My friend Jim Voris recently commented on this article in the AJC about a plan to add bike lanes to DeKalb Avenue. In his comment, he sarcastically talks about “mixed emotions,” but this is one of those issues where I truly have mixed emotions. It touches on so many larger issues.
I don’t think a vehicle that can’t keep up with automotive traffic belongs on the road with cars. That doesn’t just mean bicycles, either. Your 49cc scooter that can’t break 35mph shouldn’t be allowed on roads with a speed limit greater than 35mph. Bicycles, skateboards, and inline skates shouldn’t be there either. Here’s the thought process – traffic is bad for the environment. Less traffic moving more quickly is less bad for said environment. Vehicles that slow this traffic down because they can’t keep up, while they may not have a large carbon footprint, offset that by slowing down traffic that can’t get by them.
I find that most bicyclists are hypocrites. We’ve all seen the “Same rules, same rights” bumper stickers. But as many of those as I’ve seen, they’ve been vastly outnumbered by bicyclists flouting basic traffic rules so they can gain an advantage in traffic – running red lights, filtering to the front of traffic lines, and generally doing as they please. You want me to grant you the same rights as my car or motorcycle? Follow the rules, and encourage your peers to do the same.
Because of those two things, I’m a firm believer in bike lanes. Seriously, I am. Bike lanes eliminate the problem of vehicles that can’t keep up slowing down traffic, and give the hypocritical bicyclists a place where if they don’t want to follow the rules, at least they’re not slowing traffic in the meantime.
I believe we need to do something about traffic in Atlanta.
I believe we need to do our best to protect our environment, and vehicles with a smaller carbon footprint are one way to do that.
With all that said, eliminating a lane that allows automotive traffic to flow effectively seems a poor idea to accommodate bicycles.