Share the Road

By Amanda Blas, Staff Commentary

It's no secret Portland prides itself on being one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the United States. After all, with its segregated bike lanes, bike racks all over the place and the wide selection of bike shops, a cyclist couldn't ask for more. It's pretty clear Portland's made an effort on behalf of cyclists' safety. But the question remains: What about the pedestrians' safety?

You've probably experienced it or seen it for yourself: An innocent student is walking to class when a cyclist comes out of what seems like nowhere. The cyclist yells "watch out" or "move left" and almost knocks the wind out of the student who, despite the cyclist's abrupt warning, had no time to move. And the best part about it? The cyclist just keeps on going without a care in the world.

It may seem unbelievable, but according to a study conducted by the Stuart C. Gruskin Foundation, about 1,000 pedestrians are hit by cyclists in the United States each year. Of those collisions, about 23 percent of them leave pedestrians seriously injured and end with cyclists merely committing a 'hit and run.' However, these run-ins between pedestrians and cyclists go underreported nationally and virtually unreported at UP because most people won't admit they got hit by a bike. A study at Howard College found that these accidents typically happen because of cyclists' negligence and inconsideration, especially when it comes to pedaling on sidewalks. Sounds like the scene mentioned earlier could lead to one of those 1,000 pedestrian cases.

I know not all cyclists are like that. Some say "excuse me" and slow down when pedaling behind people. Others make an effort to avoid almost crashing into people. I've even seen a few hop off their bikes and walk when the sidewalk's too crowded for them to avoid any collisions.

But let's face it. The cyclists who think they own the sidewalks are ruining it for everybody. Not only for the bike riders who do have some courtesy, but for the pedestrians who feel their safety is at risk as well.

Portland's a bicycle-friendly city, and I get that the bike friendliness applies to the UP campus as well. But seriously, UP isn't a bicycle-only campus. There are people walking to and from classes, their dorms and everywhere imaginable. I understand cyclists have places to go, but so do pedestrians. Cyclists can't expect them to disappear into thin air just because they're in a hurry.

To all you cyclists who think you own the sidewalk, think of it this way: How would you feel if some car narrowly missed you while you were riding your bike? Or if some car just honked to warn you as they're already passing by instead of slowing down behind you? I'm sure you'd be more than a little freaked out. You'd probably even be angry. It's no different for the pedestrians when they have close calls with you.

I think it's amazing how bicycle-friendly Portland and the UP campus are, and it's great how beneficial cycling can be. It'd be even better if cycling didn't put pedestrians at risk. So with that, I'm going to close with saying: Cyclists, share the sidewalk!