I wanted to address a trend I’ve noticed developing in Houston over the last couple of weeks: cyclists riding in the middle of the street.
I’m a big fan of cycling. I used to be an avid road and mountain biker. I’ve had my fair share of road rash, and I once broke my arm going endo on my mountain bike. When I was growing up, I cheered on Greg Lemond, Miguel Indurain, and Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. And I once spent three weeks living out of saddle bags while cycling around France.
It’s also understandable that as gas prices have risen, more and more people have taken to riding a bicycle to work. It’s good for the environment too.
My problem is that on four occasions in the last two weeks, I’ve encountered cyclists riding not just in the middle of their lane, but in the middle lane of a multi-lane street. Rather than sticking to the right side of the street, these cyclists were riding as if they had a right to ride in whichever lane they pleased.
Not only is this dangerous, it causes a whole mess of traffic problems as cars try to get around the cyclist. This morning, a lady was riding her bike slowly down Fannin during the morning commute into the medical center. Fannin is particularly narrow through Hermann Park, and she was taking up an entire lane. Traffic backed up as all the cars in her lane had to merge into the next lane, yet she was oblivious to all the trouble she was causing.
Sharing the road means that cars and bicycles need to be considerate of each other.
I’m going to give these riders the benefit of the doubt and assume they’re not familiar with the rules. Yes, bicycles are a vehicle. Yes, we’re supposed to share the road. But sharing the road means that cars and bicycles need to be considerate of each other. Bicyclists should try to ride as close to the right side of the street as possible, and they should pay attention to what’s going on around them. If they’re fouling up traffic, they should cut over to a less busy street. It’d be safer for them anyway.
I wish Houston was a better town for cycling. There’s nothing we can do about the weather, but I wish there were more designated bicycle lanes and that drivers were more aware of cyclists on the road. Thoughts?
UPDATE 1: Here’s a great resource for those commuting by bike.
UPDATE 2: Here’s a map of the bikeways through town.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I hear frequent bitching from cyclists about how inconsiderate motorists are, but the cyclists are just as bad. If they want drivers to treat them like any other vehicle on the road, they should act like one. Don’t switch back and forth between the road and the sidewalk, don’t cross streets at crosswalks, etc.
Worse are big groups that don’t leave a lane open for cars. Keep it to one lane; there’s no way you can change lanes fast enough to avoid disrupting traffic.
Worst are events like Critical Mass, which only make motorist/cyclist relationships worse.
Thanks for your comments, Ward. As sympathetic as I am to cyclists’ needs, I loathe Critical Mass. I’ve been trapped in the snarl of traffic they create in San Francisco, and I would never support any of their initiatives simply because I don’t believe in rewarding bad behavior. They only undermine their cause by creating so much enmity.