For cyclists, the security is the very first issue they will consider for themselves. And we also talked a lot about to keep cyclists safe on the road and that’s shouldn’t be just a talk. We have to do something to make this happen and to make the whole city safe for cyclists.
Then what should the city government do for the security? In fact, it not that difficult. Today I saw a report of the American Journal of Public Health, which concludes that bike infrastructure, no matter how rudimentary, cuts down on cycling-related hospital admissions by 50 percent. Just for painting a white line on the road and eliminating a lane for parking, which the city has done this year to some grumbling.
As you may also know this, the study confirms what many cyclists have long know: dedicating cycling infrastructure not only makes riders feel safe, it actually makes them safer. Put up all the violent, blood-bath-looking pro-helmet signs you’d like, the thin white line is what really helps.
According to the report, the study reached this conclusion by surveying 14 different types of road conditions, from busy, arterial roads with no bike lanes and a row of parked cars all the way to protected bike lanes. The protected lanes were the best, with an injury rate 95 percent lower than arterial roads without bike lanes.
As a matter of fact, many bike commuters will also tell you that those arterial roads with no bike lanes are the sketchiest. That’s what we need – better options so we can avoid riding on Boylston or Tremont or especially Huntington or any of the other places where cycling feels dangerous but is necessary because there’s no other route.
It is not that much difficult for keeping cyclists in this city to feel safe on the road. All that is needed is a thin white line on the road to separate the bikes and cars. Nothing can be more important than a person’s life, right?
