The Ins and Outs of Auto, Bicycle Traffic Lanes

The article on bicycle safety left out a very important element of the safety equation: local government. The major reason bicycle riding is so unsafe is that local governments rarely provide for safe and well-maintained routes for bicycle riding, especially bicycle commuting (commuters must go between fixed points, while recreational riders have more choice about where they ride).

Police reports won’t show it, but the conditions under which bicyclists are forced to ride are contributing factors in many accidents and near-misses. They include no marked bicycle lanes, narrow curb lanes, poorly maintained surfaces and inadequate warnings when streets are under construction.

The situation is getting worse rather than better. As the population grows, municipalities and the county put six lanes on streets where formerly there were only four. At that point, curb lanes become dangerously narrow. Moreover, cities are even removing existing marked bicycle lanes because they do not meet current state design standards.

In spite of the benefits that bicyclists provide (fewer cars, cleaner air) cities are not going to make their streets safe for riding until bicyclists themselves bring pressure on local decision-makers. This can be done by contacting city council members and attending city council and traffic commission meetings. Perhaps the best way for cyclists to systematically influence local Orange County governments is to join and support bicycle advocacy organizations.

If bicyclists do not get out of their saddles and fight for safe routes, they will have only themselves to blame for the dangerous conditions in which they will have to ride.

VINCENT BUCK

Fullerton