Treehugger - Latest Comments in Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

LogosAletheia — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:29:58 -0000

In our county, none of the roads have bike lanes, and most have no sidewalks. Most of the road rights-of-way are not paved, are broken up gravel and very dangerous. Our county's roads are also very full of hills, blind curves and other hazards. Bicyclists and pedestrians DO NOT belong on these roads. It is just too dangerous. It is not about taxes or who pays for what, but simply that the roads are NOT set up for the safe use of both bicyclists and pedestrians and vehicles. Just this past week, a vehicle ran into a cyclist while turning left in a local state recreation area because the cyclist was just not visible with all the tree shadows in the bright light and the bike blended in. The really sad thing is neither the cyclist nor the driver did anything "wrong" but the cyclist still collided with the vehicle, and yesterday died from his injuries. Now the vehicle driver has to deal with fall out from this event that will mess up their life, and the cyclist's family and friends have suffered the loss of their loved one. This was an avoidable event if the bicyclist had bright clothes/flashing lights or something on them to help the driver see them. Better yet, the cyclist should not have been on the roadway. The park has a lot of curves and hills that cyclists like to "slalom" on and it just is too dangerous with cars.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Floyd Knapp — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 18:37:29 -0000

Bicycles should be taken off the roads! Most bicyclists DO NOT obey traffic laws and in fact break traffic laws on a regular and daily basis. The are menaces to pedestrians and blatantly challenge cars and trucks, as if they OWN the road. Even though they are adults, they have disdain for motorists and most believe that they are superior beings for riding and not using a car. To hell with them!

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Mark Nelson — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 18:50:29 -0000

You seriously are comparing a suv's size to car's in relation to a bicyclist? I wish they would outlaw bicyclists from the road. The bicyclist don't know the rules and most drivers aren't looking out for them. stick to the sidewalk or bike path. bicyclist have no business on a highly populated road. i almost hit a person because i didn't see this person. i usually look for cars' turn signals and never look out for bicyclists becuase they're hardly on the road. your logic is biased towards bicyclists and you make outrageous comparisons and arguments. thr difference in sizes of suv to cars as opposed to cars to bicyclists is that the general laws and rules are more well known and understood.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Bill Ennis — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 23:44:18 -0000

Bicycles should not be allowed on city or county roads because they are slower than that of auto's. Bicycles should be allowed in city parks that have bike lanes in the park's. Please get bicycles off the roads!!!

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

SaturdaySportsman — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:48:42 -0000

"if cars were so absolutely necessary, why would GM have a 3 billion dollar marketing budget?"
Because GM wants you to buy their cars instead of Ford, Toyota, Kia, etc.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

PandaCat — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:38:45 -0000

I live on a highway that people from all over country like to ride bicycles on because it's a beautiful, scenic drive. There is no shoulder- it's just a narrow two-lane road. I have had to put MY truck in the ditch when a logging or dump truck come my way in the other lane and the damn bicyclist is too selfish to remove themselves from road. Bicyclists are responsible for a lot of accidents.Marckus, it's time for all of YOU bike-riders to grow up and realize you are the ones causing problems. Riding on a 70 mph highway with no houlder is just like begging to be hit so don't be surprises when it happens!!!

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

J.G. — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:34:41 -0000

If these people want to share the roads with cars then lets tax them on their bikes like we pay taxes on our cars, and also require the bike riders to get a bike license just like motorcycle riders have to get a seperate license. And after that make sure you have bike rider insurance because you might hit another rider causing a wreck and then I will be coming around the corner in my truck and I will wreck trying to avoid you while running over the biker you just wrecked into. So your insurance company will need to cover all that. thanks.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Markus — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:36:24 -0000

Bob, it's a speed limit, not a speed minimum. It is only the maximum limit in ideal conditions. If it's raining, foggy, snowy, dark--you're going too fast if you're going the speed limit. A vehicle doesn't need to be able to go the speed limit to be on the road. Grow up!!

By your logic, any vehicle that is below the maximum speed should be off the road.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

creampie123 — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:07:49 -0000

i hate bikes piss me off

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

creampie123 — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:07:07 -0000

penis!!!!!!

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

creampie123 — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:06:30 -0000

hello!

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

bob — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:09:45 -0000

if your bike doesn't have an engine and can't reach the speed limit, get off the fucking road

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Ted — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:06:27 -0000

How shallow self centered and narrow minded can you be. Of course bikes don't belong on the road. Your obvious and predictable statements defending your actions show that you don't care about others. Before you reply think about how the masses feel. The good of the one does not outweigh the good of the many. If you question that this statement does not apply to this situation, Imagine what the laws would be like if we could get this on the next ballot. There would be no more bikes on the road. I suggest the cyclists don't abuse what they have or the rules will change.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Joel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:42:01 -0000

Go to Austria. Go to Salzburg for example and you will find an extensive network of bike paths, shared bike and pedestrian paths, uniqely bike paths and uniqely pedestrian paths. Its mostly an old network and it still continues to grow. They have separated the cars from the discussion. It works.

I live thousands of miles away in Australia, and in my city there are a few bike paths without cars which we use a lot, however there are just not enough. We ride on the roads with all the inherant dangers

Salzburg was built in a different era. Its a pre-car city. The issue is how to re configure a car age city into a bicycle friendly city.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

kobus — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:02:04 -0000

The fact of the matter is that it is unfortunately too dangerous to cycle on the road in many areas in the U.S. Sure we have the right to bike on the roads, but the danger of doing so prevents cycling from being a commonly accepted form of transport.

Protected bike lanes (or bike roads) are relatively cheap to build, have a small footprint, and last a lot longer than roads that have multi-ton trucks rolling over them. Instead of ineffective take back the roads rides, we need legislative mandates to build bike lanes and dedicated sub-25mph vehicle roads.

I don't cycle to work because the majority of my friends who do so have been in a serious (or at least very frightening) accident. Most of them stopped after the accident. Not their fault, but bike vs. car is bad news and I'm just not willing to take that risk.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:25:10 -0000

Peak oil is coming. Get the cars off the road, and the fat people out of their air conditioning NOW!!!!

There is no room for my bike on the road when the go-juice runs out and highways turn into permanent parking lots.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

patrick — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:00:02 -0000

I'm sorry, but whether you are on a bike, in a car, or whatever you have no god given right to pass anyone. And when you do pass, it is your responsibility to make sure you have proper clearance. Did you ring your bell? Announce your intent to pass? That is not a "RULE" but good practice for anyone on a bike.

When you ride a bike, you don't need to follow the same "RULES" that motorists do, and you don't really need a helmet, but what you do need to do is ride in a way that makes sense and is safe for riding a bike. And be aware of what is happening around you.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Jessica — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:29:05 -0000

Well, as you all know, I am a huge campaigner for bikes sharing the road with cars and vice versa. But tonight I change my mind.

I attend college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. I get off late from school, my last class ends at 9 p.m. As I'm riding home, a soccer game was ending. I obey all the laws when riding to and from anywhere on my bike, stop at all the signs, etc.

In front of me is a professor with his wife and teenage daughter riding home from the game. They don't obey ANY of the rules and refuse to let me (the faster biker) pass. The Prof. literally pushes me INTO traffic, where, THANK GOD, the driver is paying attention to nutty Prof. and lets me have room to pass.

After a while I stop at a light, Nutty Prof. and family pass me, ignoring light and turn right veering into traffic. They weren't wearing helmets, didn't have lights or reflective anything.

The problem is, no matter how good a biker you are, someone is worse and those people leave impressions and consequently they are also the people who think they are doing no wrong. We have them in car drivers and in bike riders.

So it is a dilemma, but it's also life. So I guess we just have to just deal with it? BIKERS MUST KNOW THE RULES, not just for their safety, but for other bikers. I would never in my life do what that nutty Prof. did, it was just rude (and accessory to murder).

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Jessica — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:12:53 -0000

Well, as you all know, I am a huge campaigner for bikes sharing the road with cars and vice versa. But tonight I change my mind.

After a while I stop at a light, Nutty Prof. and family pass me, ignoring light and turn right veering into traffic. They weren't wearing helmets, didn't have lights or reflective anything.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

jimmy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:19:27 -0000

I'm Jimmy and I own/drive a car and live and work in downtown Toronto. I put around 10,000km on my car each year, mostly on long distance trips out of the city. I try to avoid using it as much as possible and live in close proximity to my workplace.

I don't ride a bike in the city as I feel it's unsafe. I did ride at one point and had a close call and stopped riding. I have also seen a number of people get seriously hurt riding in the city. Also, streetcar tracks are deadly in this city for folks on bikes.

I feel that the city should close a number of routes to auto traffic and make them 100% bike lanes/low powered scooter lanes. I'm not talking about a little bike lane, I mean entire lanes of the road, with some sort of divider to keep cars out.

I also want to point out that it's a routine for many cyclists to break even the most basic traffic laws.

- running stop signs/red lights (just plain stupid)

- no lights/reflectors at night (and they wonder why you don't see them)

- wrong way on the road (it's not obvious to many cyclists why this is so dangerous until they get in a car and try to make a left turn at an intersection with cyclists coming out of nowhere)

- No helmet with headphones/cell phone

- using the sidewalk as a roadway.

- illegal left turns

- no signaling

and the list goes on.

One more thing, I wish every cyclist had a bell or whistle and used it ALL THE TIME. As a driver that would be nice to see.

jimmy

don't forget to vote

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

BradyDale — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:43:21 -0000

"All cyclists must know the rules of the road and follow them. Period."

I vehemently disagree. I know it's the PC position for bicycle advocates, but it's wrongheaded. We're all safer when cyclists disobey traffic lights with care and courtesy. It gets bikes out of the general flow.

Bikes don't need rules as serious as cars because they aren't as dangerous.

Reckless, daredevil cyclists are bad. But bike commuters that pause at a red light then pass through, pop on the odd sidewalk or even do a block in the wrong direction on a one-way street are a-okay.

It's not a position that people who "just like rules" agree with but if you really look at how the flow works, it makes sense.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Josh — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:59:56 -0000

I constantly dread the possibility of a driver hitting me, but I'm not going to let it scare me off the road - no way! We're doing the planet, our communities and our budgets for fuel prices a good deed by decreasing the number of drivers on the road. I recently relocated to St. Petersburg, FL, and am disappointed to find that the roads here are full of drivers hostile towards cyclists. At least once a week, someone yells out, "Get off the road" or "Use the sidewalk," or just blares their horn at me, which is pure ignorance to me. I recently wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper to express such. It would ultimately be more dangerous if cyclists all used the sidewalks, not only towards pedestrians but to drivers who would have to change their defensive driving to watch out for cyclists going through crosswalks or crossing in front of parking lot entrances unexpectedly. Furthermore, when a cyclist has to turn left out of a bike lane, drivers need to pay attention the same way they would if a driver was changing lanes to turn. I appreciate this article for rasing more awareness, but this whole debate is kind of redundant. We already have the right to use the roads, and only wackos would argue that or call for changes. Drivers with this perspective are just being self-centered. At the end of the day, if you hit me on my bike, I may be badly injured, may even have a dismal quality of life afterwards, but I guarantee you are going to be paying out the nose for my hospital bills the rest of my life. So if you're a road rage type of driver, stop being an ass, get over yourself and keep your eyes open unless you want to be sued and/or jeopardize being charged with manslaugter.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

vsk — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:16:31 -0000

I find that taking it a little easier and yielding more improves my blood pressure. I have started telling myself 'it's just a commute to work for Heaven's sake, not the Tour De France or something'.

It is just a fact of life that you're surrounded by assassins. Avoid what you can and try to stay out of everyone's way. Try to anticipate. When I have a solid green light and the pedestrians are just marching across the street reading their papers or texting or in their i-pod fog or just looking any other way where you're not, what are you supposed to do? I just blast my bell and slow down a little. If there is still a numbskull in the way, I stop just short enough to let him/her know how close they came to death. Why should I argue with some dope. If I have a red light or stop sign, I give everyone else the right of way as should be done. People acknowledge and stay in a better mood because they keep expecting the kamikaze.

The cars- I just try to stay out of their way. I try to hog the road as little as possible.

On 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn there is construction going on over a small bridge. It is level and has a turn so visibility is obscured. Many times I can get through and not impede traffic. If I am going to hold up the works, I'll wait until the 15 - 20 cars can go first then I'll go after.

vsk

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Eoin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:35:26 -0000

That's not an op-ed. It's a letter to the editor. Huge difference.

Re: Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

jimbledon — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:07:13 -0000

Bicycles are a vehicle that need roads. Nothing can change this fact. Bicycles were using these roads before the car and dare I say it will be using them after cars disappear.

Yes its dangerous to ride a bicycle on a busy road but that is the sort of thing people do when they believe passionately in something.

In Sydney (Australia) there is a lot of aggression on the roads between drivers which is avoided by riding because there is a small amount of respect riders are given that makes it a little bit easier.