[SDCBC] reason to ride right.

[John Forester]

The two letters that were posted, independently, to Voice of San 
Diego regarding cycling illustrate some pertinent points. Charles 
Katz expresses the classic militant motorist excuses for his opinion: 
We motorists paid good money for bikeways and for the laws that 
prohibit bicyclists from using the roadway when bikeways are 
available, and you scofflaw bicyclists refuse to obey the laws. 
Illustrated, of course, with cyclists running stop signs and traffic 
signals. John Eldon praises the SD Bicycle Coalition and asks 
motorists, cyclists, and traffic engineers to, in summary, behave 
nicely, without saying how or why.

These two letters illustrate the intimate connection between militant 
motorists, cyclist-inferiority cycling, and bikeways, with also the 
implication of anti-motoring environmentalism in the background. We 
lawful and competent cyclists need to understand that the war is 
between vehicular cyclists and those who oppose vehicular cycling, 
whether because they oppose cycling or because they oppose motoring. 
When there is discussion of cycling issues, pussy-footing around the 
issues by asking for nice behavior simply confirms readers in their 
own superstitions. At every such opportunity, the lawful and 
competent cyclist should state explicitly that cyclists are required 
to obey, and are greatly benefited by obeying, the rules of the road 
for drivers of vehicles, shortened, if it must be (though not as 
good), to obeying the traffic laws. Besides which, that benefits 
motorists also, who need worry less about unexpected unlawful 
behavior by unlawful, incompetent cyclists.





At 08:20 PM 1/6/2007, Jim Baross wrote:
>http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2007/01/02/letters/438better.txt
>
>Bicyclists No Better Than Rest of Us
>By Charles Kratz
>
>Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007 | Instead of lobbing softball questions to
>Kathy Keehan, how about some that matter? For instance: Many bicycle
>enthusiasts drive around in their cars with prominently displayed
>bumper stickers proclaiming, "Share the Road." Any driver knows,
>however, that bicyclists rarely, if ever, stop for STOP signs. They
>frequently drive right through red lights, with or without oncoming
>traffic. To add insult to injury, they often wave with their
>outstretched and somewhat lowered hand as if to proclaim, "Watch out!
>I'm coming through." Other times, bicyclists will be riding in
>traffic lanes, when there is a perfectly good bicycle lane or path
>constructed with taxpayer dollars. This seems to happen more often
>than not. What gives?
>
>Do only automobile drivers have to "share the road?" Are bicyclists
>immune from laws that restrict them from using facilities expressly
>for them? Do they think they are better than the rest of the public?
>
>http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2007/01/02/letters/440bikes.txt
>
>Bicyclists and Motorists
>By John Eldon, Encinitas
>
>Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007 | Thank you very much for printing the
>interview with the San Diego Bicycle Coalition's Kathy Keehan. Kathy
>truly understands the various needs of recreational, transportation,
>and casual bicyclists and does a superb job in her capacity as
>executive director of SDCBC. Motorists, drive attentively and
>recognize that the safest and most appropriate place for a bicyclist
>is sometimes right in the center of "your" lane. Bicyclists, ride
>lawfully and in a courteously, defensively assertive and predictable
>manner. Traffic engineers, design intersections with the needs of
>pedestrians and bicyclists in mind.
>
>
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John Forester, MS, PE
Bicycle Transportation Engineer
7585 Church St.
Lemon Grove, CA 91945-2306
619-644-5481 www.johnforester.com