Letter to the Editor from someone who knows nothing of bikes, autos and roads

[happyslug]

I am responding to the Oct. 26 letter by Ben Yogman ("Bikes and Red Lights&quot . I disagree with many points made in this letter. As a young driver, I find bikes on the road to be a huge and unnecessary hazard. Mr. Yogman says that biking on the sidewalk is dangerous because pedestrians are also on the sidewalk, but a biker can easily see these pedestrians. When bikes are on the road, they are often difficult to see and can easily be in a driver's blind spot. Also, a collision between a bike and a pedestrian is certainly less likely to end in severe injuries or death than a collision between a car and a bike.

The letter also states that pedestrians ignore signals and cross clear intersections and since a biker is similar to a jogger, this is acceptable for bikers as well. However, the fact that pedestrians do this does not make it right.

I firmly believe that bikers should be allowed to bike only on sidewalks or on roads with a specific bike lane that does not interfere with regular drivers. According to bicyclinginfo.org, about 700 bikers are killed in crashes every year. If bikers would stay off of main roads, it would create a much safer experience for everyone.

NICOLE LEHMAN
Franklin Park

Nolw this is from the Pittsburgh Post Gazetter, dated 10-31-2013:
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2013/11/01/Bikes-on-roadways/stories/201311010045

Apparently the writer did not read her driving handbook carefully. First Bikes are VEHICLES and thus permitted on the road. Second side walks are for pedestrians

Now, Pennsylvania does NOT ban bicycles from Sidewalks EXCEPT in business districts (This was changed about 10-20 years ago as part of a re-write of the bicyle code the also removed the requirement that cyclists use bike ways instead of a road). One of the reason for the change was a bad accident that clearly showed you can NOT mix pedestrians with high speed cyclists.

[Shankapotomus]

1. I don't agree with the writer's logic

but I support his conclusion. I don't trust cars and I don't want to share a road with them. I imagine there is not a large accommodating bicycle road infrastructure here is because it would interfere with auto and auto insurance company profits.