‘It’s Dangerous Out There’…
To the editor:
While I agree with Ms Wenz that there is potential “Danger” in the use of the Bike Path, I must also add that this risk can be completely mitigated by some common sense on the part of the bicyclists. While it’s true that drivers should remember to stop before the bike path, there are no signs in many places to remind drivers to do so. Further, there are many vehicles and drivers on the island that are not familiar with the bike path. No matter what you say or do about it, there is only one sure way of providing for the safety of bike path cyclists and that is for them to stop and/or at least slow down and LOOK when they are crossing ANY roads or driveways. This to me is just common sense and self preservation. I’m pretty sure that it’s also in the “rules of the road” for bicyclists that when approaching any intersection, the rider slow down or stop and look for traffic. Many of these intersections are completely blind or partially obscured from the driver’s seat of a car. There is no way to even see down the bike path without crossing it. I know of several instances where bicyclists have literally run right into stopped cars that were waiting to pull out into traffic. Whose fault is that?
Once again, just some common sense here. Bicyclists need to share in the responsibility for their own safety and slow down or stop and look for traffic at all intersections.
Timothy Young
Saint James Cit
It’s dangerous out there
To the editor:
I’ve been sitting on writing about bicycling on the island forever… because… it’s dangerous out there!!! I’ll cut to the chase. These are my personal thoughts. I believe…
We need to work incredibly hard to educate the community about bicycles. (& repeat & repeat)
“The Path” – Our “bike path” is referred to in most areas as a “multi- use path” because it’s used used for walking, running, roller blading and dog walking as well as biking. So it’s much trickier! So how do we make bikers & users on it safe?
— Drivers… Please…Always stop at stop signs before the bike path and thenproceed slowly (even more so if their vision is obstructed). Drivers should not stop in the bike path (please on that!) and they shouldn’t go through the stop signs because there are so many feet between the stop signs & Stringfellow Road.
— FYI. The most dangerous areas seem to be: KOA, Post Office, Winn-Dixie Parking lot, and the side streets up by Tropical Point, Tangelo…
— Path users, Please!! Don’t just stop in the middle of the path! If you’re using a phone, conversing, walking a dog, walking/riding two abreast, please keep watch for bikes and allow them to pass safely.
— Dog walkers – Please keep a short leash! Hello!
— To my knowledge, motorized vehicles may not legally be on the path.
If you’re going to break the law, at least be kind and pull over to the side and let bikes and people pass!!!
Other Safety Thoughts:
— Bikes on Stringfellow Road: Although we have a path, bicycles do in fact still have the right to ride on the road. (Sometimes the path is flooded, some bikers ride faster for a work out and prefer not to ride on the slow path, some feel endangered by dogs on long leashes). Sadly, some road bikers have been harassed. So I guess we need to re-educate folks who wrongly believe bikes are not allowed on the road.
— Awareness Week and Flyers:
I would love to see an annual “Bike safety week” w/ press articles and flyers. Maybe island organizations can make flyers available year round. (library, Hookers, Mariners, churches, KOA…)
— Better Road Signs- I know folks have contacted the person in charge of signs. I would urge them to gather info as to what signs work best for paths like other around the country. (I’ve seen stop signs before bike paths with an additional sign underneath, with a logo that had a bicycle and a car which said “Stop Before Bike Path!” Mirrors? Yellow stripe in road?
— Path Signs- I’d love to see folks gather info from similar paths and then create/post signs on the path guiding those bikers, rollerbladers, walkers etc…
Bottom line- We need to keep reminding folks on the paths, in the cars and in our conversations around town.
Drivers, bikers & path users- please be kind and considerate, be safe and aware and informed.
Bikers also ride defensively. Helmets do save lives!!!
Many Thanks!
Annie Wenz
Annoying Again
(But with Big Island Love;)
St. James City