City wants to make Des Moines streets better for bicyclists
Posted on July 28, 2007 in City Government, Transportation by DM
An article in the Friday Register outlines Des Moines’ efforts to become designated as a “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists in 2008.
Generally speaking, a bike- friendly community is one where safety is paramount and where strong encouragement is given to bikers to participate in both commuter and recreational travel… Des Moines need(s) to implement more on-street biking options and… better connect the city’s on-street and off-street network. (The LAB) also encouraged the city to expand its educational, enforcement and promotional efforts as they apply to building an active bicycling presence in town as well as to improve training for city engineers on best practice as it relates to bike-friendly streets.
The article then notes, “The city has adopted a ‘Complete Streets’ policy formulated by the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The goal of the policy is to encourage the designing and building of roads to better accommodate all forms of pedestrian traffic.”
As a motorcyclist, I’ve seen first-hand the overall selfishness of Des Moines area drivers. (Flip on your turn signal to change lanes, and someone will zoom up beside you to fill the gap you were trying to move into. Sit at a red light and watch somebody in the next lane just zoom on through without regard for the traffic that may actually have the right-of-way. Drive the speed limit, and someone will ride your back bumper until they decide to zoom out around you, then pull back in front of you and slam on their brakes to make a turn.)
While I applaud the City’s desire to “friendly-up” the roads for bicyclists, I see no evidence that drivers here are of a mind to share the road. I fear for the cyclists who take to the new bike lanes on the assumption that driver attitude has magically improved.
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2 comments to “City wants to make Des Moines streets better for bicyclists”
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A recent USA Today article described how some streets in cities such as Colorado Springs, CO have special lanes marked for pedestrians and bicyclists. Alas, from the picture that appeared in USA Today, they weren’t barricaded or anything like that. Think that would work in the Des Moines area?
Joel, what I think is that special lanes are a fine idea but that Des Moines area drivers are not going to change their attitudes overnight. It’s bad enough being a motorcyclist in this city, whose drivers are very impatient. I can’t imagine being a bicyclist at the mercy of some of these folks.