tim F. — Jul 13 2008 02:42 AM
Steve L. - I don't understand the source of your outrage. A young woman died riding a bicycle in our nation's capital, and Apollo simply asks that everyone, drivers and cyclists, be more alert. What on earth is wrong with that, and in what way is anyone asking you to carry them on your back?
Cristi Harris — Jul 13 2008 11:28 PM
I just began to commute (some days) to work by bicycle. I have to tell you that it is a little scary. Most of my route is actual trail which makes it doable. But the area that is on the rode can make my heart race. Needless to say, I am uber careful. I know that I have the right in Colorado to take a lane, but I also know that way too many drivers are distracted (cell phones, breakfast, cigarettes, reading, putting on makeup, arguing with spouse or children, etc) to place my life in their hands. My heart goes out to the family and community of the slain cyclist.
Scott @ NRDC — Jul 14 2008 11:20 AM
There were two more biking deaths in New York City over the weekend: http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/07/14/crashes-claim-lives-of-two-new-york-cyclists/.
And on the same grim topic, this recent New York magazine feature about ghost bikes (and the sad fact that an increasing number of cyclists in New York is leading to an increasing number of fatalities) is worth a read: http://nymag.com/news/features/47819/
Jackie C. — Jul 14 2008 12:12 PM
This is very good advice, especially with the new zip-bikes coming to DC. The NYTimes has an article today about accidents with zip-bikes in Paris and the need to educate new riders. Hopefully, DC will make an effort to educate all of the new riders around.
David Pettit — Jul 15 2008 01:22 PM
I'm with Ian. I ride to work whenever I can and prefer streets without bike lanes. Drivers in L.A. don't respect them anyhow.