City Improves Bike Safety On Roads
When Sonja Kaechele jumps on her bike in the morning to get to school, or in the afternoon to shop for groceries, or in the evening to pedal to the Student Recreation Fitness Center, she is never free of fear. Potholes on the streets, sidewalks that suddenly end or – even worse – careless drivers make these days hard times for cyclists, said Kaechele, a 24-year-old graduate student from Germany. “I don’t feel as safe as I do in Germany, but I probably shouldn’t worry too much about it. Americans are simply less used to cyclists and less aware of them,” Kächele said.
However, she is not alone. With the city of Lawrence growing and gas prices rising, more people now resort to their bikes – either to commute or for recreational purposes. And as they hit the road, they face safety issues.
Paul Davis, manager of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, said that most of his customers were concerned about safety issues. “We have seen a sharp increase in customers over the last two years,” he said. “These people think about their safety. Their biggest concern is whether or not drivers are aware of them as cyclists.”
What most road users probably do not know: The Kansas state law provides rules that regulate the co-existence of drivers and cyclists. One requirement is that drivers give cyclists at least four feet of clearance on the street. Craig Weinaug, Douglas County administrator and vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, said that a lack of awareness of such laws can trigger misunderstandings on both sides. “Most people don’t know what the state law is,” Weinaug said. One common problem is that bikers ride too close to the curb, he said, because they do not know about their rights. “Often times, cars don’t go to the other lane. If they did, it would give the biker enough space and both would be safer,” Weinaug said.
Erik Struckhoff, member of the Lawrence bicycle advisory board, says that everybody could do something to make things easier. “By riding predictibly for example, cyclists can improve their own safety. The biggest hazard is not being hit from behind but rather from the side by a turning motorist,” Struckhoff said. Predictibility is also one of the key words in the Kansas Bicycle Safety guide that can be viewed online at http://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/biking/bicyclesafety.asp. The guide says that everybody should maintain a safety first attitude. “In a crash, whether your fault or not your fault,” the guide reads, “you lose.”
Beyond relying on the awareness of cyclists and drivers, the city of Lawrence has its own ways to further improve bike safety through a set of different measures. Thus, the city has designated already existing roads as so-called bike routes. “Bike routes tell people where other people are riding,” said Struckhoff. “Bike routes are defined by safety, convenience, directness and flatness. They are easy to access and they mostly lead through low-speed and low-motorized areas.” Unless a road is resurfaced – as parts of 19th Street have been recently – no new bike lanes can be added.
“Unfortunately, we can’t always go back and add bike lanes to existing roads,” Struckhoff said. Besides being a matter of time, adding bike lanes often is also a matter of legality or space. “A street has to be at least 36 feet wide, that is 18 feet per lane,” said Struckhoff. “The drive lane has to be at least 12 feet wide, the bike lane four feet. The gutter and the curb need another 2 feet,” said Struckhoff. “Most of the existing roads do not meet these requirements.”
And even if adding bike lanes seems possible, it is possibly not reasonable. Naismith Dr. is one example. 600 cars can cross the intersection of Naismith Dr. and 23th Street every hour, said Struckhoff. However, the intersection was designed to bear up to 3600 cars per hour. It seems as if one lane of Naismith Dr. could easily be closed and declared a bike lane. “It is not that easy,” Struckhoff said. “On gamedays, for example, we face a higher amount of cars and then we need the two lanes. This is for sure a legitimate reason.” Thus, the city and the advisory board do not look back. “We want to work timely and cost-effective. That’s why we plan ahead,” Struckhoff said.
With Lawrence constantly growing; the city has the opportunity to add new bike lanes or even separate bike paths. “The city and its developers have done a great job so far on following up with new transportation facilities,” Struckhoff said. Craig Weinaug, vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, said he had crossed Kansas three times on his bicycle and that – based on this experience – Lawrence compared favorably to any town of its size.
Besides reconstruction of existing and installation of new facilities, the city and the advisory board also want to encourage people to use their bikes to preserve the quality of life in Lawrence. Air pollution is one concern among others, said Struckhoff: “Riding a bike saves money and space. Adding a car, however, means adding parking space and consuming gasoline,” Struckhoff said. Many people could simply not imagine taking a bike to work. “Often times, it is not a failure of the system but a failure of imagination.” To many cars drove around with just one person in them, Struckhoff said. “If you build a parking lot or a highway, people will use it. If you build a bike lane instead, people will use the bike lane.” Craig Weinaug, who is with the Lawrence Bicycle Club, sees things slightly differently. “What motivates people is not a message, it’s the gas price.”
As far as safety is concerned, Sonja Kaechele from Germany hopes to see an awareness program for drivers. So does Jose Aleman Banon, a graduate student from S pain. He often clashes with car drivers in troublesome ways. “Young people are often rude to bikers. More than six times, I have encountered the following situation: I am riding my bike, and the navigator in the car next to me leans his head out of the window to scream at me and make his friends laugh,” Aleman Banon said. “That is extremely dangerous, because you get totally startled, and may lose control of the handle bars, fall and cause a serious accident.” Furthermore, Aleman Banon is concerned with the condition and the number of street lights. “The street lighting system in Lawrence is embarrasing,” he said.
Eventually, it seems that a lot of work lies ahead for both the city commission and the bicycle advisory board. One immediate measure that Struckhoff suggests is the reintroduction of a bicycle adviser to the city commission: “The city used to have a paid staff position. We continuously emphasize the reestablishment of such a position.”
For now, Sonja Kaechele from Germany and Jose Aleman Banon from Spain take sidewalks instead of driving on the road, especially on the weekends, accepting potholes and sidewalks that end abruptly.
What could make them feel better: Lawrence is among the 58 bike-friendliest communities in the country. In 2004 the League of American Cyclists recognized Lawrence with its “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation. Despite all that needs to be done, Craig Weinaug, vice president of the Lawrence Bicycle Club, knows why Lawrence was awarded the prize: “I think that Lawrence is simply a great place to ride a bike.”