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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on August 15, 2024 at 7:03am

That's a tough question -- there have been a lot of changes. Personally, and this is entirely subjective, I think that somehow during Covid drivers became even more angry and hostile. Not just against other drivers, but against cyclists as well. There is enormous opposition to speed and turn cameras and any other project that threatens to slow cars down. In my area, stop signs seem to have become a mere suggestion to many drivers. Speeds on the Archer International Speedway are up, especially after they removed the one helpful speed camera near me. Even though I'm a keep-to-the-right cyclist, give hand signals, and do everything I can to get along and go along, more cars than ten years ago seem to pass dangerously close or creep up from behind and and loudly blow their horns. It's kind of like Republicans and Democrats. Now, many other things that have happened are positives, but this would be my response. YMMV. Maybe it's just because I'm ten years older, too.    

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 19, 2024 at 12:18am

I agree with Jim's comment 100%. I see red light running every day now. It was much less common 10 years ago. Speeding, road rage and distracted driving are all up by a lot. I need to be a lot more vigilant now.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on August 28, 2024 at 4:23am

I see two things. One good. One bad. The  good is that more  and more local governments are seeing bicycling as  part of the cocktail of road usage and  are building more bike lanes and more  protected bike lanes. They often understand the concept of making roads safer for pedestrians and  cyclists by dampening the ability of motor vehicles to  reach higher  speeds. This good  is tempered by a reality that  most governments have a "cars first" orientation and they can be bullied by nimbys and those who want to make sure they can  still make their  commute by car in a certain amount of time. Still an  overall good. 

The bad is more  and  more drivers are  distracted, upset, uncaring and/or unaware.  I  have  seen this from  my bike seat, from my drivers seat  and from the street corner as I am standing by. The  quality of  drivers has diminished  in recent years.  Distraction is a  large part of  it but there are also drivers who sort out their own mental health challenges from  the driver's seat and there are too many who feel a need to  win  an  encounter when  thousands of others are  on  the road and just trying to get home. All these  issues apply to all users, not  just  drivers. Today I was riding 14 mph on  Elston Ave. when  a young gentleman on an electric scooter whizzed  by at the speed limit of  30 mph. I could not  help wondering  how far he would fly if he  hit a  pothole or an imperfection in the  pavement.  I  hope he got  where he is going in one piece. 

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 28, 2024 at 9:50am

The driving for sure 

For me e bikes 3 yrs ago when Foxtrot was around they had 4 class 2 e bikes for us to do deliveries with and it changed me took an e Divvy a couple times then decided to get one 

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 16, 2024 at 3:29am

I live in the burbs now, but was in the city over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see so many young kids riding with their parents on main streets.  It made me so happy.  I don’t remember seeing kids riding as much on main streets 10 years ago.   

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