MCBC - Marin Voice: Make the roads safer for everyone

Marin Voice: Make the roads safer for everyone

By David Hoffman
Marin IJ, July 9, 2010

WE HAVE all witnessed bicyclists behaving badly on the roads - blowing through stop signs, running red lights, or riding in the wrong direction on the road.

Not only are these behaviors incredibly dangerous, but they leave a lasting negative impression on people everywhere.

Here at the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, we routinely get calls from unhappy residents who are frustrated with seeing bicyclists break the law. Unfortunately, bicyclists who are rude or ride dangerously do not only endanger themselves. They make all of our lives a little more difficult, as hostilities between drivers and cyclists can escalate at the drop of a hat.

I was recently involved in a road rage incident where two cyclists riding ahead of me cut off an SUV. The SUV driver then attempted to "teach me a lesson" by aggressively trying to run me into parked cars.

This bad driver behavior should not be condoned for any reason. Additionally, the driver did not realize that I was not connected with the cyclists that had "wronged" him. In his mind I was.

The MCBC is working diligently with the county, our cities and towns, and Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit to build improved bicycle facilities. Good progress is being made, but we encourage everyone who bike rides on streets and pathways to actively promote safe bicycling through their actions each and every day.

The MCBC requests your help. Please become a Bicycle Ambassador. It's quite simple, really. Here's what we're asking:

Stop at stop signs: When approaching an intersection with stop signs, please come to a stop. If you make eye contact with the other drivers, give them a polite wave or a smile.
Stop at red lights: Don't ride through red lights. Many intersections in the county now have bicycle detection devices in the pavement or on a pole-mounted camera that will detect you and trip the light. Just look for the little bike symbol painted on the ground - it shows you where to position your bike. If you know of an intersection where you can't trip the light with your bike, e-mail me (david@marinbike.org), and I'll do what we can to have it added to the list of installation locations.
Don't ride "contra-flow": This means against traffic. It's really dangerous because drivers don't expect anyone to travel in the wrong direction in the lane and might not respond to your presence in time! Go with the flow.
Obey the law: If you ride with others who are behaving badly, don't go with their flow. Respect the rules of the road and ask the riders in your group to obey the traffic laws.
Spread Share the Road: MCBC implements a Share the Road (STR) campaign that is teaching cyclists and motorists to co-exist safely. Contact our STR program coordinator, Peggy Clark (peggy@marinbike.org or 456-3469 x 8#), to have some Share the Road stickers mailed to you; then, hand them out to people you know and meet. Learn more about Share the Road at: www.walkbikemarin.org
Support better bicycling facilities: Join the Marin County Bicycle Coalition if you're not already a member at http://marinbike.org/Membership/ChooseLevel.shtml. MCBC has been working since 1998 on the road and pathway projects that are making our streets safer every day, but we are dependent on your support to continue our work. Membership is our single-most important source of income.

If you're already a member - thank you! Now encourage your friends and colleagues to join, too.

Bicycling provides an alternative to traffic congestion, improves public health, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and provides economic benefits to communities.

Along with supporting MCBC, being a Bicycle Ambassador is the best way to improve safety on our public roads, build support for cycling and get everyone to Share the Road.