For Atlanta, Car-Free Day Means Road Rage Day

Maybe it's just because I'm sick. Maybe my clogged sinuses and incessant nose-blowing are clouding my perspective. But it seemed like everyone was being obnoxious yesterday, whether in a car, on a bicycle, or on foot.

The optimist in me wants to think that was due to International Car-Free Day. Perhaps there were so many bicycles and pedestrians on the roads that everyone became disoriented! I hope so. Otherwise how do you explain two cars honking from behind me? And the driver preparing to turn left onto a one-way street, who didn't see me walking in the crosswalk from the other direction and only stopped in time due to my loud screeching?

Then there was the young lady who suddenly swerved from a side street onto the sidewalk, nearly hitting me. Being ill, I was feeling particularly hostile, and yelled at her that riding on the sidewalk is illegal. She said she knew, but called Spring Street "dangerous". It's a street I ride on every day. Intimidating, yes, but lots of people ride on it, and it's not necessarily worse than any other street in Midtown. Riding on the sidewalk was probably putting her in more danger. If my head hadn't been so foggy, I could have told her these things, and emphasized that if she still wanted to get on the sidewalk then she should dismount and walk. But I just grumbled something, probably rude, and turned away. Ironically, I saw several other people riding on Spring Street with great aplomb, just moments before and after this incident.

Lousy picture, stylish bicycle - the girl in the purple shirt executed a flawless turn onto Fifth

No stationary bike at the gym for this guy!

Left and Right

No, this isn't commentary on the recent primary elections. It's about those times when a bicyclist shouldn't stay to the right of the lane. For example, pass to the left of a car that is preparing to turn right. The fellow in the white shirt and shoulder bag is in a very bad place:

I've had a couple of terrifying moments recently, when I saw cyclists squeeze by on the right side of cars that were turning right. This guy tried to share a lane that was too narrow, putting himself and other road users in a risky situation. Two blocks later, he zipped by on the right of a car as it started to make a turn into a parking garage. No one expects to be passed on the right when they are in the right lane signalling a turn. That includes bike-on-bike situations too - I've had people squeeze past me on the right as I was turning. Scary!

On the other hand, I have also seen motorists try to make a right turn from the left lane rather than merging (safely) into or behind bicycle traffic in the right lane. This is neither safe, legal, nor practical. After all, there is more traffic behind the cyclist that will have to be dealt with.

There doesn't seem to be total agreement about right turns in a wide right lane or next to a bicycle lane. Many people see the bicycle lane being similar to a crosswalk or sidewalk, meaning that motorist turn across it after yielding to any traffic in that lane. I tend to prefer that drivers merge into the lane so I can pass them on the left, where I know they won't cross my path. This is especially true if it is a wide shared lane without bike lane markings. But I see many drivers get confused by the presence of a cyclist, swinging to the left of the lane so I have room to pass on the right - that just means I have to merge over further in order to pass on the left instead. What do others prefer?

Please drive and ride safely!

Rush Hour

Bicycles, Beer, and Politicians

As previously reported, yesterday was the date of the "Open House with Elected Officials" event, sponsored by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Some of us were a bit grumpy about trekking all the way up to Buckhead for the event. Using MARTA, it was very easy to reach by bicycle, even at rush hour. Not so much for the folks who drove there - one woman spent over an hour and a half to drive about 6 miles.

The Beau and I took our bikes on the train to Buckhead station. From the station, we only had to ride a 1/4 mile or so along Peachtree in a decent bicycle lane. Car traffic was nearly at a standstill, and we delighted in passing the long line of stopped cars. The only issue was from cars trying to enter the road from cross-streets and driveways, who tended to pull into the bike lane while waiting for a break in traffic. I was glad the Raleigh had a loud bell! The cyclist ahead of me was not so lucky; he simply had to stop and wait several times.

We arrived at the restaurant, which was in a new mixed-use development. They had made some good attempts at pedestrian-friendly urban design, but the bicycle parking was hard to find. I saw a number of curbside bicycle racks along Peachtree Street, but none near this particular building.


The event was attended by cyclists of all sort, from beginning to fervent. Most of the officials who attended were from the north and east of Atlanta, so maybe the location made sense - except that they all drove, and spent a long time in traffic anyway. Oh, well.

Mayor Jere Wood of Roswell talked about the infrastructure they have built, including some riverside paths and the region's first bike box, and Fred Boykin of the Decatur city commission discussed their bicycle plan and gave an inspiring commentary on the impact it could have on the health of city residents. Dianne Fries of Sandy Springs and Dan Thompson from Dunwoody also spoke briefly. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts arrived at the beginning of the event, but had to leave before the main program started. There were also some staffers representing Atlanta city council members. I had personally emailed my city council representative, Cleta Winslow, but did not receive a response nor did she attend the event.

Hopefully this is just one more small step in creating a bicycle-friendly Atlanta region. I would love to be able to travel out to Roswell or Sandy Springs by bicycle. I would probably go there a lot more often! I always hate the idea of having to go home, fire up the car, sit in traffic, and then lugging the car around with me from parking lot to parking lot with each stop I make. I would much rather cruise out to nearby towns by train and bicycle whenever I want. I'm sure there are fantastic restaurants and stores I need to try.

Buckhead itself is becoming quite accessible. After the event was over, I rode home with The Beau and Rebecca Serna, our fearless leader of bicycle advocacy and creator of this event. We had a spectacular sunset ride down Peachtree Street and through the heart of Atlanta. This four to six lane thoroughfare becomes quite calm after rush hour is over. You pass so many Atlanta landmarks, from historic churches to the Amtrak station and the Fox Theater. The 9 mile trip took me just under an hour, and the Raleigh performed admirably on the rolling hills. Regrettably, I forgot to get a picture of myself with the Raleigh...next time!

Bicycle-Friendly Hapeville?

Hapeville is a very small city squeezed in between the Atlanta airport, the Atlanta city limits, and the cities of College Park and East Point. Many people in the Atlanta region would be hard-pressed to find it on a map. It has been home to big industry - the local Ford plant - and big corporate headquarters surrounded by tall fences and expansive parking lots. To add further challenges, the eastern and western borders are nearly defined by I-75 and I-85 and a triple set of active train tracks runs through the center of town. Transportationally and economically challenged, one might say.

However, the city of Hapeville chooses to make lemonade out of their lemons. They have maintained most of their historic downtown and tree-lined streets, negotiated with the railroad for better crossings, and rezoned aging industrial properties for mixed-use redevelopment. If the commuter rail line from Macon to Atlanta ever gets built, one of the stations will probably be there. The city is aggressively pursuing funds to make the city walkable and livable.

I had a meeting there on Tuesday morning, and I decided to check out the cycling conditions. It's about 5 miles from my house to downtown Hapeville. Metropolitan Parkway goes directly from Atlanta to Hapeville, but it isn't the most wonderful route. Four lanes surrounded by industrial uses and declining strip retail. There are some crime issues, although nothing to be concerned about during the daytime. Southbound traffic, going away from Atlanta, is very light in the mornings. I doubt that three dozen cars passed me in the whole 5 miles or so. There is, however, a miserable hill just before you reach the city limits.

Once you enter the city of Hapeville, the scenery changes drastically. The road narrows to two wide lanes - actually wide enough to add bicycle lanes, if you wanted. Mature trees shade the street and the pavement is well maintained, although the sidewalk peters out at times. Yards are well kept. I really enjoyed riding through here.

To get back to my office after the meeting - almost 10 miles away - I took the MARTA option. Hapeville is a very easy bike trip from the East Point MARTA station. It may be 1.5 miles or so along Central Ave., which is very flat and hardly has any traffic (although it does carry some large truck traffic) and takes you right to the station.

Also, I need to brag about local bicycle blogger Sweet Georgia Brown, who got a shout-out in an article about "cycle chic". Way to go, girl!

Texting While Driving?

The new law against texting while driving is a great move for road safety. Another law, which has gotten less attention but may be just as important, is a ban on use of any wireless device - mobile phones, smartphones, etc. - by anyone under 18. Both laws carry a $150 fine for violators and one point on their license, and went into effect on July 1st. They could have gone further, certainly, but it's great to see Georgia getting more serious about safe driving.

Read the full language of the texting bill here. Click here to read the under-18 bill. 

The news media and state of Georgia did a great job informing people about the new law on radio, TV, and newspapers. Advocates celebrated. Then on July 4th, I saw this cyclist texting while bicycling (ironically while wearing a shirt that says 'txt') and I wondered, does the law apply to bicycle riders, too?

The answer is no. After reading through the bill, it clearly states that it applies strictly to the operators of motor vehicles. So this gent is legal. He was also riding very slowly and staying away from hazards. And that's the message I want to leave you with - these laws should make our roads safer for everyone. Be sure to comply with them if you are driving, and encourage your family and friends to do the same. If you are riding a bike, you can still enjoy the privilege of checking or sending text messages, but do so wisely and safely.

Accepted

To the Comcast contractor who yelled "Sorry" after swerving into my lane: Apology accepted. Now don't do it again!

Visibility: Unlimited

I'm not a fan of special 'cycling' gear. I feel that motorists give me more awareness and respect when I'm dressed just like I would if I were walking or driving. None the less, I do want to be conspicuous on the roads. Sitting mostly upright on my bicycle seems to help a little - it gives me the silhouette of a person rather than a weird hunched-over back thing. But I've also gradually shifted my wardrobe of gray, black, and a few jewel tones into a wardrobe with lots of red, white, turquoise, royal blue, and even some pink and orange. This way, I can wear bright colors that are still appropriate for work and generally fashionable.

Here's an eyecatching spring outfit of red and white.

My orange cashmere sweater from Antropologie (via a yard sale) will stand out!

Finally, my hot pink corduroy blazer. It hasn't quite gone out of style in the five years I've had it. OK, maybe it has, but if so, I haven't noticed. I feel like I really stand out in it.

Perhaps it makes me a little too confident, because on the way back from a meeting at Emory University, I decided to take Ponce de Leon Avenue back to midtown. Ponce - four narrow, winding lanes of high speed traffic, widening to six or seven lanes as you get closer to to the city center. It's not a very friendly street, but so tempting... This is one of the old roads that was here from the founding of Atlanta. It follows a ridgeline the whole way (except where it dips down to the former streambed of the Fountain of Youth, which is now under City Hall East, and no, I am not making this up). It is also really direct.

As luck would have it, I got on Ponce right behind a city bus, Route 2. This route stops frequently so I stayed right behind it the entire way, finally passing it in the last few blocks. Yes, I can beat the bus! But this turned out to be a good strategy for my comfort, because motorists had to pass the bus. As long as I was fairly close behind it, it felt like a little protective bubble of passing zone. The only drawback was that I tried to ride kind of fast, to keep up with traffic, and wound up a little sweaty. A fun challenge!