I am thrilled to see the growth of alternative transportation being fostered by our vibrant, local culture that is throwing itself into biking, busing, carpooling, etc. I'm also aghast at the dangerous conditions it has created. The unintended side-effect of increasing pedestrian and cycling traffic on our streets is that many people join the cause, unaware of how to truly share multi-use roads and throughways. This creates serious safety risks to everyone.
Just this week I witnessed several bikers riding at night with no lights and, equally as bad, no helmets. I've also seen cyclists wobble and weave in and out of traffic, which creates an unpredictable pattern of motion that will lead to an accident. As a regular cyclist, I know we can't control everything, but there is a lot we can do to minimize risk to others and to ourselves.
I'm scared of the seeming lack of awareness I've witnessed and want to make a public appeal: If you ride a bike, get trained and ride safe. To get started, check out the Asheville Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force for tips and resources at http://avl.mx/3k or join up with groups like Asheville on Bikes to meet responsible, creative people who are happy to make a new friend and share tips on fun, safe riding in the city.
— Amy Sawyer
Asheville
Too many bike riders have an attitude that they can have it both ways. They want to be treated like an auto when that serves their interest. On the other hand, if that is inconvenient they do their own thing. For example, if a string of cars labors to pass you because they are being respectful of your space, it really isn’t cool to illegally sneak past them at the the red light and make them repeat the process. And far too often, the riders who do that are the biggest complainers about car drivers not giving them their due.
Until it is a true 2 way street, bikes are in for ongoing issues. Any remember, 2 couple tons versus a couple hundred pounds doesn’t go down real well.
The problem is that our roads are not built to accommodate bicycle, and the laws don’t reflect that. Bicycles arent safe on the road in many places, and yet the law requires them to be in the middle of it.