WANTED: Your Close Calls

As cyclists and pedestrians, we risk our lives every day on the streets of New Jersey. Many of us have had near-misses and other altercations that left us rattled, angry, and feeling vulnerable. Some of us have suffered physical harm and incurred medical expenses because of hurried drivers. Typically, the only people who ever hear about these incidents are our friends, families and cycling buddies.

When these incidents go unreported, the media, the police and our elected officials are unaware of the extent of the problem. This needs to change.

Although the WWBPA has made much progress towards influencing local authorities to address gaps in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, we still have much work to do to address the behavior of people who use the roads…yes, bicyclists, pedestrians and, most importantly, motorists. Even the most bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly network of roads, trails and sidewalks is useless if our community does not use it properly.

We MUST address EDUCATION and ENFORCEMENT.

We’ve all witnessed some form of irresponsible behavior by motorists:

• The California Stopper: He slows down at stop signs, but never quite stops. Instead, he creeps into the intersection and inevitably fails to see the pedestrian in the crosswalk or the bicyclist in the road.
• The Multi-Tasker: She may be on her cell phone, yelling at her kids, doing her makeup, or reading a map, but she’s not paying attention to the environment outside her car. She never sees the bicyclist or pedestrian she’s overtaking.
• The Speeder: He’s in a hurry and making up lost time at your expense. He darts in and out of traffic. He passes too close, brushing you with his mirror.
• The Uninformed: She doesn't know the law. Bicyclists and pedestrians don't belong on the road and better hurry through crosswalks. She gets a little too close for comfort.

Now is your time to speak out. If you have had a near-miss incident, or other dangerous interaction with a vehicle while walking or riding your bike in or around West Windsor, please share your story by emailing me at chrisscherer@global.t-bird.edu.

In your comment, please include:

• The date and time of the incident.
• The nearest cross streets of your incident.
• A short description of what happened (pictures are helpful, if available).
• Where you live.

In a few weeks, I will draft a letter with all your comments attached and send it to the appropriate authorities. I will also document these incidents on our interactive Bikeability (www.mappler.com/wwbpabikeability) and Walkability (www.mappler.com/wwbpawalkability) maps on the web. If you’re interested in helping further with this effort, please let me know.

Thank you for taking time to make your voice heard…and make our community more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.

Chris Scherer
Bicycle Commuter
chrisscherer@global.t-bird.edu