A few days ago I received an email from a trucker named Jim. He has been making local deliveries in his 34,000 pound truck around N and NE Portland for 13 years. He brought up some constructive points about the bike safety issue and I think his comments are worth sharing.
“I sense a feeling within the bike community that the typical motorist doesn’t show enough concern for the safety of bicyclists. I occasionally see this first hand…I have noticed more and more friction between motorists and bicyclists lately. This friction has been progressively building up for the past 10 or so years and I’m concerned that it has reached it’s boiling point.
I think a big part of the problem is the angry or impatient motorist but I also think a small part of the problem is with the very few arrogant bicyclists. One example is a pair of bicyclist riding side by side in a bike lane, taking up part of the car lane. When this is done on a narrow street, (such as N Willamette Blvd. near the University of Portland), it creates a hazard not only for the bikers but also the motorists. It appears to me that these bike lanes are designed for groups of bikers to ride single file rather than side by side. Another example I see is bike riders who are riding in the middle of the car lane and do not move to the side so faster moving car traffic can get by. To me that is just a lack of common courtesy.
My intentions of are not to criticize the bicycle community. My intentions are to ease some of the tensions between bicyclists and motorists. This friction is causing people to get hurt or even killed and it deeply saddens me. Motorists have the responsibility to drive in a safe manner and be aware of their surroundings. Bicycles must also abide by those same rules. Two cars should not drive side by side down a one lane road and neither should 2 bikes. If a car is going considerably slower than the flow of traffic he should pull over and let the flow of traffic go by, bicycles should do the same.”
I agree with Jim that common courtesy is the only way cars and bikes will ever be able to “share the road.” Bike lanes and signs are absolutely necessary, but it is consideration and respect for other road users that will do the most good. What do you think?