Thought the bike lane protestors were just being dramatic until I nearly got doored myself

I used to roll my eyes at those folks biking in the middle of the lane, figured they were just making trouble. Then last Tuesday on my way to a showing, I was driving behind a cyclist and saw a guy in a parked pickup swing his door open without looking - the biker swerved into traffic to avoid it. That same week I almost hit a kid on a sidewalk who darted out because the bike lane was blocked by a delivery truck. Now I get why they're so vocal about clear lanes, it's honestly scary how close calls happen every day. Anyone else change their mind after seeing something like that up close?

2 comments

2 Comments

averymartin20d ago

82% of people in my city said protected bike lanes were a waste of money in a survey last year, but I bet half of them don't even ride a bike. Did that close call actually make you start biking more, or just make you pay more attention when driving?

rileyb6120d ago

Hear you loud and clear on this. What makes you think infrastructure like painted lanes vs. physical barriers matters more to people who don't bike? I'm in a city where they just slapped some green paint on a busy road and called it done, but there's still parked cars and delivery trucks blocking it every block. It feels like city planners treat bike lanes as decoration instead of actual safety features. Do you think most drivers would get it if they had to ride a bike for a week straight?