Share the Road

Folks around Ann Arbor have decided to come up with a new "Share the Road" campaign for Ann Arbor. I think the basic problem is that Ann Arbor has a new non-motorized transportation plan that will make commuting via bicycle a reality in a town that can't really handle a lot of cars due to bad traffic design, and limited parking.

So the basic problem with this is that in Michigan, the motorists don't really like dodging all these bicycles on the road. The basic complaints from motorists about bicycles are:

1) They run stop signs & traffic lights - this is the part where we say that a bicycle is a vehicle when it suits them to be a vehicle, and a pedestrian when it suits them to do that.

2) Bicycles slow cars down. Without a designated bicycle lane, there's little room to get around the bike, which causes some motorist heartburn. Some folks in cars have no clue how to safely maneuver around a slow moving vehicle.


Bike complaints about motorists are usually:

1) Cars don't look out for bikes, so there's a lot of near misses because of cars pulling out in front of bikes.

2) Passing too close

3) Harrassment or honking.


Those cyclists who ride between cars and run red lights and stop signs usually tick off the motorists, who then take their frustration out on me, even though I tend to behave on the road. I also know that motorists don't have a clue as to what the laws are that pertain to bicycles. I had a guy in Waterloo township explain to me that anything left of the white line was space for the car and anything to the right of that line is space for bicycles, even though the only thing right of the white line out there is high weeds and a ditch.

My problem with "Share the Road" is that it is largely associated with asking motorists to grant some space and patience to the bicycles, and is driven by the bike-riding folks. What Ann Arbor needs is a campaign that targets bicycles to play by the rules, and educate motorists as to what to expect from bicycles.