Bicycle Safety 101: Traffic Skills Class

With all the warm weather, I've seen a lot of cyclists out. There are quite a few of the "spandex" crowd out - but I hope that someday soon, in the coming years, there will be more bikeway facilities for riders of all ages and skills - kids, teens, families and senior citizens - in communities and places the Upstate.

There are a lot of cyclists in South Carolina, which isn't surprising considering how nice the weather for longer stretches as compared to other northern places in the country. I've seen them in downtown Seneca, Walhalla, Clemson, Anderson, in some smaller towns like Central, Pendleton and on back country roads. However, the State is one of the least safest places to ride in the country. Why is that?

So many cities across the state could take advantage of people's interest in biking. In the Upstate, many are taking their lives into their own hands as they ride in roadways that aren't designed or properly signed to alert drivers to the presence of cyclists. There isn't a strong bike culture here (yet), and many drivers don't know how to react when cyclists are sharing the road with them.

Though I wish there was more opportunities for drivers to learn more about cyclist, the City of Greenville is offering a Bicycle Traffic Skills 101 course on Sunday, April 29. For those that follow the League of American Bicyclists, the course is a prerequisite for becoming a certified League Cycling Instructor. Topics cover include how to fix a flat tube (tire), bicycle safety checks, crash avoidance techniques and other things. It's aimed at adult bike riders, and is a great course, especially for anyone who hasn't gotten on a bike since they were a kid. I highly recommend it.

If you're not able to or in the area, check out other opportunities to brush up or learn new biking skills. With spring breaks and summer vacations not too far off it's the time of year that bike riding is on the rise. Consider taking this course, especially if you'd like to ride to work during National Bike to Work Month in May or if you're contemplating riding to work as gas prices are on the rise again.

City of Clemson Bike Survey

As I posted a little while back, the City of Clemson has posted their bikeways survey online. They'll have it open, through early April 2012. The survey takes about 7 minutes to complete, and has a lot of good questions about what YOU think needs improvement - as a cyclists and as a driver. That means your auto-driving friends should take it! Encourage them - it's not just about the "bikies." Results from the survey will be used to help with bike plan (trails, bike lanes, etc.) implementation in the coming years. This is the opportunity for the public to comment on the issues, needs, concerns and opportunities for biking in Clemson. Take the time to complete the survey.

Bike plan developments and updates have also been presented to the Planning Commission, creating institutional by-in and developing relationships with the decision makers.

Take the survey, consider attending any future meetings and get involved!  (Whether you're in Clemson or in your community.)

Advocacy All-Star Line Up

If you follow national biking advocacy, you would know that there are many organizations that are trumpeting for better biking policies, funding opportunities and more people to get on their bikes and ride. It's awesome that we have so many committed people. However, with many organizations, it can end up sounding like "too many cooks in the kitchen."

Three of the major groups - the Alliance for Walking and Biking, Bikes Belong and the League of American Bicyclists - have agreed to look at consolidating their best pieces to one group! It's like taking the all-stars of biking advocacy and forming a best team possible! Each organization has a slightly different focus, and by joining together, they can use their expertise and support one message - strongly! Check out more on the story here.

Bike News

A quick update on some biking stories in the news lately.

In Easley, pieces of the Bike Master Plan continues to be implemented. A section of SC 135 just north of downtown will be reduced from 4 lanes to 3 lanes. Bike lanes will be placed on either side and the sidewalk along the stretch will also get an update. Feel free to follow the plan's implementation by checking into this website periodically. (Do a Google search for “SC 135 Easley Bike Lanes Greenville Online” to see the full article if you are not a Greenville News subscriber.)

In Greenville, Salters Road, between Verdae and ICAR, will be resurfaced and widened soon by the SCDOT. The project is expected to take at least a year, but when it's completed, it will enhance bike connectivity to Clemson University's ICAR (CU-ICAR). That's especially cool because the focus of the area is automobile research. Props to the University and Greenville for supporting access to the site beyond just the car.

In Clemson, the idea about updating the City's Bike Plan was brought forward to the Planning Commission. Updating the Bike Plan falls in line with recommendations from the City Comprehensive Plan. The City and Clemson University are working together to improve bikeways in the area. They are separate projects, but the two entities are working together, building on existing partnerships. A biking survey should be available in March for city residents and those that commute to and through Clemson on the City website.

(I've seen) Safer Cycling Scenarios

This past weekend I was out in my car running some errands in Anderson. I was on busy Hwy 76 running some errands in the midst of Saturday-afternoon-mall/suburban traffic, and I noticed a lone bicyclists making his way.

I'm not a fan of driving in stop and go traffic when I'm driving, especially when it's the kind where drivers are peeling in and out of large-lot, big-box stores. I like the sales that some of these business provide just as much as anyone else, but driving along billboard-distracting, driveway-every-20-feet roadways can feel like wading into unsafe waters.

While riding along in the 45+ mph traffic, at one point, I noticed that bicyclist riding in the far right lane (not on the sidewalk), attempting to "share the road" with vehicular traffic. Bicyclists have the right to the road just as much as any car, truck or SUV, however, in conditions such as these, riding a bike is not advisable. (Even though I have been known to ride in some conditions that only craz- *er* skilled riders would venture, this scenario seemed to be crossing that line.)

So, I started thinking about the decision of the bicycle rider to ride here. And then I became frustrated by the design of the suburban landscape that really limits transportation choices and mobility. And then I thought about the recent ranking of South Carolina being 49th in the nation in bicycle safety. And then I thought about this blog, and how it aims to be a voice to advocate for making better choices to improve bicycle facilities. And how this situation is exactly what this blog tries to reach out to address and prevent. With the high number of recent crashes (in this very community), I can holy hope that this bicyclist made to his destination and home in one piece.

Just consider a few of these things:
1.  Be careful where you ride. Even though you may be lawfully in the right, think twice about your decisions.
2.  Advocate for better bicycle facilities - like bike lanes, shared roadways and good urban design - that allows for mobility choices and safer options.

Bike Box. Get Behind It.

The bike box. Cool to say. Even cooler to come upon. I've only ridden into a bike box a few times, and that was during my days in Madison, Wisconsin. I found them kinda cool and I felt safer in them then just in a bike lane or being a part of the vehicular traffic line at an intersection.

Bike boxes are the area between the vehicular stop line, crosswalk and curb edge. The area is made accessible by a preceding bike lane (typically found on the right side of the road). The area is there to provide a safer space for queuing bicycles at an intersection. It helps bicyclists clear the intersection faster by putting them out in front. By waiting in a bike box, cyclists don't have to sit behind idling cars breathing in noxious fumes.

Photo of a bike box.

Some bike boxes are painted, while others are denoted by a bicycle symbol between the forward stop line and crosswalk. They are anywhere from 10 - 16 feet deep, and the deeper they are the less likely cars are to encroach on them. Cyclists in a bike box still need to recognize and respect pedestrian's rights - no creeping up on the crosswalk! Here's a good video of how you use one.

Bike boxes might be making an appearance in a city or town near you in the coming years. They're becoming pretty standard in some of the progressive bike places like Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis. They are appearing in local bicycle master plan. They're also found in cities across Europe. They can look a little different, but they have the same purpose - to make it safer for bikes to ride through an intersection.

Be a Change Agent

How do you make change? It's a fair question.

Where do you start? It's different for everyone. Some will look to create change from within - working within their office or institution. Some will take the time outside of the work day, and volunteer time on committees or within community groups. Some will doing it by participating in recreational activities with others (like group rides). Others may have influence over a smaller circle of people, like their family or close friends. Taking the time to create and nurture relationships will enable any change to happen.

Change takes time to happen. Don't expect things to happen overnight. Sometimes things will happen fast, and then sometimes things will happen. really. slowly. Just be patient, and enjoy the ride. Patience and being a good listener are good characteristics to have or practice when you're working with a group of people. If you are working on creating change in and for a bike community, get to know the people you're working with, make some friends and have some laughs along the way!  Fun and work is a balance in these situations. (Don't take it too seriously.)

Celebrate the wins - however small. This is a key thing I learned when I attended a Winning Campaigns Training this past fall in Columbia. Not only did I meet some great people from around the state and region, but I also learned a lot of great things. (I recommend attending if you get the chance!) One of these things was you should celebrate all wins. Get the city council to consider your request for adding a greenway to get to the park? Celebrate! Have the local paper do a positive story on the struggle to put in a bike lane? Celebrate! Celebrate the small wins on the way to the overall goal, and it will help sustain a group's energy and interest.

Change takes time, but with a lot of effort and some luck, good things will happen.

Be the change you want to see in the world. -Ghandi