There is a short section of bike lanes in St. George. They run from Diagonal Street south to the Boulevard and then along 300 South all the way to the college. The ones along 300 South happen to follow the path I used to ride every day when I still resided with my parents. When I have the need to head that direction, I feel like a king simply because the city put two stripes of paint that recognize my right to be on the road.
As I have been commuting quite regularly these past couple of months, my mind has often contemplated the state of cycling commuters. We have a right to the road, but are relegated to the garbage covered shoulders and constantly threatened with bodily harm if we don’t get out of the way. I often think to myself, I says, “Self, we would get out of the way if there was a place for us to get out of the way.” I can’t speak for every person on a bike, but given the opportunity to ride in a designated bike lane or even better a protected bike lane, I will do it.
When I lived in Ivins in the trailer park (yup, I’m that classy), I always road the bike path across Snow Canyon Parkway. Sure I had to slow down at every intersection to make sure that some idiot, who shouldn’t be allowed to drive a two-thousand pound coffin around, who wasn’t paying attention wouldn’t hit me, even though I was on the bike path. Yup, I rode the shit out of that path. And for the majority of the ride, I felt safe and relaxed. I could pedal along without any concern in the world. Until I came to an intersection, of course…
After the tragic accident last month, I posted a video that gave the history of how the Dutch rallied and got their bike infrastructure. And I wonder how many lives have to be taken before it’s worth it to us to give people a place to safely ride.
“The government must help eliminate cars so that bicycles can help eliminate governments.” – Dutch campaign slogan
It’s interesting that it is almost impossible to be poor in the U.S. Wanna work? Well, first you need to find a way to get to and from work. Is there mass transit? In places, and if there is you still need to have some cash to get on the bus/subway to get to where you have found employment. If there is no mass transit, you have to have a car, but you don’t have a job so how are you going to pay for that. Gotta bike? Awesome, good luck making it to your job alive.
So you lost your job, lost your home because you couldn’t get to work. Whatever you do, don’t try and sleep in a public place. You’ll bring down the property value of the houses in the area, or you’ll be bothering the nice folks in the shop. Nope, you’re no good, get out.
I wonder if our resistance to cars isn’t indicative of some deeper ideological value. Cars are wealth, wealth is the meter of success in our society. You ride a bike, you are not wealthy, you are not successful.
Of course, if you think that the poor could use a helping hand, you are a socialist and you better move to Russia before the NSA comes and gets you. Or you think that maybe we’re gonna regulate the insurance companies so po’ folk can get some health care, we gonna shut down the government…
Well, can we at least get some bike lanes?
P. L. and R.
Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance