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Cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians are often finding their way through our busy streets challenging and sometimes dangerous. Many are asking whether or not it is time for stricter regulations and enforcement.
By Amy Swain
The issue is not new, but it is intensifying. While bicycles have always been a staple of Somerville transportation, they have also brought questions of safety into public traffic conversation.
There is no doubt about the benefits of being a bike-friendly city. Pollution and noise are cut down greatly, the need to cut land for roads is lessened, it is an efficient source of keeping healthy residents, and of course it lessens traffic. The concern lies then, in whether the lower amount of car traffic is worth the fear and frustration that can come when cyclists assume the right of way.
Longtime resident Kenneth Cook has put some thought into this, which has become necessary for him after many potentially dangerous run-ins with cyclists. Cook has lived in Somerville since 1955, and rode a bike to get around in his youth, so he understands the struggle.
One thing that has made a difference, he believes, is the lack of bicycle registration requirements. For around a quarter a plate, all residents of Massachusetts used to register their bikes. “If they felt the same amount of responsibility drivers do, I think they’d be more careful.” Running red lights is a paramount problem. Injuring riders, himself, or other drivers is Cook’s primary concern, and he believes police being unable to regulate and punish the riders contribute to their being in danger at all. “Pedestrians are ticketed; bikes should be too. There are rules for a reason, and they just have to be followed.”
The tough part of the argument, it seems, is that there aren’t much of any. Another resident had this to say: “I’ve been biking in Boston four seasons for over a decade, and I’ve seen bad behavior on all sides. I’ve been hit by a truck because they weren’t paying attention, I’ve almost hit a pedestrian because they were blindly crossing the road while looking down at their phone. I have bikers clip me while passing me without a word.” So, is policing cyclists the answer? “I don’t think there is any reasonable way to police this. God knows they’ve got enough to do. For some, biking is the only affordable way to get to where they need to go. And taking money out their pockets isn’t going to change anything.”
There is no real movement toward registration requirements for cyclists or anything of the like, but as our contributing source said, “I think drivers and bikers need to do a better job of co-existing and just be aware of each other. It’s a give and take. We’re all just trying to get where we’re going.”
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We are probably pretty much at the best we will coexist as human behavior will allow. I remember registering my bike with the police here in Somerville. Although I do believe that bikers should be registered and have insurance and be responsible for their actions as well. As for trucks since I have biked and driven truck I know enough to stay away from them. There are too many blind spots and trucks have to make difficult patterns to make turns. Best to avoid that problem. My own brother just got a metal pelvis from a tractor trailer. More enforcement may help a tad but I don’t see this as solvable.
It cuts both ways, the number of motorist violations I see in Union Square every day is staggering.
I commuted through Boston by bike for 4 years. While vehicles obviously have the potential to do the most damage, that risk can be seriously reduced by careful riding. But the most aggravating and difficult to anticipate threats – and the only collisions I ever had – were with jaywalking pedestrians. They would routinely step right out in front of me, assuming I’d see them in time to yield so they could continue to break the law.
I believe most pedestian injuries in the city could be avoided if pedestrians didn’t jaywalk and used a little common sense. The most significant improvement in pedestrian safety would occur if the police enforced existing jaywalking laws (and the city / state updated the fine from $1).
I agree with you, Genie, but also believe that it works both ways…..most bicyclist injuries could be avoided if bikers weren’t reckless and used a little common sense. However, the city has led them to believe that they can ride however they want with impunity, and if they cause an accident they are never considered at fault. The city should, at the very least, create PSAs reminding bikers of their responsibilities. Instead, they create and subsidize a bike-renting program. Look around you and you’ll see that many people are renting these bikes who don’t know the rules of the road and don’t wear a helmet. In my opinion it’s only due to the fact that drivers are careful, if only because they have more to lose, that there haven’t been more bikers injured or killed on the roads.