I am a bicycle commuter. This isn’t a hobby or a weekend pastime; riding my bike is how I get around, every single day. Forget the fair-weather cyclist image – rain or shine, scorching heat or unexpected dust storm, you’ll find me on two wheels. Whether the forecast threatens a downpour or promises triple-digit temperatures, it’s the same: my bike, my bike, I want to ride my bike, and that’s exactly what I do.
There are many reasons why I’ve chosen this path. As someone navigating middle age, cycling is my key to staying physically and mentally sharp. I take pride in choosing a mode of transport that respects our environment. There’s a simple joy in feeling the sun on my face and listening to the morning birdsong as I pedal towards work.
Yet, despite my dedication, I often feel like my city, and perhaps many cities, are actively working against me and others who choose to ride.
Let’s talk about “cagers.” For those unfamiliar with cycling or motorcycle culture, a “cager” is simply someone in a car – encased in the protective “cage” of their vehicle. In their steel and glass bubble, surrounded by seatbelts and airbags, they are well-protected. Mistakes on their part, or the part of another cager, are often met with minor consequences, thanks to modern vehicle safety.
Now consider the cyclist. We are exposed – brains, blood, and bones balanced on a lightweight frame and two thin tires. Every commute becomes a daily exercise in risk mitigation, a constant effort to avoid serious injury or worse should a cager make an error anywhere near us.
Each day, as I navigate my city streets, I come within inches of countless cagers. These multi-ton vehicles often speed along at 40, 50, even 60 mph on city streets. When these drivers do notice me, reactions range from indifference to outright aggression. I’ve been honked at, yelled at, deliberately splashed by drivers speeding through puddles. I’ve even been subjected to “rolling coal” – pickup truck drivers intentionally accelerating to engulf cyclists in a cloud of toxic diesel exhaust. And yes, I’ve been hit by a car, even while riding on the sidewalk. To too many drivers, cyclists are either invisible or an unwelcome obstacle, a sentiment seemingly echoed by our local government’s inaction.
Our city’s infrastructure for cyclists is woefully inadequate, and speed limits are far too high for safe coexistence with pedestrians and bikes. Over half of my daily commute lacks dedicated bike lanes, a significant portion of it along a major thoroughfare. Without bike lanes, cyclists are forced to merge into car traffic lanes.
Riding a bicycle in the regular traffic on such roads feels like taking my life into my own hands. Even if drivers adhered to the posted speed limit, a collision at those speeds would likely be fatal. So, I’m often left with the marginally safer, yet still precarious, sidewalk. Here, I weave and dodge pedestrians, broken glass that threatens to puncture my tires, and the occasional unpredictable individual who might lash out.
But even on the sidewalk, the danger of cars persists. Busy intersections with constant traffic flow and a lack of dedicated right-turn lanes are particularly hazardous. Drivers are often in a rush to turn, with limited visibility of the sidewalk, creating a constant threat to pedestrians and cyclists alike. In fact, every time I’ve been hit by a car, or experienced a near miss, it’s been in this exact scenario – a driver turning across the sidewalk without looking.
Local authorities often boast about bike paths and trails. However, these are often recreational routes, located in suburban areas or on the city outskirts. These paths rarely connect residential areas with employment centers. Truly effective and safe bicycle commuting requires a connected network of protected bike routes throughout congested urban areas, not just scenic paths in parks and suburbs. We need more bike lanes, and we need them where they matter most – in the heart of the city.
Beyond infrastructure, we desperately need a re-evaluation of vehicle speed limits. Organizations like the National Association of City Transportation Officials and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have conducted extensive research demonstrating the direct correlation between vehicle speed and the severity of injuries for pedestrians and cyclists. Studies show that 45 mph, a common speed limit on many city streets, is a particularly dangerous speed for cyclists in collisions.
Combine inadequate street design with high speed limits and lax enforcement, and you create a hostile and dangerous environment for anyone not in a car. We need our local leaders to prioritize safety for all commuters, regardless of their chosen mode of transportation. It’s time to make our cities truly bike-friendly, not just bike-tolerant. It’s time to make it safer and easier for everyone to say, “my bike, my bike, I want to ride my bike,” and actually do it without fearing for their lives.
