Our Region's Growing Bike Culture
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2013-03-11/our-regions-growing-bike-culture
The weather's warming up, and there are more reasons than ever to get on a bike, whether it's to get to work, for exercise or for fun. New, safer green bike lanes are popping up all over our region, online interactive trip planners are making it easy to plan the safest route and Bikeshare is expanding. We talk bike safety, rules of the road and the campaign to get more women on bikes.
Guests
Shane Farthing
Executive Director, Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)
Chris Eatough
Program Manager for Bike Arlington
Veronica Davis
Founder, Black Women Bike
Related Links
Capital BikeShare Data Visualization by Chris Whong
This animation shows the more than 32,000 trips taken on Capital Bikeshare from Oct. 4-8, 2012. Blue dots are trip starts, which fade away immediately after appearing. Yellow dots show the interpolated path between start station and end station over time. Visualization by Chris Whong, attribution "GeoTrails" by Dave Troy and music by dan-o.
Comments
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I am all for using alternative modes of transportation. But, not everyone can ride a bike in rush hour traffic ( the bike share folks are the worst). Even with bike lanes all over the place, some of these cyclist are endangering themselves and others. When I learned how to drive, I didn't start out on the Belt Way. MPD need to write tickets for cyclist that are riding like an six year old with training wheels, in the middle lane, on Conn. Ave. NW at rush hour. They think they are at RockCreek park on a Sunday morning.
Thanks for doing this show. Fantastic guests and topic.
I would love to see an honest equal discussion about bike safety and regulations, but there seem to be a bike lobby on the level Cassidy & Assoc. that keep the bikers negligent of just about everything including common sense. The Rock creek Bike trail is a wonderful path, while Rock Creek Parkway is not a place to pretend your in the Tour DE France. When i see someone riding 20 mph on rock creek parkway with a chain of cars behind them i worry that they are endangering them selves and others.
EDIT
Does secluding bikers from traffic really make them safer. As a Biker that drives I make it my duty to recognize the traffic around me no matter what the mode of transport. We don't need more infrastructure to separate we need to educate and incorporate.
I'm not from the DC area, but I do ride my bike as my main transportation to and from almost everyday weather permitting. I am happy to say I am a healthy weight and in much better shape than I was before, and it is so sad that more people do not ride their bikes more often. I am a woman, and I love riding my bike, in traffic or not. Not in traffic is obviously preferred but not a deterrant. I think a shower at the office is great. I am blessed with a shower at the office and a schedule that makes it work. I would never have thought I would have ridden, but I love it. I have a great route, and usually leave early in the morning that there is no traffic, and found a route in the afternoon with a great bike lane. I even have to bike up a 1,000 foot incline over 1/4 a mile, and am proud to say that I can bike up in in 5 minutes now as opposed to walking the bike up.
Solutions to more bikers
* lanes
* workplace flexibility for hours, storage and showers
* more bike to work days to get people started
Helmets: not a cure-all, but it is going to do any harm? I bike about 3000 miles a year, am pretty good, but I will not ride without it. I know I ride well, but what about the other drivers? The last comment was kind of ridiculous. It's like saying you don't need to wear a seat belt because you are a good driver. Maybe it won't safe you, but it won't hurt you.
Great conversation.
One note for Veronica D - most bike shops are condescending to me too, and I am definitely male. And I've biked a ton. Bike shops are just like that.
Going to a bike shop can be a daunting affair. YOUNG GUYS RUN THE SHOP !! but also the selection of many of the bikes are large in size. Not too many women's sizes on the floor to see. But I did my research and knew what I needed.
Ride on with the helmets! My husband has been a commuter bicyclist for decades. No matter how experienced you are, sooner or later you will crash or someone will crash into you. I have picked a lot of rocks out his helmet, measured the depth of gouges, thrown out the cracked ones. Thanks to those destroyed helmets I still have a companion who has his wits about him rather than one who is drooling in his rocking chair watching the birds in the backyard.
Anyone who rides without a helmet is nuts. Ladies, a good hair stylist will design a becoming do which will withstand the crush of a helmet.
Your guest commented that bikes should definitely not be barred from certain high-traffic streets (like 16th in the district)... or ANY street for that matter. I live in a suburban area which went to pains to put in off-road bike paths - separate, safe path for bikes stretching 10s of miles. With these paths, the roadway wasn't build with extra width. When I see a bicycle on this thoroughfare (consuming an entire lane of a 2-lane divided highway), when there is a bike path intended to take their traffic, I just wonder what they are thinking. Why take up a lane of auto traffic when there is a dedicated lane? And NO shoulder or dedicated space on the road because there is a bike path provided that is separated from traffic.
Helmets: Know what? They work. Look, when (not if) you get smacked and fall off your bike, the last thing to hit will be your head. Like a whip, it'll slap right into the ground. The first time I smacked my head, I told the guy who hit me (another cyclst) "Ah. So that's what helmets are for." We both agreed. I don't understand the resistance.
Question: so we have a "three foot passing law" in DC and surrounding areas. If a driver passes within three feet this is extremely scary and also illegal. So if this happens is there anything practical that can be done in terms of education or enforcement?
And if the driver does more than just pass closely and does aggressive maneuvers but does not strike the cyclist, what should one do to respond?
I do understand the desire to ride a bike for recreation as well as transportation, but am resentful for the change that was made to Lawyers road. http://www.restonian.org/2009/04/reston-road-rules-lawyers-road-to-go-on...
A 4 lane road has been changed to a 2 lane road (with a middle turning lane), with bike lanes running north and south. Now traffic gets snarled on the road (when other roads in the area were widened). Meanwhile navigating the roads in the evenings during nice weather means trying to drive around multiple "flocks" of bikes that not only have taken away lanes on this road, but due to the size of the group, often take up part of the driving lane.
"EDUCATE AND INCORPORATE!" I like it!
"MPD need to write tickets for cyclist that are riding like an six year old with training wheels, in the middle lane, on Conn. Ave. NW at rush hour."
Why on Earth would MPD write a ticket for perfectly legal behavior? Sounds like you need to educate yourself on the rules of the road.
"When i see someone riding 20 mph on rock creek parkway with a chain of cars behind them i worry that they are endangering them selves and others."
How on Earth are they endangering themselves and others by riding 5mph below the posted *maximum* speed limit? Oh, you must mean that *drivers* endanger themselves (and everyone else) by speeding and passing in an unsafe manner.