[*BCM*] Longfellow/Cambridge Bike Police, Systemic Change, Courteous Mass...

[TSmith4918 at aol.com]

<<making mental note not to honk or yell at any female bikers on  Huntington 
Avenue>>
yer a saint, Kate!    I usually kindly offer the same  instruction about 
traffic laws but not nearly so calmly and collectedly...
----------------------------
 
In a message dated 7/31/2008 11:25:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
ziegler.kate at gmail.com writes:

I just want to say, firstly, that I've really enjoyed all of the  discussion 
that's been going on the past few days. There have been a lot of  interesting 
perspectives brought forward, and though I don't necessarily  subscribe to all 
of them personally, I think sharing and seeing all sides is  essential.
 
That being said, I was really struck by someone else bringing forward the  
idea of systemic change - this really is the heart of the issue, as I see it,  
and I think between all of our individual road rage and buggaboos on a daily  
commuting basis, the larger systemic picture gets lost too often. Still, this  
is the argument I tend to take on when challenged - the problem is not  
specifically motorists or cyclists, but the system in which we all operate.  The 
basic system and culture needs to be changed to alleviate the tensions of  biking 
in a city as unfriendly to bikes as Boston. Yes, I run red lights - I  slow 
down first, and look, but I would much sooner keep moving that have  traffic 
honking and swerving around me when the light turns green. Yes, I move  between 
lines of traffic, because I've been rear-ended when stopped in a lane.  Yes, I 
ride more than three feet away from the curb, often taking a lane, even  in 
moderate traffic, but if I'm moving at a reasonable speed I will always do  so, 
to avoid dooring and debris. Would I opt to ride differently and follow  the 
rules if it were safe for me to do so? Of course.
 
On a study abroad experience in Geneva, Switzerland, I biked everywhere.  
Geneva has raised bike paths, bike traffic signals and bike turning lanes. You  
can rent bikes for free with a 10 franc, refundable deposit. Women bike in  
their heels and men bike in their suits. While certainly this is a  
European-style ideal, it makes a world of difference - and running a red light  from your 
bike lane most often would mean collision with other cyclists, not  collision 
with cars.
 
Another city that has made some radical changes to promote cycling and  human 
friendly spaces in general is Bogota (I'm dying to go!) - this video  with 
the former mayor highlights a lot of the changes made, and explains the  
challenges and obstacles in doing so. _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGycx75mqRk_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGycx75mqRk) 
 
On  a slight tangent, I had an interesting altercation on my ride to work 
this  morning - On the underpass on Huntington, going under Mass Ave, a woman  
pulled next to me, rolled down her window, honked and yelled that the road is  
not a bike lane. As is my standard reaction, especially in the morning commute  
downtown, I kept my eye on her car and of course caught up to her a few 
lights  down. I got off my bike, crossed in the crosswalk and stopped at her car  
window, and began to explain (calmly, I'd like to emphasize - I always try to  
be polite and calm, as people are usually so startled at being recognized from 
 inside their rolling castles that being angry would only escalate) that  
traffic law both allows and requires me to ride in traffic, not on the  sidewalk, 
and that I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience to her.  Mid-speech, she 
rolled up her window, locked her door and RAN A RED LIGHT to  get away from 
me. I've never seen such a thing, in all the people I've stopped  and all the 
biking I've done. And really, I can think I'm that intimidating.  Any similar 
experiences, anyone?
 
Back  to my argument for systemic change (and I think Courteous Mass is a 
great  addition to Critical Mass in awareness-raising!), this is also and 
interesting  video on bike-friendly cities: 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8_ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8) 
 
Peace  and safe riding,
Kate



 



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