Audio clip
Eric Tittsworth
In a city striving to live up to its “bike-friendly” reputation, the recent deaths of an experienced cyclist and a motor scooter driver in traffic accidents have unnerved the Chattanooga bicycling community.
“Anytime something like this happens, it resonates. We all feel it,” said Shane Adams, an avid cyclist and co-owner of Bear Creek Bicycle Co. in Dalton, Ga. “I would hope it would raise awareness, but the question is for how long.”
In early March, Ellen Pittman, 51, died after a vehicle failed to yield right of way to her motor scooter on Brainerd Road. Local cyclist, father and business owner David Meek, 51, died a couple of weeks later after he was struck by a passing truck on Ashland Terrace.
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File Photo by John Rawlston Colleen Carboni waits for traffic to clear as she attempts to turn left onto McCallie Avenue from Central Avenue as commutes to work on her bicycle. On most days, she rides her bicycle from her North Chattanooga home to her job at the Pilates Center of Chattanooga in Highland Park.
Area cyclists have been “greatly shaken up” by the recent tragedies, said Colleen Carboni, owner of the Pilates Center of Chattanooga. She bikes 75 to 100 miles per week and runs the Bike2Work program here.
But as a close friend of Mr. Meek, Ms. Carboni said any fear-based response to his accident saddens her. Mr. Meek “would not be happy thinking that people were getting off of the bike because of his accident,” she said.
Leaders in the cycling community emphasize that cycling’s health and environmental benefits, the pleasure of riding and cyclists’ calming effect on city traffic should not be dismissed.
“I believe cycling is a healthy, safe form of active transportation and recreation, and the benefits far outweigh the potential risks, as a whole,” said Philip Pugliese, bicycle coordinator for Outdoor Chattanooga. “But in this particular case, we’re very concerned about coexisting safely with motorized vehicle traffic.”
Sharing Responsibility
Motorists and cyclists alike say that those riding on two wheels share the responsibility to keep the road safe, and at times they share the blame for violations of the law.
As an avid motorcyclist, 56-year-old David Fihn said he is frustrated by how many cyclists he sees who disregard the rules of the road, compromising their own and others’ safety.
“I have a great deal of respect for two-wheeled vehicles, but I lose a lot of my (support) of bicyclists when I see almost literally every single bicyclist breaking speed laws and equipment laws,” said the Hixson resident. Mr. Fihn said he’s seen cyclists run red lights, change lanes without signaling and ride far faster than the speed limit.
Ms. Carboni acknowledged both motorists and cyclists can be guilty of failing to follow road rules.
“The typical motorist does not understand cycling rules. They do not know how to drive around a cyclist. Then these same people get on a cycle and still don’t know the rules,” she said. “It’s not them or us — most cyclists are motorists.”
Chattanooga police Officer Mike Taylor, a member of the downtown bicycle patrol, said he often sees cyclists breaking the law by coasting through stop signs or stop lights. Many ride while switching back and forth between the street and the sidewalk, he said. Riding on the sidewalk is legal, but the constant shifting is hazardous, he said.
“We tell them all the time, ‘Look, you’re making it hard for other cyclists, the cyclist community, because people in cars don’t know what to expect,’” he said. “The best thing you can do (to ride safely) is make yourself predictable.”
Education of cyclists and motorists alike is crucial, Mr. Pugliese said. Yet he emphasizes that all travelers — whether in cars or on bikes or motorcycles — make errors in judgment.
“The sense that a single cyclist running a stop sign is indicative of the whole problem is mistaken,” he said. “Someone driving a 4,000-pound block of steel who makes the same mistake can make substantial damage and injury.”
Bike Friendly?
Outdoor Chattanooga’s bicycle program and other groups have made great strides over the past decade in making the city more accessible to cyclists, area cyclists say. Improvements include a program encouraging residents to use a bike for their work commute, the addition of bike lanes in the city and more bike trails in the region, as well as a bike valet service available at events such as Riverbend and Pops in the Park.
In 2003, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority added bike racks to city buses.
Mr. Pugliese, also bicycle chairman for the Chattanooga Urban Area Bicycle Task Force, said the group is focusing on bike safety education for riders of all experience levels. The task force works on plans and programs to promote the safe use of bicycles in the area.
An achievement for cycling advocates came in 2007 when Tennessee legislators passed a law requiring motorists to give three feet of room when passing a cyclist. Still, advocates say they are concerned that so far no citations have been given under the law, a situation verified by local police.
Despite commendable progress, “a lot of what determines whether Chattanooga is a bike-friendly place is the individuals who are drivers,” Ms. Carboni said. “People have very mixed reactions on how bike-friendly the typical motorist is” in Chattanooga.
Mr. Adams, who is 37, said he has been hit by cars on more than one occasion when motorists tried to pass him on a blind hill only to be met by an oncoming vehicle. When the passing car veered back into its lane to avoid the oncoming car, Mr. Adams was struck and thrown from his bike, he said.
Motorists regularly throw things at him, honk or yell and follow too closely, he said.
“In the grand scheme of things, the cyclist may only hold somebody up for a few seconds,” he said. “We don’t take pleasure in impeding traffic. ... But what we’re talking about is just a few seconds. Just wait a little longer” to pass.
Mr. Pugliese said, above all, whatever vehicle one uses to get around, riders and drivers must be respectful of the laws and each other.
“The key point to remember is roads are for people. They’re public rights-of-way, and they belong to people. They don’t belong to cars,” he said.
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Biking to workColleen Carboni, who bikes to work daily on McCallie Avenue, is a cyclist urging safe riding practices after the recent death of local cyclist David Meek. Biking enthusiasts will begin the first Bike to Work ride of the summer on April 3.
Health care reporter Emily Bregel has worked at the Chattanooga Times Free Press since July 2006. She previously covered banking and wrote for the Life section. Emily, a native of Baltimore, Md., earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Columbia University. She received a first-place award for feature writing from the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists’ Golden Press Card Contest for a 2009 article about a boy with a congenital heart defect. She ...
As a cyclist for over 60 years, I would suggest to Mr Pugliese that roads do not belong to bicyclists either.
If you want to be given part of the road, you should act as drivers do.
Follow speed laws, no illegal lane splitting [no passing in someone else's lane to get to the head of the line at red lights], wait your turn, stop for all signals and all stop signs -- full, one foot on the ground stops -- respect cars and other cyclists...give THEM three feet when passing. Obviously, you lose something doing all that but that's what happens when you insist on full road equality. It is a two-way street, so to speak. And those are just beginnings.
Do those and you may get some respect on the road.
Chattanooga is not a bad city to cycle in; there are worse. Try Ohio, for instance. Or the other end of the spectrum, California.
Very interesting stuff. Just started biking about a year ago and had no idea I was supposed to stop at a red light and wait! Pretty silly I know. I'm glad all of this is getting some attention because I'm finding it very informative. I used to hate waiting to pass cyclists while in my vehicle, but now I use it as a chance to regain my composure and not rush, rush, rush.
Bravo to rolando. If cyclists would just follow those simple rules, MUCH disapproval of bikes on the road would be gone. Not long ago at 6:30 in the morning, dark, I followed a bike with NO lights, rider NOT wearing any reflecting clothing,out Mtn. Creek Rd, when he got to Signal mtn. Rd he passed all the cars at the red light, ran the light, then the light in front of Conoco, swerved between the right and center lanes, on down Signal Mtn. Rd like no one was there but him. Then the bike guy wonders why motorists don't like bike riders.
This Tuesday,03/24/09,there was a gathering of bikers at the old BiLo on Dayton Blvd. At first I thought they were having a rally of some sort to show how respectful they were on the road. Wrong! Just a few hundred yards south of the lot full of autos with bike racks, I encountered two bikers swerving back and forth in the north bound , inside lane and finally riding in the turning lane as if they owned it. As I was trying to gather my thoughts of this fiasco, I next observed two female riders ,in front of Dubs Place, riding two abreast in the north bound lane . They were looking at each other and chatting as if they were sitting at home on the couch. They were completely oblivious to the traffic around them.If I read the Tennessee laws correctly, This is not how to ride . I have trouble comprehending,why these people think they can demand equal rights to the road , when they demonstrate such disregard for others. Even though I don't ride,I hope one day Chattanooga can be bike friendly .I don't see this happening until, like other cities, there are real bike lanes on the side of the roads. Not just an invisible three foot margin of safety. Most drivers can't determine a safe following distance from the car ahead let alone three feet on the side.The law says, ride to the right side of the lane and three feet clearance, not the whole lane. Which is it? Seriously . I would really like to know . Is Chattanooga exempt from the state law?
I once saw a cyclist riding UP the side of Signal Mt. during rush hour. He was holding back about 10 cars. I don't care which side of the issue you're on. That's just not smart or safe.
Quoted in a March 13 article in this newspaper, Ruth Thompson, event coordinator for Outdoor Chattanooga, praised the Street Smarts class, “Most people’s instinct would be to ride as far to the right as possible and hug the curve,” she said. “Street Smarts will teach you that is not correct. You want to be right in the middle of the right-hand lane so the driver will see you if you are right in front of him. And cross traffic will be looking at the center of the lane not at the curb. We call this ‘taking the lane,’ and it’s something 90 percent of cyclists don’t know.”
According to Tennessee code, riding in the center of the right lane is incorrect. (http://kba.tripod.com/tncode.htm) So, I ask, which is it, state law or Outdoor Chattanooga's law, and which would override in a court of law?
Last Sunday, I drove up Forest Avenue in North Chattanooga to the sharp curve where the street seems to 'move over' at the fire station. As I started around the blind curve, I saw a southbound vehicle approaching. We had both slowed to make the curve. On that sharp blind curve, a bicyclist suddenly materialized and soared around the vehicle at breakneck speed. To make the curve at that speed, his wide turn brought him over to the middle of my lane. When he saw me facing him head on, he swerved sharply, barely missing me and swerving back in front of the other vehicle.
The incident left me shaken for the rest of the drive home. We had come within inches of a collision. And I knew that in this town, the bicycle community would have pointed their fingers at ME...not at the speeding Mr.Chisel Cheeks in the black speedos who passed a vehicle on a blind curve at a high rate of speed.
TNAccent:
"According to Tennessee code, riding in the center of the right lane is incorrect. "
Actually, it says: "ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge". Given the roadside detritus and visibility issues the center or close to it is best for the bike. What would stand up in court would be your argument, like a "too fast for conditions" violation.
Pointing out how bicyclists skirt traffic and disrespect laws does not change the fact that they have just as much a right to be on the road as a car. Cars break the laws as well, running through red lights and stop signs, cutting off other cars, talking on cell phones, etc. etc. and they weigh two tons! When is the last time a car drive was hurt by a bicyclist? Let's all agree that all drivers should be respectful of the laws of the road Those that want to point fingers at those "bad" cyclists might want to look at their own behavior as drivers. Also, it is nearly impossible to ride a bike in a vehicular manner since car drivers do not accept a bike as something that should be in traffic. If you try to bike in traffic you will quickly be run over. Finally, the reason bikes run through stop signs, lights and roll to the front of traffic is to save momentum. It's easy to put your foot on the pedal to move your car but on a bike you actually have to work to make your bike move. So, naturally you would want to preserve energy and momentum by not stopping entirely. Also, sometimes you have to get on the sidewalk to avoid obstacles and danger. In then end let's just keep in mind that we are all human and we all deserve each other's respect and consideration, no matter our means of transportation.
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