It happened again last night. Guy blew off a red light at Claiborne and MLK. Last week it was Cleveland Ave. down by Tulane Hospital. Fellow thought a stop sign was patronizing advice he was beyond. In February, driving home, there was a gaggle of blue lights at Canal and Jeff Davis. Turned out the guy thought the red light at the street intersection 8 feet away didn't apply to the bike path, too.
I am, of course, speculating on motives. The decision-makers themselves aren't around to comment.
Our city is rapidly becoming cycle-friendly. Street repairs since the flood have carved bike lanes out of former double-lane streets, with prominent signage and strengthened laws. We are trying, in our terribly inadequate way, to share the road. Many motorists, of course, are slow to adapt to the new environment.
As are many cyclists.
For decades, taking a bike to the streets of our fair city was begging for disaster. Arrogant, entitled, oblivious--sometimes downright malicious--drivers made two-wheeling a foolhardy act. (Such motorists are still legion here, the main reason I prefer four wheels and a nice steel cage.) Bikers may have felt less compunction to obey signs, signals and rules. Seemed unlikely to improve their chances much.
With our new, more cycle-friendly streets and laws, however, it's getting a little safer to pedal. But a new problem has arisen: it seems some cyclists are as resistant as their motored neighbors to sharing.
After the Canal Street accident, WWNO ran a very balanced story on the brewing "bikelash" in New Orleans. Reporter Nina Feldman was able to get a variety of perspectives on the increasingly confusing, and often deadly, dilemma.
One of the most enlightening voices was that of Charlie Thomas, an attorney specializing in arguing cases for wrongfully injured cyclists throughout the South. He's seen every dumb, blind and malicious thing motorists do to bikers. But he also recognizes that the fault, dear Brutus, is not entirely in our cars. By his very well-informed reckoning, fault for bike/car accidents is about 50-50.
"As a bicyclist, you need to act like a vehicle."
Street and lane directions, stop signs, traffic signals. defined lanes (the line is not a lane, despite the close spelling). These are things that vehicle operators must follow, though they admittedly often blow off.
This new world is a lot less fun for cyclists than the old one. Instead of free spirits piloting winged steeds past stalled losers in their carbon poopers, bikers are expected to embrace the same rules and frustrations as motorists. It is, admittedly, a drag, and far from the unchained ethos bred over years of us v. them.
The changes must be embraced, though, by both groups. Bicycles are part of the massive effort needed to de-carbonize our atmosphere. They help make cities more livable and human-scaled. We need bikes, bikers, bike racks, bike lanes, bike shops...
... and bike nerds.Really, we need you. Please help us help you survive and thrive and spread your gospel. By sharing the rules.