Cyclist Safety: For Local Drivers and Riders Alike
SALEM, Mass., December 14, 2016–Let’s describe the relationship between motorists and cyclists as inconsistent, to put it nicely. Can we attribute this to a simple lack of knowledge when it comes to proper engagement protocol on the road between drivers and bikers? Maybe. But in order for the both groups to maintain a symbiotic relationship going forward, motorists and cyclists need to understand that it is a two way street, pun intended.
Each side needs to give a little in order to get a littler when it comes to maintaining a consistent level of safety. For drivers, runners and walkers, or pedestrians in general, their commute is pretty cut and dry in regards to following rules and regulations. Drivers stay in their lanes, abide by the marked streetlights and signage where runners and walker usually have a clearly defined sidewalk to travel.
Cyclists, on the other hand, have the most unsafe and unmarked commute of all. Randomly marked and often interfered bike lanes are far from prominent, leaving city and local cyclists directly, yet indirectly harm’s way.
In Cambridge, residents are taking action after 60-year-old cyclist Bernard Lavins was struck and killed by a box truck at the busy Porter Square intersection last October.
Lavins’ death was the second cycling death that Cambridge has had over the last six months. As a result, the Protected Bike Lane Demonstration Project was put into effect as of December 1, allocating wider lanes for cyclists to travel with temporary, flexible delineators to mark a distinct barrier. This is one of the first projects of its kind to hit the Boston city area.
A state law (Part One, Title XVI , Chapter 90, Section 14) on precautions for safety and other travelers says: “In approaching or passing a person on a bicycle the operator of a motor vehicle shall slow down and pass at a safe distance and at a reasonable and proper speed.”
Pretty clear cut, right? Well, not so much for some, such as Essex County Superior Prosecutor David Joyce.
“Even with these improvements I still think that city cycling is dangerous,” said Joyce.
The 34 year Danvers Police Veteran, who current serves out of Salem District Court, notes the difficulty for drivers even with the marked bike lanes.
“I just think that if you’re turning right it’s still hard to see, even if you properly follow the necessary precautions. They (cyclists) come up on you so quickly, a lot of the discretion is really on the bikers to stay aware of their surrounding traffic,” he said.
To follow up of Joyce’s concern, Section 14 also states: “No person operating a vehicle that overtakes and passes a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction shall make a right turn at an intersection or driveway unless the turn can be made at a safe distance from the bicyclist at a speed that is reasonable and proper,” leaving some of the responsibilities on the motorist to be aware of these proper procedures and protocol.
For Salem residents and riders, it’s not easy to safely navigate the city. Biking lanes are limited as is, with the main lane running up Lafayette Street to Marblehead.
Anna Pelletier, a 25-year-old Salem resident, lives on Lafayette Street and echoes some of Joyce’s concerns when it comes to the actual safety that the bike lane provides.
“It’s dangerous when they’re going down my street because of the big trees blocking some of the lines of sight, sometimes I just can’t see them,” Pelletier said. “There aren’t a lot of traffic lights on Lafayette but they do stop when they’re supposed to. Either way, there aren’t as many cyclists in Salem like Boston or Cambridge, you would think that we could mark off some safe lanes for them to travel.”
Proposed in 2012, Salem’s Canal Street Improvement Project just broke ground in terms of real time construction as of this last July.
When originally proposed, Canal Street, which stretches roughly 1.3 miles from downtown Salem up to and passing the Jefferson Avenue intersection next to the Salem State’s Central Campus, was responsible for upwards of 90 accidents per year, raising safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists with numerous unmarked sidewalks.
In these plans, bike lanes are an apparent focus in the new construction. A five-foot section will be allocated for riders along Canal Street where constructionally appropriate. Some areas will be combined with sidewalks to provide a ten-foot “shared travel lane” for both pedestrians and cyclists.
“I think that these steps are necessary in order to better teach Salem’s youngsters the proper rules of the road,” said Taylor English, Learning Specialist at Salem Academy Charter School.
English, who also coaches soccer, basketball and baseball at Salem Academy, notes that most of his students and student athletes, who range from grades 6 through 12, commute via bike.
“There aren’t that many students who drive themselves to school, I’d say there are more kids that ride their bikes compared to the ones who drive. There is a good sized group of teachers who ride their bikes to school as well,” he said.
English believes that bike lanes would give his students a better sense of how to properly navigate the streets via bicycle, and that proper marking and enforcement would provide a greater communal good from a general safety standpoint.
“If there were more marked bikes lanes around Salem I think you would see a lot more attention being paid to safety precautions by the younger group of commuters. We all were kids once, we know how reckless they can be,” he added.
Taylor said he thinks that if bike lanes where “properly marked and regulated,” young riders will be more mindful towards proper protocol.
“I really like what they have done by adding more bike racks around the area and improving the trail through Marblehead,” said English. “It’s great to see the community focus on health improvements and inspiring residents to be active. But a lot of my student athletes ride their bikes to practice, and especially with the winter months coming, I want to make sure that my kids are safe when getting to and from school and practice and work for that matter.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will bike lanes around Salem. Recent pushes from city-based communities such as Cambridge will provide at least a nudge for other areas to spark the process for safer cyclist travel. In the meantime, with the Canal Street project projected to run into 2017, Salem cyclists will have to stay cautious and aware while traveling around unmarked streets and designated construction areas, and drivers will need to understand and obey the laws and be mindful of all travelers.
