Comments on: Strategy for a Cyclist-Friendly Community

By: Eli Damon

Eli Damon — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:45:15 +0000

Another excellent piece. I especially appreciated the part about integrating cycling with mass transportation. The stubborn, irrational, and passive aggressive behavior of many mass transportation people on this subject is very frustrating.

By: Mighk Wilson

Mighk Wilson — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:28:28 +0000

To be more specific, I would say that motorists must be respectful of those cyclists who are both law-abiding and assertive. I wouldn’t expect them to respect the ones running red lights, riding the wrong way, etc.

Unfortunately, few people know what safe and legal cycling looks like. Too many people (motorists AND cyclists, and even some law enforcement officers) believe lane control is unsafe and illegal, when it is neither.

What some critics miss is our promotion of “control and release” and other delay-management strategies. They only see the lane control element and believe we don’t care about our impact on motorists.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:33:49 +0000

It is my pleasure Keri. I cannnot help myself from singing the praises of the cyclesavvy course. As you know, I was very skeptical of the course before enrolling, I was certainly not interested in being part of a guerilla like rebellion that demanded the abolishment of motor vehicles, the renunciation of my driver’s license, called for the overthrow of the DMV and mandated comfortable but God awfully unattractive leather footware.
Much to my (pleasant) surprise, the CS course is NOTHING like that. It is a well thought out and executed program that nearly perfectly balances just the right combination of classroom material (backed with stunning visual aids), technical skills development, and live on the road demonstration. I would have NEVER contemplated riding my bike through downtown Orlando prior to the course, and now I envy those of you who get to do it on a regular basis. I am not ready to turn in my keys just yet, but I know that if the need, or opportunity, presented itself I could get around town just fine. Even with the occassional A-hole.
To the point of your original post, it is just too bad that respect in our society has to be earned, it should be the default for everyone, with disrespect having to be “earned” on an individual basis. People who do not deserve respect have a way of making it perfectly clear soon enough, so the danger of wasting too much respect will never be an issue. (Just what was left over from my $0.02…)

By: Keri

Keri — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:47:02 +0000

Keith, Thank you for the kind words! I am honored by your support for the CS program and grateful for your readership of this site. Tailwinds and Happy New Year!

By: JohnB

JohnB — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:42:51 +0000

At the risk of feeding a troll, but since Keith already started, I’ll add my $0.02…

I think you may be missing Keri’s point, Geo. From my understanding of her philosophy, it is not that motorists need to be more careful around cyclists because motorists cause most of the accidents. It is that motorists need to be more respectful of cyclists using the road in general, including and especially car-centric road configurations and roads lacking obvious bicycle infrastructure such as bike lanes, because the dominant cultural viewpoint that cyclists don’t belong on such roads is partly responsible for many cyclists’ timid and cowering behavior on those roads (or the adjacent sidewalks), and that this behavior keeps those cyclists from asserting themselves adequately to be safe.

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:08:08 +0000

Did you even read the article Geo? Do you know anything about the Cycle_Savvy philosophy? I am not sure if you posted in the wrong place by accident or if you are just cruising for a fight. You could not be more off base in referring to Keri as “eliist”, in fact I get more of an elitist vibe from your self proclaimed “triathelete” status.
Keri and many of the other members of this site are actually just asking for EQUAL status no more, but no less. They are not hte ones asking for millions of dollars for new infrastructure – they just want the right to use the existing infrastucture free of harrasment by motorists and law enforcement under the mistaken or misrepresented guise of their safety.
I am primarily a motorist, but I have learned much from their course, that not only taught me how to use the existing infrastructure in a safe and effective manner as a cyclist, but also as a motorist. I am not necessarily on board with all of the items on their wish list, BUT I have RESPECT for their cause.
It is obvious to me that you have not taken the course or you would realize how absurd your claim is that they are “doing more harm than good”.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you nonetheless.

By: Geo

Geo — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:10:30 +0000

You do more harm to the cycling community than good. The stats speak for themselves “in Orlando, only 8% of cyclist-injury crashes between cyclists and motorists involve a legally-operating roadway cyclist.” And yet you still whine about motorists, as if they are the cause of majority of crashes. Since when is it “cultures” reponsibility to ” promote, encourage or respect” my education as a cyclist? Scratch that…I dont want to be lumped in with you..Im a triathlete. Your elitist and entitled attitude does nothing to help.

By: danc

danc — Mon, 31 May 2010 04:28:25 +0000

Keri,
I would also be interested in pdf handout.
Thanks!

By: Keri

Keri — Mon, 31 May 2010 01:20:03 +0000

Thank you, Khal! Please do pass it on. I have a PDF handout of this, too. I’ll send it to you.

By: Khal Spencer

Khal Spencer — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:41:26 +0000

The pyramid is a brilliant idea on how the relative positions of culture, education, and engineering should hang together. I hope we can all link to and copy this, Keri, as it puts engineering where it belongs, as a capping stone to a solid foundation rather than as a monument to folly.