Ever since I wrote a Prospect column on becoming a bike commuter, friends have been sending along articles about cycling. This one, about members of the Baltimore Orioles biking to the stadium, is pretty great. But I've also heard some chilling news about cyclists killed in accidents, most notably Alice Swanson, a 22-year old D.C. resident who lived two blocks from my house and and worked around the corner from my office. Our commuting paths were almost identical.
Today MSNBC reports that as gas prices spike, accidents involving bikes are up as well -- in large part because American drivers aren't accustomed to sharing the roads. (Ezra has a great post detailing how the situation is different in Europe.) In New Jersey, for example, 12 cyclists were killed in 2007, while in just the first half of 2008, 11 cyclists have died in traffic accidents. Still, we shouldn't overstate this trend -- there are no national data available. In D.C., only one or two cyclists are killed in the typical year, and Swanson's death was the first of 2008. And not all cyclists are giving up car commutes -- many are using bikes as a more health-conscious, faster, and more fun alternative to overcrowded public transportation.
Still, there's a lot that towns and cities can do to make biking safer and more popular, beginning with creating more bike trails, bike lines, and bike racks. D.C. has a nice billboard campaign right now advertising the health and financial benefits of biking; it should be accompanied by highly visible signage reminding drivers that bikes have all the same rights as cars on the road. And biking and public transportation should work seamlessly together. D.C. prohibits bikes on Metro during the rush hour; another option is to follow the lead of cities such as Salt Like City and outfit train cars with bike straps that keep cycles out from underfoot. D.C. already has racks that can hold up to two bikes on every bus.
--Dana Goldstein
