Cycling Article in WSJ - "Don't Be a Jerk"
I looking for news articles for a project at work, and I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal I wanted to share. It's titled: Cycling's New Rules of the Road. It talks about the cycling boom right now, but focuses mainly on NYC. I wanted to point it out because I thought it was a good read as I was going through it as I read about how it can be choas at times with drivers, pedestrians and cyclist all having the share the road. Then halfway down the article it swiches gear (pun not originally intended, but sticking with it) about a new ad campaign that NYC is launching. It's titled "Don't be a jerk" and is aimed at cyclists. I like that there's a campaign about sharing the road that has this title, but I don't understand why it can't be aimed at drivers and pedestrians at the same time, teaching everyone to share. Anyway, my intention isn't to post this to create a rant. I thought a good part of it was an interesting read for a few reasons. 1. The guy who is the main source for the article in regards to urban planning and cyclists being a part of that plan is working on a study about cycling in cities that Chicago is partially funding. 2. The article states that in Chicago bus drivers and cab drivers are required to take a course on safe driving with cyclists. The bus driver part I knew, but cab drivers are required too? Really? 3. I think the article had good information to add extra knowledge and perspective as a bike advocate.
I just realized how long it's been since I've posted anything here. Jeez.
Views: 76
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on
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Interesting but maybe not the best cheerleader for bikes. I was just in NYC and I can't imagine that Chicago is doing more as the article says.
Another NYC bike related article also indirectly or directly grumbles about cyclists as a group, typified by bad bad not by the rules riders, which has led noncyclists to get parts of the biking infrastructure removed. Note the huge recent increase in cyclists after the bike lanes went in - a source of joy to some and consternation to others. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/nyregion/23bicycle.html
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on
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New York is quite different from Chicago in that the culture is all about walking and transit. (The majority of New Yorkers don't have a car.) Cyclists are viewed as dangerous annoyances not for the reasons they are in most cities, but because this is a place where jaywalkers are generally regarded as having the right of way against traffic.
That said, the reason New York cycling advocates complain that other cities are doing more is that they are. New York is incomprehensibly big, much larger than people who haven't lived there tend to appreciate, and the vast majority of it is very badly wired for cyclists. (Queens alone is comparable to Chicago in size and has about two-thirds the population, and we may as well be Amsterdam by comparison.) Manhattan and large parts of Brooklyn may have a lot of cycling infrastructure, but planners have in mind that Staten Island, which is about as large and populous as Boston, doesn't.
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Some excellent points you make - NY is a much larger city. But where are the 250 miles of bike lanes, the bike box markings, the separated lanes, the bicycle traffic lights in the other cities that are doing better? Sure, there are some, but not here. I can see the negative comparison to any city in northern Europe or to Japan, but I don't think that we can really be too sure that Chicago is doing more than NY on these issues. I think that NYC starts from way ahead, too, from a human scale transportation standpoint, for just the reason you mention: they don't have cars (and usually can't drive til coming out into our world to go to college) and they can take public transit and walk everywhere.
An interesting point raised in the article(s), I think, is that they argue that the new infrastructure has pulled lots of new riders out onto the street, but some cyclists don't follow the rules, and that gives people with nothing better to do an opportunity to complain and try to take away what really is a public benefit. But last year in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, these kinds of allegations served to cover a different objection to cycling based in religious intolerance to nontraditional clothing (NY Post). Do we as cyclists all have to ride like the 'good example' cartoon chipmunk in a drivers ed movie on vehicular lanes, or is it something else about cycling that bugs the grumpy people and we lose no matter what we do? If it's the latter, and I think it might be, we should stop apologizing (those who do), assert our right to proper bicycle infrastructure instead of having to compromise by riding on roads like Irving Park, and just ride where we're going.
Dr. Doom said:the reason New York cycling advocates complain that other cities are doing more is that they are.
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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Allen Wrench said:But last year in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, these kinds of allegations served to cover a different objection to cycling based in religious intolerance to nontraditional clothing (NY Post). Do we as cyclists all have to ride like the 'good example' cartoon chipmunk in a drivers ed movie on vehicular lanes, or is it something else about cycling that bugs the grumpy people and we lose no matter what we do? If it's the latter, and I think it might be, we should stop apologizing (those who do), assert our right to proper bicycle infrastructure instead of having to compromise by riding on roads like Irving Park, and just ride where we're going.
Underlining for emphasis by me.
You hit the nail right on the head. There are certain people who will never be content to let certain other groups have any freedom. We have our own haters in this community who would ban cars if they had the chance. Whatever reason comes to hand is a good reason to get a handle on getting what they really want.
Just ride your bike. I'll ride mine. When everyone is riding one then what are they going to do?
When it's time to railroad we railroad. When it's time to ride bikes we'll all be riding bikes. That's how social phenomenons work. I think that riding will become much more popular as time goes on and there isn't anything anyone is going to do about it. Perhaps everyone will be riding electric-powered bikes when the technology gets here and those of us still pedaling will be the minority -but I think most people will be riding on light two-wheeled vehicles regardless in our near future.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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Sometimes I'm a car, sometimes I'm a bike, sometimes I'm a pedestrian. Whichever hat I'm wearing, I, like most, want a minimum of impediments to my mode, line and pace of travel. And I'm just naive enough to believe that's what everyone else wants as well. The only car, bike or pedestrian I generally hate is the one directly in front of me.
Each of these modes of transportation has it's proportionate share of jerks, but no one has a monopoly on jerkdom. I don't like the smart phone/dumb pedestrian shuffle and weave. I don't like bicyclists that block the right turn lane at stoplights. I don't like cars that accelerate and swerve so they can get to the next red light more quickly. My experience is that cars behave in the most predictable fashion.
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"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" -George Carlin
Kevin Conway said:Sometimes I'm a car, sometimes I'm a bike, sometimes I'm a pedestrian. Whichever hat I'm wearing, I, like most, want a minimum of impediments to my mode, line and pace of travel. And I'm just naive enough to believe that's what everyone else wants as well. The only car, bike or pedestrian I generally hate is the one directly in front of me.
Each of these modes of transportation has it's proportionate share of jerks, but no one has a monopoly on jerkdom. I don't like the smart phone/dumb pedestrian shuffle and weave. I don't like bicyclists that block the right turn lane at stoplights. I don't like cars that accelerate and swerve so they can get to the next red light more quickly. My experience is that cars behave in the most predictable fashion.
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All the time.
James Baum said:"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" -George Carlin
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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on
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Fields might have driven.
How is a vegetable/satirical newspaper supposed to drive?
I doubt Ghandi drove.
H3N3 said:95% of drivers consider their driving skills to be above average-
( W.C. Fields? The Onion? Ghandi?)
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Permalink Reply by Duppie on
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Svenson. And it was only 93%
H3N3 said:95% of drivers consider their driving skills to be above average-
( W.C. Fields? The Onion? Ghandi?)
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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on
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Well Manhattan is 2 miles wide at it's widest and has a dedicated bike (multi use) trail that circles the entire island, separated bike/pedestrian lanes on most if not all bridges, you can walk across the GWB from NYC to New Jersey!
Cabbies have to pass a bunch of tests including the understanding of the English language but they are still shitty drivers.
Rant: And since this week is the beginning of the dumbass/asshole I don't know or choose to ignore the rules of the road happy holiday season such as trying to make Milwaukee ave. into a 2 lane road by driving in the bike lane!
Bike riders are always on the defensive and if I have to cut in front of you to avoid being hit by someone else that's just how it is.
Like I've mentioned before bike riding is faster that driving in rush hour by a lot, so don't get all road ragey drivers, you're just lazy.
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Permalink Reply by Will on
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I've lived in both cities and I find Chicago to be much more bike friendly, although NYC now has separate bike lanes, etc. In Chicago, drivers seem to have a better grasp and understanding for bikers, while in NYC, I would say, in general, they don't. That's why I feel that Chicago is more bike friendly than NYC.
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Fixed that for you.
Ghandi Said:I think it's become common, accepted practice to attribute quotes to H3N3. I mean, can you prove he never said that?
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