Riders Tiffany Ladd and Charlie Hendricks ride through a dangerous intersection at 81st Street and Riverside Parkway near River Spirit Casino in July. During the summer, several cyclists were injured at the intersection. KT KING/Tulsa World
Tulsa bicyclists want to be treated equally on the road with motorists.
OK, then follow the same rules.
Don’t weave in and out of traffic, go through stoplights or fly down one-way streets in the opposite direction.
Personally, I’d like for them to go the minimum speed so traffic doesn’t get backed up on major streets.
No doubt drivers need to pay more attention to not only those on two wheels but for other distractions leading to accidents.
Drivers get anxious, leading to dangerous passing and speeding near cyclists.
So, I get where the cyclists are coming from when it comes to their safety.
Serious biking requires road work.
Sidewalks or tracks aren’t a good option because they’ll run over walkers, joggers or kids learning to ride their bikes.
The tension between cyclists and motorists on city streets isn’t new.
But, there is an effort to find a solution.
Reporter Brian Barber’s
story in today’s paper shows that the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is recommending at least 50 miles of on-street bikeways to be included in the city’s next Fix Our Streets package.
City councilors point out it will be a hard sell because less than 1 percent commute by bike and there probably isn’t a significantly higher percentage doing it for recreation.
Also, there are Tulsa neighborhoods which don’t even have sidewalks.
Even with those drawbacks, bike paths are worth considering.
It might inspire more physical activity in a safe area, making it more pleasant for those on sidewalks and in cars.
