FABB Blog

 

Partch article on where cyclists should ride

We occasionally write a blog on the Reston Patch about cycling issues. The latest is entitled Where should cyclists ride? Cyclists can either ride on the road or on a trail or sidewalk in most places in Virginia. However, given the lack of bicycle infrastructure in Fairfax, we almost always will be riding on the road at some point in our trip.

The article discusses why cyclists ride where the do when on the road. It's mostly an attempt to educate motorists to expect cyclists in the road and to give us respect. I for one am tired of being harassed on a regular basis by motorists who think I belong on the sidewalk.

The other day I spoke with a woman who had made the very sensible decision to use her bike for her main form of transportation. When she weighed all the factors of how much it cost to purchase and maintain a car vs. using a bike, the bike won hands down. However, once she began riding regularly she was upset that on several occasions motorists yelled at her to get on the sidewalk, and she wondered if that's where she should be riding. The article tries to address that issue.

Labels: sidewalk

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:17 PM permalink