Keep Your Guard Up -Especially in a Bike Lane

First published in The Coloradoan, Nov. 1, 2010
by Rick Price, Ph.D.

Bike lanes serve a useful purpose in encouraging new cyclists to take up cycling and in making many of us feel comfortable bicycling in traffic.

They can give cyclists a false sense of security, though. On narrow streets with parked cars, bike lanes often invite cyclists to ride in the "door zone" where a car door might open unexpectedly. This happens on Mason and Howes streets in Fort Collins. On those streets, I ride just to the left of the bike lane to avoid the door hazard. On Mountain Avenue or Remington Street, however, the bike lanes are wide enough to ride in most of the time. There, I ride just inside the bike lane and am still far from car doors.

Novice cyclists often think, incorrectly, that they can use a bike lane for travel in either direction. These novices don't understand the danger with wrong-way riding. Drivers entering a street across a bike lane aren't used to looking to the right for bikes. This, in part, makes wrong-way riding the single biggest cause of  car/bike crashes nationally.

Right-turning motorists are another problem with bike lanes. Motorists violate traffic laws when they turn across a bike lane since the law states clearly that "both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway." This means that as a motorist you should merge into the bike lane and make your turn from there after yielding to any bicyclists in the lane just as you would yield and merge right into a right-turn lane before making a turn.

Photos:  The top photo shows a bike lane on South College in Fort Collins where motorists are invited to cross the bike lane with dashed lines to get into the right turn lane.  The bottom photo shows a situation on Laurel Street in Fort Collins.  Here the bike lane all of a sudden jumps left eight feet putting the cyclist in the right turn lane unwittingly.  The lack of dashed lines delineating where motorists should cross the bike lane is confusing for both cyclists and motorists on Laurel St. on the north side of the Colorado State University campus. 


Having a car use a bike lane as a turning lane contradicts what most people believe to be correct, including cyclists, who think that the bike lane is for their exclusive use. It is, most of the time, but not in the case of right-turning motorists.

So what should cyclists do when confronted with a right-turning motorist in "their" lane? Since cyclists are not required to ride in the bike lane, the safe behavior is to either stop or merge left into the travel lane to continue straight through the intersection. This is a little dance that cyclists and motorists must do as they negotiate bike lanes.

LaPorte Avenue will soon go on a "road diet," reducing it from four to two travel lanes. Bike lanes will be added as will a center left-turn lane. Transportation Board members asked if the bike lanes would be striped with dashed lines for right-turning cars. The answer was no, but board members suggested that the lines delineating bike lanes should be dashed where cyclists can expect right-turning vehicles to cross their path. This offers a warning to cyclists that cars may enter the bike lane here.

So get out and ride, but don't let your guard down just because you are in a bike lane.

Your Two Main Responsibilities as a Bicyclist: #1 Don't Fall off Your Bike! and #2 Don't Let Anyone Else Knock You off Your Bike

I've been telling students, bike club members, and Earn-a-Bike recipients at the Bike Co-op the above two "primary responsibilities" recently.  This is far better advice, in fact, than telling students to "respect the law" and "wear a helmet."  As Michael Bluejay points out, you can still get killed riding your bike with a bike helmet on!

Michael Bluejay has a lot more to say about this.  You can read about him at this link.  And to read more about his advice, read below and then link to his Bicycle Safety web site.  

From Michael Bluejay:
This is a far cry from normal bicycle safety guides, which usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the law. But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place. Plenty of cyclists are killed by cars even though they were wearing helmets. Ironically, if they had ridden without helmets, yet followed the guidelines listed below, they might still be alive today. Don't fall for the myth that wearing a helmet is the first and last word in biking safety. In truth, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's better to not get hit. That's what real bicycle safety is about.

The next most common bike safety advice after "wear a helmet" is "follow the law," but most people are already aware that it's stupid to race through a red light when there's cross traffic. So the "follow the law" advice isn't that helpful because it's too obvious.What you'll find here are several scenarios that maybe aren't that obvious.

The other problem with the "follow the law" message is that people may think that's all they need to do. But following the law is not enough to keep you safe, not by a long shot. Here's an example: The law tells you to ride as far to the right as is practicable. But if you ride too far to the right, someone exiting a parked car could open their door right in front of you, and you'll be less visible to motorists pulling out of driveways and parking lots, and motorists coming from behind may pass you way too closely in the same lane because you didn't make them change lanes. In each of these cases you were following the law, but could still have been hit. This page doesn't focus on the law, it focuses on how to not get hit by cars. Now let's see how to do so.

Phys Ed: Do More Bicyclists Lead to More Injuries

Great article by Gretchen Reynolds in yesterday's NY Times Blog

Recently, surgeons and emergency room physicians at the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center in Denver noticed a troubling trend. They seemed to be seeing cyclists with more serious injuries than in years past. Since many of the physicians at the hospital, a Level I trauma center serving the Denver metropolitan area, were themselves cyclists, they wondered if their sense of things was accurate.

So the doctors began gathering data on all cycling-related trauma admittances at the hospital and dividing them into two blocks, one covering 1995-2000 and the other 2001-6.

The data, which were presented in mid-October at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago, revealed “some pretty alarming things,” said Dr. Jeffry Kashuk, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, attending physician at the trauma center and an author of the study. Over the years, the severity of the bodily damage, as measured by a standardized injury severity score, had significantly increased. The number of chest injuries rose by 15 percent, while abdominal injuries tripled. The typical length of cyclists’ time in the intensive care unit grew. Meanwhile, the average age of the injured riders had risen, from 25 to about 30, and when the researchers plotted the most recent injury sites against a map of the Denver area, they found smatterings of accidents along bike paths, but large clusters downtown.

“What we concluded was that a lot of these people were commuters,” Dr. Kashuk said, adding, “If we keep promoting cycling without other actions to make it safer, we may face a perfect storm of injuries in the near future.”

There has been an enormous push in recent years to increase bicycle ridership, in hopes of improving both individual health and the environment. Cities like Denver, New York and Portland, Ore., have added bike lanes, given away helmets and otherwise tried to lure more cyclists onto the roads. But the Denver study seemed to indicate that getting more people to ride meant more would be hurt.

But that is not necessarily so, a well-established body of counterintuitive science promises. This research, which has examined bicycle-riding patterns in the United States and in Europe, has found that in virtually every instance, when the number of riders on the road increases, the likelihood of accidents declines. This surprising result is known among its researchers as the “safety in numbers” effect, and it has been repeatedly documented. In Britain, for instance, the number of cyclists soared by 70 percent during the oil crisis of the 1970s, a 2002 report on cycling safety there pointed out, but the number of annual deaths among cyclists then fell.

Similarly, in the Netherlands, a nation that loves its bicycles, the level of bike use rose 30 percent from 1980 to 1990, while the number of cycling-related deaths declined by a third. Closer to home, when a California public-health expert compiled data about accidents involving cyclists and walkers in major cities in California, he found that, as his 2003 study reported, “the likelihood of an injury is not constant, but decreases as walking or bicycling increases.”

How can more cyclists mean fewer accidents? “It seems unlikely that people walking or bicycling obey traffic laws more” just because more of them are on the streets, the author of the California study wrote. “Adaptation in motorist behavior seems more plausible.” In other words, when more cyclists show up on the roads, car drivers become used to them and respond appropriately. As the British report pointed out, “common events are safe, and rare events are dangerous.” Making cycling safer, the report concluded, “ requires that it become more popular.”

There is a Catch-22 in that proposition, of course, and studies like the one from Denver underscore the issue’s complexity. In the early stages of increasing bike ridership, injuries may increase, as may their severity, since drivers will not yet be acclimated to the influx of two-wheeled traffic (and many of the early-adapter riders will not be attuned to the nuances of negotiating in traffic). At the same time, according to surveys conducted over the years by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, most people say that the primary reason they do not ride bikes is a concern for safety. So reports about an increase in injuries, even if it were ultimately short-lived, could blunt the rise in ridership, making those who do cycle less safe.

What, then, can be done? No solutions are easy, said Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and an avid cyclist who, with others in his department, is studying how best to increase bicycle safety. “It’s definitely a good idea to promote bicycle riding for a multitude of reasons, foremost among them better health,” Dr. Willett said. “But as with any health-related intervention, there are benefits and side effects.”

Transportation experts cannot agree, for instance, about whether to segregate bicycle and automobile traffic, using concrete barriers along bike paths or creating separate bikeways. In the short term, such an approach should protect cyclists. But if if drivers are not given the opportunity to acclimate to riders, will it actually make it more dangerous for bikers in the long run? No one knows. “We need studies; we need data,” Dr. Willett said.

In the meantime, as more cyclists are taking to the roads but drivers and cyclists have not yet reached an accommodation, individual responsibility seems the best response. Bicyclists must obey traffic laws, an obvious prescription often flouted, at least according to a study in May of cycling behavior in Midtown Manhattan. It found that many riders ran red lights and illegally ribboned through traffic. Even more egregiously, an April epidemiological study of bicycle fatalities in New York City from 1996 to 2005 reported that alcohol was detected in 21 percent of the cyclists killed.

Finally, do not assume that, should you dutifully follow the rules, you are freed from constant vigilance. Individual driving behavior, no matter how many cyclists ride, will always remain unpredictable, if not perverse. Consider the results of a 2007 study from Britain, which found that, when cyclists skipped wearing helmets, drivers yielded more of the road to them while passing; if the cyclists did don their helmets, the drivers tended to crowd dangerously close.

Bike Co-op Offers League of American Bicyclists Smart Cycling Class Nov. 7th

The Fort Collins Bike Co-op is offering a Smart Cycling class for both experienced and novice cyclists Saturday, Nov. 7. This class is part of the wide ranging curriculum of smart cycling courses offered by the League of American Bicyclists. The goal of the class is to teach the principles and practices of “vehicular” cycling.

The course gives all levels of cyclists critical knowledge about where to ride in traffic, how to ride in traffic and on multi-modal trails, and what bicycle to select for your specific needs. The class will also address cycling techniques for commuters and recreational cyclists and recent changes in Colorado law that affect cyclists.

This course is ideal for parents or PE, health and wellness educators who are interested in teaching better bicycling to their own children or to their students. The class is also a required course for anyone seeking to achieve the League of American Bicyclists “League Cycling Instructor” – LCI - certification. The Co-op will offer an LCI certification class in late winter so if you are considering pursuing that certification the Nov. 7th class is a great opportunity to complete the Traffic Skills 101 (TS 101) prerequisite.
The class is sponsored by the Fort Collins Bike Co-op: www.FCBikeCoop.org

To register for this Traffic Skills 101 course, contact:
Rick Price
Contact Email: Rick@experienceplus.com
Website: www.FCBikeCoop.org
Signup is required in advance
Contact the instructor by e-mail or phone: 970-310-5238
rick@experienceplus.com.
Fee: $60 (Scholarships, educator & student rates are available)
Equipment required: Bring your bicycle and a helmet (required for sure)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8:30 to 5 p.m.
Instructor: Rick Price
Location: Fort Collins Bike Co-op: 331 North College, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Fee: $60 (Scholarships, educator & student rates available)

Community Bike Safety Forum Focuses on Education

Details will be forthcoming in a report from the Center for Public Deliberation at CSU but the results of our Safety Forum this last week were the following action items in order of priority.

1) Require bike rights and responsibilities questions in the State Driver's Manual;
2) Educational outreach for K-12;
3) Educational outreach for the general public;
4) Educate the motorist on the rights of cyclists;
5) Educate college age cyclists;
6) Increase overall numbers of cyclists;
7) Start another "Smart Trips" program;
8) Move away from our "car-centric" culture;
9) Move toward better law enforcement;
10) Improve and expand infrastructure.

The top five are educational initiatives, including the driver's manual rewrite, which is better acted upon by Bicycle Colorado since it requires legislative action.

Seems to us that the easiest way to achieve a lot of the educational outreach suggested is to have the City Bike Coordinator focus laser-like on education for students age 6 - 20 (that would pick up the K-12 and CSU students and reach the public as well through school groups, parents, PTAs, etc.)

In short, maybe it is time the Bike Coordinator stopped encouraging cyclists (who shows up for winter bike to work anyway? The already committed!) and start educational outreach programs by leveraging existing groups to help: CSU students helping CSU students; the Bike Co-op reaching out to school kids with a "kidz on bikes" program; and Bike Fort Collins using their $5,000 REI grant for educational outreach (whatever happened to that program, anyway?).

Bike Forum Thursday, February 12, 2009

How Can we Create a Safer Bicycle Culture in Fort Collins? A Community Cyclists Forum
Cyclists to Discuss Bicycle Safety at Community Forum on Feb. 12

The forum will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Drake Centre, 802 W. Drake Road. Click for details.

How Can we Create a Safer Bicycle Culture in Fort Collins? A Community Cyclists Forum

Cyclists to Discuss Bicycle Safety at Community Forum on Feb. 12

The forum will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Drake Centre, 802 W. Drake Road.

The Colorado State University Center for Public Deliberation, or CPD, will host the “Bicycle Safety Summit,” a community forum to discuss bicycle safety in Fort Collins.
Although Fort Collins has been recognized as one of the nation’s most bicycle-friendly communities by the League of American Bicyclists, developing safe cycling practices is still a work in progress.

Recent public concerns regarding safe cycling issues, and the deaths of two cyclists, are leading city officials to turn to the community in search of solutions.
David “DK” Kemp, City of Fort Collins Bicycle Coordinator, said that the goal of the “Bicycle Safety Summit” is to respond to safety concerns in the community, with a goal of gathering ideas for creating a stronger culture of safety in the community.
“We need to acknowledge that the city cannot fix the issue on its own,” Kemp said. “Community involvement and cultural change is essential to finding a solution.”
The forum is designed to gather concerns and ideas for action at all levels of involvement. The idea of a “summit” is symbolic of the collaboration of individuals, the community, local organizations and government.

“One of the hopes of the CPD is to help our community think of all the different ways we can approach issues,” said Martin Carcasson, CPD Director. “This is an issue where a simple policy solution is not likely, but rather requires us to work together as a community at multiple levels.”

The forum is co-sponsored by the City of Fort Collins and local cycling organizations, Bike Fort Collins and the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op. The event is open to the public, and community members are encouraged to participate.
Light refreshments will be provided. Non-partisan student facilitators from the CPD will moderate the forum, and the discussion will be documented to ensure that concerns, ideas and questions will be addressed. The results compiled at the forum will be utilized by the City of Fort Collins and cycling organizations to move forward on this issue.

About the CSU Center for Public Deliberation
The CPD was founded in 2006 and is dedicated to enhancing local democracy through improved public communication and community problem solving. The organization coordinates and hosts numerous events in the Fort Collins and Loveland communities. Student associates are trained as non-partisan facilitators and conveners, and focus on helping the public unite and address critical issues in a more effective manner.

Is Steamboat’s Claim to Ski Fame a Lesson for Fort Collins?

No, we have no hopes of becoming a ski town, but what about 70 Olympic athletes training here and people coming from all over the country because we’re the cycling capital of the US?

That’s the hope, anyway of the Fort Collins Velodrome Association.

The example from Steamboat isn’t all that farfetched. Read how Howelsen Hill in Steamboat got started as the only ski resort in Colorado to make the Colorado State Register of Historic Places. One of the oldest operating ski resorts in the country, National Public Radio did a feature on the ski area in December 2008.

So why not a Fort Collins cycling park, criterium course, and indoor (or outdoor) velodrome to replicate Howelsen Hill?

The photos show kids from 6 - 16 on an Italian velodrome in Forli, Italy.

Use of Cell Phones and Cycling Safety

Bike Fort Collins has begun a campaign to educate citizens and decision makers about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving a 5,000 lb. vehicle on City streets. Have a look at their web page on the issue.

The goal is to make motorists aware of the danger they present to cyclists when distracted by their cell phone. In a "real" bike town, motorists would be aware of this. We're working on it in Fort Collins. Should city council ban the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle? Answer our poll to the left.