[From the Oregonian]
It’s been a crazy week around here.
The Randy Albright/TriMet thing has spilled over from my site to the local media, the blogosphere, and now to the national media (someone saw the video on Fox TV in Utah). The result is an avalanche of comments (101 on this blog at last count) and emotions from people on all sides of the issue. And I hesitate to say “sides” because I’m afraid this whole thing is becoming more about which side you’re on rather than recognizing that we all have a right to the road and life is much better when we peacefully coexist.
And then there’s this front page story in the Oregonian today, which only fuels the anger and divisiveness. I really question the motives of the Oregonian editors when they refer to bike/motorist relations as a “cold war” and put forth the idea that a “backlash against bicyclists” is about to begin. While I’m dissapointed in the article, I also realize that the goal of the Oregonian is to sell papers, not to find solutions to problems…that part is up to us.
So what’s really going on here? Is there really a civil war in the making? I really doubt it. I think all the ugly, violent comments are the opinions of minorities on both sides. I know a lot of people that ride bikes and drive cars in this town and I can tell you that 99.5% of them are not looking to push their agenda or throw anyone into the river.
We must remember that they way choose to get from point A to point B doesn’t put us on a side, it just puts us on the road and we need all work together to make that experience as safe as possible. I look forward to doing what I can to help bridge the gap between cyclists and motorists and I can’t wait to bring all this to the Bike Summit in March to hear how other cities are dealing with the issue.
Have a calm, safe weekend in whatever mode of transport you choose. And if you’re feeling sick from all the harsh comments floating around, here’s a photo I took at last night’s Super Legal Ride that will make you feel better.