is not enough.
File photo: 11/22/05
With a large increase in bicycle ridership over the years, two-wheeled traffic is beginning to outgrow infrastructure that was once considered adequate. Bike congestion is becoming more common, especially on paths that are popular with pedestrians like; the Eastbank Esplanade, the Waterfront, and especially the Hawthorne Bridge (where stakes are much higher due to speeding auto traffic just inches away).
With this increased traffic, new safety concerns have arisen. You might remember Elly Blue’s editorial on using bike bells and the importance of “passing etiquette”.
For Community Cycling Center board member Margaret Weddell, the bike and ped traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge has gotten so dangerous she has decided to do something about it. Despite Multnomah County (they own the bridge) adding new markings in late 2005, Weddell wants to do more.
She has organized Bells on the Bridges, a new program that will give out (and install) free bike bells (compliments of Bike Gallery) to cyclists in need. The kick-off will be this Thursday from 7:15 – 8:30 am on the westbound side of the Hawthorne Bridge. And like the Breakfast on the Bridges event which inspired the name, volunteers will also hand out free coffee, tea, and pastries (also donated by Bike Gallery).
Also expected at the event are BTA Executive Director Evan Manvel, Janis McDonald from PDOT Transportation Options, and others.
Fantastic Idea!
Thanks for your work Margaret!
i will put a bell on my bike. it is time.
Bells!??!??
That is too low tech. I need ring tones.
As a multi decade bike and foot commuter, I think bells rule. The sound cuts through conversation and headphones. It communicates meaning instantly and effectively: “Bike passing! Walk steady! or Move right!” Shouting “on your left (or right)” is used, heard, and understood inconsistently.
Bells are music.
Excellent!
On Saturday while I was riding along Seattle’s Burke Gillman trail I must have been passed by 500+ bikes over 2 hours with only about 10 ‘on-your-lefts’ or bell warnings. A mirror helped a lot, but bells on the fastest time trail riders would have been nice due to their speed and silent ride. Perhaps Seattle will do the same? (It was a long slow ride on my Brompton that morning.)
Just a little plug…the Bike Gallery is donating the bells too. Coincidentally, we have, for all y’all, 100 of the “I heart my bike” bells that Elly talks about in her editiorial. We’ll also have folks on hand to install them.
Oh, and watch for staff from the Downtown BG on third Thursdays on the Hawthorne Bridge for free minor bike adjustments, lube, tire inflation, and…coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and pastry (and Red Vines).
Finally, in an effort to keep congestion to a minimum, if you plan on stopping, please be aware of thru traffic and carefully pull over to the side as far as possible when you stop. 😉
I think the problem with this is that people still have to use the bells. Most of us have voices, and yet only 1 out of 10 people that pass me call out.
It’s really frustrating, because I might be just about to go around a pothole or open car door, I start to veer left, and then all of a sudden there’s someone there who has crept up on me. I’ve almost crashed into a handful of people, when a simple “on your left” would’ve done the trick. Mostly, I’m afraid of myself getting hurt or another person getting hurt.
Also, what’s almost as frustrating as this is when I’m passing someone, I call out, “on your left,” and then realize that the person is listening to his/her iPod and probably can’t hear me anyway.
I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that people are more inclined to use bells than they are to call out… But I’m not sure why that would be.
I bought an “Incredibell” last year. I surprised how loud it actually is. People hear it and almost always move over. The stubborn people continue to do there thing however.
I get more “thank yous” with the bell than with calling out “on your left.”
The only downfall of a bell is when it gets wet the decibels are reduced due to water collecting on the shell or dome.
Great idea.
I use my bell a lot. Sometimes people seem annoyed. Is there such thing as too much bell? [“More cowbell!!”]
It’s amazing how few bells I hear when being passed. The “on your left” doesn’t compare to the nice tone of a bell.
I also get better reaction from the bell, but that could just be because when I’m riding in pre-coffee in the morning, “on your left” sounds a lot more antagonistic than I intend.
yeah, I usually jingle my keys, or yell “on your left”. the keys generally work, but it would be easier to ring a handlebar mounted bell. and i have to remember to say “on your left” in an intentionally pleasant tone, which is sometimes hard to remember.
bell = much easier.
Margaret, you rock! I love the fact that you are a woman of action.
I too am passed all the time by cyclists that don’t let you know they are there. I hear others complain ALL the time.
How hard is it to let people know that they are being passed?
See you out there! Janis
Wow, I had never considered that people don’t want to yell out “on your left” because they’re worried about seeming rude or offending people. I can assure you that not calling out at all is going to frustrate people more than calling out in a less-than-perky tone of voice.
I’ve taken to saying “thank you” to every single person that calls out or rings a bell when passing. I can’t change the bad behavior, but I can reinforce the good behavior.
This is great! I get so frustrated w/the silent passers, esp the hill up the Hawthorne Bridge (headed west, just past MLK/Grand) seems like it’s the worst spot for this.
I got a bell for Christmas, and I love it. It makes bike riding more fun. I use it regularly on my Hawthorne Bridge commute, but I also find it handy to ring at car doors left open & at other bike riders as a friendly hello (especially on dark rainy nights!). I find it easier than yelling, as sometimes I am out of breath or I wonder if the person can hear me if noisy vehicles are passing as well.
This is awesome!
Maybe something similar on the Broadway Bridge next?!?!?
Maybe with the bells, she could distribute a pamphlet that describes good riding etiquette and the rule of riding. It is amazing how many people ride on the left, when everyone else is on the right, especially on the east bank. Especially dangerous are the people who ride the wrong way on the Hawthorne bridge.
As bike commuting increases in popularity, we will increasingly need to rely upon people riding in a safe predictable manner to minimize accidents and traffic slow downs. I think there is a ORDOT handout on the subject.
As bike commuting increases in popularity, we will increasingly need to rely upon people riding in a safe predictable manner to minimize accidents and traffic slow downs. I think there is a ORDOT handout on the subject.
Funny, when I am stuck using my car for some bizarre reason, I never honk as I am passing other drivers.
Perhaps a little more responsibility on slow riders to be aware of their surroundings. Use a mirror, occaisionally look around you. Learn to look over your shoulder without swerving.
I have always thought this was a problem with the passee, not the passer.
If you are holding a straight line and not riding spastically, there should be no need for a bell or a shout when someone passes you.
Unless of course the person passing you is traveling to fast for the conditions. Though unsafe riding is probably not going to be tempered by a bell..
I wish I could get follow bicyclists to quit passing on my right! Please always pass “on your left!” with a little jingle.
Steve: it;s the passer’s responsibility to do so safely. All cars have rear and sideview mirrors by law and don’t often have to swerve to avoid debris in their path – not so with bikes. Not to mention the proximity and speed with which some bicyclists pass. It’s really easy for someone passing to ring a bell or say “on your left” – it will help avoid collisions and is the polite thing to do.
Bells are cool (I do have a big “Ding-Dong” bell on my 3 speed) but I’m still more fond of my little “Honka Hoota” horn. It sounds so cheerful and silly, and it makes people smile. If they’rer smiling, they probably aren’t frightened enough to leap unpredictably.
People are not talking about passing safely. They are saying they get scared when someone passes them. A persons feelings, emotions and delicate sensibilities are not a safety issue.
You are right that cars have mirrors. They make them for bicycles too. Go get one! You are also conveniently leaving out the glaring fact that many, many pedestrians and cyclists swerve left when hearing on your left, or a bell.
Again, I simply feel that more attention and responsibility needs to be placed on slow moving, spastic and unpredictable users of shared space. They are the safety hazard here.
And to repeat, unsafe and speeding cyclists will be just as rude and unsafe with a bell, as they are without..
I always use my bell. I picked up the habit living in Germany. The thing is, a well maintained bike is very quiet. Another cyclist or a pedestrian will not hear you coming up behind them and they’ll be surprised when you pass. The bell is the one and only classic song of the bicycle. When anyone hears it, they know exactly what it is. It’s a courtesy to those you’re passing and it’s safer for you if they know you’re coming by.
I’ve passed on the right when a slower rider takes up the center of the bike lane in busy traffic. If there’s an opening where there a no cars parked, I go for it…but only after saying on “your right.” I would think they would take this as a hint to stay on the right of the path always…I do.
I bike the Hawthorne Bridge every day on my way to and from work. Most of the people on the bridge at that time, whether walking or biking, are commuters, and know to stay to the right. If I rang my bell for every person that I passed on this fine summer morning, I would be ringing it non-stop all the way across the bridge. It seems much more crucial to use my bell during “off-hours” when there are more recreational walkers, kids and dogs. In the end it comes down to consideration for the others on the bridge. Bells, when used judiciously, are just one more way to be considerate.
What a great program. Direct activism – I love it.
BTW, I only ring or “OYL” if there is a reason to. If there is a large speed differential, passing the attetnion challenged, children, or dogs on those GD extenable leashes, are all good reasons to ring.
MIRRORS!
Bells are great, I use ’em…
But…
With my mirror, I can actually direct passers and modify my own speed to accommodate conditions, thereby ensuring a safe pass from start to finish.
Other reasons why I WUV MIRRORS (especially helmet- or glasses-mounted models (facilitates “looking around” behind oneself)):
1. No “surprises” in the form of a close pass, either by cyclist or motorist.
2. Ability to “shut down” a pass attempt if conditions are unsafe.
3. Ability to analyze Body Language of potential passer; truly a window in to the future.
4. Knowledge of when, exactly, signals are necessary for those behind oneself.
Mirrors on Madison….? Anybody?
Also noteworthy is Britain’s decision to mount mirrors at intersections that reveal otherwise blind spots for motorists (where cyclpeds might be).
My $.02
I’m glad they will be installing the bells too, because most bells out there just barely fit around standard drop bars, if they fit at all. Although they will fit on the bars found on your schwinn. Longer screws than the one supplied with the bell do help.
You’ll notice most people have jury rigged a mount to their stem or on the spacers between their headset and stem.
I would like to get a mirror for my helmet, bike handles…whatever. But I hear some are worthless. Can anyone recommend a good one?
ME,
Years back, I used to use a bar end mirror. It was about 3.5 inches in diameter, convex, and it worked alright. The convex distorts the image to the extent that it’s not real easy to to track passing cars and especially bicyclists, but it kind of helped. I think I used a helment mirror for awhile, but the model I used wasn’t satisfactory; one of those wire thingamajigs. Having something like that in a major area of my field of vision really kind of bugs me.
What I found as I became a better conditioned cyclist, was that my ability to listen to approaching vehicles and bicyclists worked best for me. That coupled with cranking my head to the side just to get a good direct view in my peripheral vision.
Still, I can accept the fact that there are a number of situations, even given various shortcomings of cyclist mirrors, where such mirrors could make life easier and more certain.
Great event! I use the bell before passing every person that I can. Many people yell out thanks.
When I used to commute on the Boise River Greenbelt, “On your left!” seemed to be the most common form of warning. However here in Portland, people often don’t seem to understand what that means–or they are more callous to being approached by strangers with requests–I’m not sure.
Regardless… The bell works great! Let’s hear more of them out there.
I use a bicycle mirror that looks like this: http://www.usatechguide.org/images/mirror.jpg
I have one on my commuter (European city bike) and two on my recreational ride (long wheel based recumbent). The mirror is flat and does not distort.
I use them all the time while riding and it’s been helpful several times in both avoiding problems with approaching cars and with managing my rides through some of the busier paths.
A couple of weeks ago, some friends of mine and I rode to Eugene. We were on some roads on that ride that had 18-wheelers and other trucks. My friends wound up riding near me and were quite impressed when I could provide warnings — “Truck in 10 seconds”.
Mirrors have made my riding much safer and lower stress.
Ah, the mirror argument again. Mirrors are fine, but if they are a crux for not being able to head-check properly, then they are more dangerous. My 2 cents.
Ooh, goody, let the Broadway Bridge be next..
i did it. i done got me a bell. yipee!
I love the idea! I picked up a free bell this morning and plan to use it as soon as I get it installed.
Also, thanx to Bike Gallery for doing the repairs and coffee/pastry gig on the Hawthorne this am.