As cyclists aim to go green, drivers are inconsiderate

By Sarah Kneezle

Last week, the Boston Globe ran a column called “If only drivers shared the road, cyclists would be safe.” After it was posted online on their Green Blog, it became apparent that not too many Boston Globe readers were eager to share the road.

As a cyclist who commutes six miles every day to work and who has been hit head-on by an SUV while riding my bike and have had several friends that have been hit by a car while riding (or running!), some of the comments struck me as unreasonable:

“Bike riders are a hazzard [sic] on the road much like dogs and squirrels. The roads should not allow any pedestrian whether on bike or walking TRUCKS RULE!!!!”

Others were downright unacceptable by bragging that they’d hit the next cyclist they saw while driving in their car. But the majority of them cited that cyclists often blow through red lights and cut off cars.

What shocked me the most was the fact that so many people in the state of Massachusetts don’t seem to understand that bicycles are legally a vehicle, and like cars, are prohibited from riding on the sidewalk. Bella English’s column even called out a cop who was unaware of the law.

How can motorists be so peeved by people who are out to get exercise, save money on gas and protect the environment?

Sure, I’ve gone through my fair share of red lights (and for the record, bicycles are allowed to pass on the right). And I’d guess that 90 percent of Bostonians have the same audacity to jaywalk.

But these same readers who hold cyclists in such disdain are writing from the same state that has the highest accident rate in the country. These are the same drivers that I see blow through red lights on the busiest streets, honk aggressively in traffic and literally, start fist fights with each other.

As the article pointed out, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino started bike commuting to work and began working harder to make Boston a friendlier city for bikes. But one day, while riding his bike on his way to work, he was hit by a car! There’s a reason why Boston was voted the least friendly city for cyclists by Bicycle Magazine.

Somehow other cities harbor less ill-will towards cyclists. Portland, Ore., has the highest number of bike commuters in the country and bike lanes that have been around since the 1970s. The city offers a vast selection of bicycle maps, promotes cycling as a way for tourists to see the sites and was the first U.S. city to be awarded a platinum level Bicycle Friendly Community award.

Cycling has even helped the economy as independent frame builders and even bicycle attorneys spring up around the city.

Though Mayor Menino has appointed a former Olympic cyclist as bike czar, Beantown has a long way to go.