A biker rides on the street through campus. Since 2004, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Lawrence and Shawnee as the only “Bicycle Friendly” communities in Kansas.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
One of the ways Mark Desetti remains safe when he’s riding a bicycle is to pretend as if he’s a car.
“I treat myself as if I’m a normal car and I think that really helps,” Desetti said.
Desetti, a local member of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, said he enjoyed cycling for recreation and he felt Lawrence was a bike-friendly community.
“I’ve found that Lawrence citizens are very understanding of bicyclists,” Desetti said. “I myself feel very safe cycling in the city.”
Although Desetti said Lawrence was generally a safe place to cycle, he recognized there were areas that needed improvement.
Desetti said bicycle safety in Lawrence wasn’t perfect, however. He said the downtown areas of the city, 23rd and Sixth streets, are high traffic areas and can be more dangerous to cyclists than other roadways.
Sergeant Michael Monroe of the Lawrence Police Department said he thought every community could improve on bicycle safety issues, but thought Lawrence was very committed to bicyclist safety.
Monroe said there were 23 bicycle vs. motor vehicle accidents in Lawrence in 2008. He said Lawrence had not had a fatality accident of this type for at least five years before Rachel Leek was killed last week. A car had struck her bicycle in the 1000 block of Tennessee Street Friday.
Since 2004, Lawrence and Shawnee were the only Kansas communities to be recognized as a “Bicycle Friendly” city by the League of American Bicyclists. The organization promotes bicycling in America through advocacy and education.
Desetti said he had lived and cycled in other cities across the map, but thought Lawrence was the most bike-friendly of them all.
The three most important things bicyclists can do to be safe is follow traffic laws, wear bright clothing and act as if they are operating a regular car, Desetti said.
“As a cyclist, you have to show extra vigilance when it comes to being aware of those around you,” Desetti said.
Monroe said people traveling both in motor vehicles and on bicycles could do more to be aware of their surroundings.
“Obviously, the best way to stay bicycle-friendly is for bike riders and drivers alike to be more courteous to each other,” Monroe said.
A map illustrating all Lawrence streets that are designated as bicycle-friendly routes or have bicycle lanes is available in local bicycle shops, or online on the City’s official Web site.
Monroe said the city was always looking to increase the number of bike lanes and improve awareness of bicycle safety issues.
Malakai Edison, Lawrence resident and 2009 KU graduate, said he does not own a car and rides a bicycle wherever he goes.
Edison said he thought Lawrence was biker-friendly in general, but felt the community could improve in some areas.
“A lot of motorists seem to get annoyed at cyclists, and that can cause some problems.” Edison said.
Edison said he thought Kentucky and Tennessee streets were also more dangerous than other roads in Lawrence. He said it was because those streets had a higher speed limit and often had both pedestrians and cars coming from all angles.
The bike lanes on streets were not entirely effective because many cars seem to drive over them and they often end after a few blocks, Edison said.
“Obviously there are times you want to keep going but the bike lane just ends,” Edison said.
— Edited by Anna Kathagnarath
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