Alexandria — As a bike rider of more than 60 years, I would like to comment on the lead story on a Bicycle Boulevard in the March 6, 2014, Gazette-Packet, as well as the thoughtful letter by Darlene Johnson.
First, finding a way for bicycles, motorized vehicles, pedestrians, dog walkers, roller bladers and all other ways to move human beings to co-exist peacefully and safely is not a matter of laws and rules, nor even seemingly clever ideas like a bicycle boulevard.
I know. I have ridden all over the world, and I have yet to see a system that truly works. As for the Washington area, not only are the streets clogged beyond any ability to find a workable formula, but even our main "bike trails," such as Mt. Vernon, Capital Crescent or W&OD have become superhighways of non-motorized means of moving people. Let me assure you as a regular cyclist, my antenna goes into high alert when I see in my path dog walkers, joggers pushing baby strollers, roller bladers, "bike drivers" and anyone on a Capitol Bike Share bicycle.
You can legislate all you want, drop copies of rules and guidelines by helicopters, post signs, whatever ... You will still find minimally "compliant" behavior, not just by bicycles, as your article pointed out regarding behavior at the corner of Union and King, but by others as well.
Second, Darlene approaches the issue with a fundamental flaw right from the start. I call myself a bike rider, and have so for the past 60 years. That's what I am. To be sure, there are "bike drivers" out there in significant numbers, and I detest their behavior as much as any car driver or pedestrian does. After all, I fit both of these categories at various times. Many of these "bike drivers" not only fail to follow the rules of the road on city streets, but also fail to obey the speed limit of 15 MPH on the bike trails.
They are dangerous, to be sure, and I avoid them no matter what form of transportation I am employing.
But seriously, Darlene, I can assure you that so many of the cyclists, especially kids, casual weekend riders and Capital Bike Share users are not driving their bikes. If they truly knew how to do so, I wouldn't be so alert to giving them a wide berth. And few of them will ever get proper training.
In brief, as I noted upfront, there are no answers that any special commission can come up with that will solve the seemingly never-ending battle on our streets, roads and trails. Not special lanes, not roundabouts, not fewer stops signs, not even education.
There is only one answer, one seemingly forgotten in our modern age: exercising common sense and civility. I grew up on my bike in a crowded neighborhood of Chicago. Every kid had a bike, and plenty of adults rode as well. Did drivers view us with fear and loathing? No. They smiled at us, waved us on. Common sense told them that that they could kill us, not the other way around. Civility told them to smile, since scowling and cursing achieves nothing.
It's indeed a sign of our times that we seek and expect to find answers in legislation, commissions, hearings and regulations. Trust me: no matter what comes of all this, peaceful and safe co-existence will remain elusive ... unless common sense and civility prevails.
Jim Larocco, Alexandria