Star Gazette News: The cycle of respect

Drivers have to make room for bikes; bicyclists must obey traffic laws. Pounds instead of tons. Two wheels instead of four. Two legs instead of an engine. Those are the major differences between bicycles and motor vehicles. Most people know that. But too few motorists realize that bikes are afforded many of the same traffic rights as the cars and trucks they share the roads with.

Bicyclists have a right to ride on all roads, unless posted otherwise. That message is being promoted this month, National Bike Month, by the Southern Tier Bicycle League in an effort to educate the motoring public and make roadways safer. The campaign is part of a yearlong effort to encourage safe bicycling for fun and health.
It’s being done in Chemung County through educational billboards, bike tours, bike races and a May 18 “ride your bike to work day.” The media regularly publicize stories on what cyclists can and can’t do. But there is rarely publicity about the laws and responsibilities of motorists when sharing the road with cyclists.

Sharing is the key. Motorists must realize that cyclists have just as much right to be on the pavement as a vehicle. Yes, bikes are supposed to stay as far right as possible and ride with traffic. But road hazards and safety concerns give bikers the right to ride in the middle of traffic lanes when necessary.

That can anger many motorists who regard cyclists as a hindrance. They’re not. They are part of the traffic. “A lot of motorists don’t realize we have a right to be in the road, or they don’t care and don’t want us in the road,” says Kent Goben, chairman of the bicycle league and a lifelong cyclist. “I’ve had drivers throw cups of soda at me and yell and honk their horns at me when I’m doing nothing wrong.”

Even worse are motorists who cut in front of cyclists or drive too close to them when passing. Side view mirrors or the blast of a tail wind from a speeding tractor-trailer or a school bus can knock a cyclist to the pavement. That’s why cyclists recommend that motorists give them 3 to 5 feet of room when passing, if possible. “The worst thing is when a car passes us and then immediately turns right in front of us,” says Elmira cyclist Richard Shapiro.
Several years ago, Shapiro was cycling south on Hoffman Street, near Elmira Free Academy. A car passed him and then turned and cut in front of him to pull into the school. Shapiro hit the car, and he and his tandem bike hit the dirt. It did $500 damage to the bike and left Shapiro with nasty scrapes and bruises.

The driver was ticketed for failure to yield the right of way. “In court, she told the judge that she cut in front of me because she thought I should have been able to go around her,” Shapiro says. Other cyclists tell stories of angry drivers shouting at them to get off the road, because motorists pay taxes and have the right to be on the road, while bicycles don’t.

“I think too many motorists are impatient when traveling behind a bike,” Shapiro says. “They can’t wait to pass the bike, when it’s safe.” “We don’t ride in the road to annoy motorists, but sometimes we have to do it to avoid road hazards and dogs,” Goben explains. Many motorists get nervous when they approach a cyclist because they’re unsure what the rider is going to do. Bike-riding kids are especially worrisome to motorists, because they might not know or obey traffic laws.

That’s why parents need to teach kids the correct and safe way to bicycle. It starts with always wearing a helmet. Cyclists hate to see parents bike riding with their kids, as the children wear helmets but the parents don’t. It sends a mixed message to kids.
While sidewalks may be safe places for young kids, most municipalities, like Elmira, have laws against adults riding on sidewalks. “I often get motorists yelling at me to get out of the road and ride on the sidewalk,” Goben says.

Today’s high-performance bikes and equally high- performance riders who can hit speeds of 25 to 30 mph are too fast for sidewalks. “A lot of motorists don’t expect a bike to be going that fast, and they don’t realize that we approach them much faster than they imagine,” says Jeff Frutchey, of Waverly, a competitive cyclists who can hit those high speeds.

Not all the blame goes to motorists. Many bike riders don’t obey traffic laws, ride against the flow of traffic, don’t signal their turns and disregard stop signs and traffic lights. They give responsible and law-abiding cyclists a bad rap. That’s why the “share the road” campaign is so important. There’s room on the pavement for everyone, as long as everyone is patient, safe and law-abiding.