i have mixed feelings about how to be a bicyclist. a family friend and serious bicyclist, greg kirchgessner, was struck and killed by a car in ithaca while bicycling a decade ago. he was very careful and biked nearly everywhere.
my kids ride with me, so this is something i think about all of the time. do i try to stay out of the way of cars? do i let them see me and "take up space" when i see a dangerous possibility coming? so when i hear that there is the possibility of bike routes i have to cheer for it (and let people know i support it!) because the answer for me is to get off of the road with my kids. there will never (in a car society) be bike lanes or paths everywhere i want to go, but the more there are the less time i spend with two ton vehicles that can wipe me off the face of the planet. when people see me with the kids, they almost always, no matter who they are (even young drivers), defer to me while i cross. even if we're patiently waiting on the sidewalk people often wave us across. i love that. but then there are wacky people who cannot wait while my four-year-old figures out how to walk his awkward bike across a quiet intersection, become exasperated (after less than ten seconds!), and drive around a child in an intersection. i don't get it at all. another ray of hope is that gas prices are so high more people are cycling! sometimes i have visions of bikes outnumbering cars and having a rule system based on bikes rather than cars. it doesn't seem impossible any more! -marlo On Jun 18, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Tony Del Plato wrote: > Re: Critical Mass rides here in Ithaca, they used to take place on > a regular > basis (last or first Fridays of month?). However I stopped > participating a > few years ago when a number of riders began blocking traffic on > Fulton St > causing some angry reactions from drivers. I thought this was both > unnecessary and dangerous as well as putting riders a risk from > drivers who > "lost it" and did dangerous things like drive on the sidewalk by > Agway to > get around us. Now rides seem to occur irregularly. > I've been a commuter cyclist for over 50 years, both here and in > NYC, and > frankly, as much as bike lanes would be nice, we simply need to > take to the > road and be present and very visible. > Tony Del Plato > > On 6/18/08, Kent Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> Hello - >> >> The idea of closing streets to motor vehicle traffic to facilitate >> bicycling has been mentioned to the City's Engineering Office and >> has been >> thoughtfully considered by that office. This is a possibility. >> >> However, consider that the current Cyclovia event occurs on Saturday >> mornings for a short period of time when there is relatively >> little motor >> vehicle traffic and that to close the roads the City would need to >> notify >> residents and post barricades at all of the cross streets during >> the event. >> Also, the route would not be totally car-free since residents >> would still be >> traveling to/from their homes. >> >> In the end it comes largely down to the points that though a >> benefit would >> be provided to those bicyclists on the (mostly) car-free route, >> there would >> be significant costs incurred by the City. Also, participants >> would still >> need to ride on regular streets to get to the event and when >> arriving at the >> Farmers Market. That's not to say that it can't be done though ... >> >> If anyone is really interested in pursuing this idea, please >> contact the >> Engineering Office at 274-6528 - or just stop by (2nd floor in >> City Hall). >> >> Furthermore, after participating in last weekend's Cyclovia event, >> I was >> pleased to see how well motorists behaved when passing us, and how >> well the >> other participants (especially the young children) behaved when >> cycling in >> traffic. Even if some areas are free of motor vehicles, bicyclists >> still >> need to learn to cycle safely and effectively on regular streets – >> the >> Cyclovia is a great opportunity to do just that. >> >> Take care, >> Kent >> >> >> Kent Johnson >> Transportation Engineering Technician >> Office of the City Engineer >> City of Ithaca >> 108 E. Green St. >> Ithaca, New York 14850 >> (607) 274-6528, (607) 327-0316 (cell) >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> --- On Wed, 6/18/08, Thomas Shelley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> From: Thomas Shelley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Cyclovia and beyond >> To: "Sustainable Tompkins County listserv" < >> [email protected]> >> Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 6:45 AM >> >> Hi, Andy. As a member of the Mayor's Local Action Plan Committee (to >> reduce greenhouse gas emissions for City operations and the City >> of Ithaca >> in general) I have officially proposed that such a Cyclovia >> program be >> introduced by the City, with the appropriate street closures, etc. >> I have no idea what will come of it, but at least the idea is on the >> table. Tom >> >> ****************************************** >> Tom Shelley >> 118 E. Court St. >> Ithaca, NY 14850 >> 607 342-0864 >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> Compost Educator and General Sustainability Geek >> >> _______________________________________________ >> For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County >> area, >> please >> visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ >> >> RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >> [email protected] >> http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >> free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County >> area, >> please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ >> >> RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >> [email protected] >> http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >> free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org >> > > > > -- > > "Justice is what love looks like in public." > ~ Dr. Cornel West > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County > area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org Marlo Capoccia Garden Gate www.gardengatedelivery.com _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
