Connecticut was ranked 44 out of 50 for bike friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists in 2010; now, the state has moved to 20. South Windsor was the only new “Bicycle Friendly Community” in the state, receiving a bronze award.
Given the United States’ abysmal cultural attitudes toward people-powered transit, this move up the list may mean little.
The League of American Bicyclists asked 50 questions in several categories to each state’s Department of Transportation, along with state bicycling advocates. Sample items from the questionnaire:
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Having laws and policies is only half the battle.
A recent letter to the editor demonstrates the sense of entitlement some motorists believe they have, which manifests in some as a callous and careless attitude toward those whom they are legally obligated to share the roadways. While the author of that letter expressed fear of hitting a cyclist, there are others with the same ignorance of the law (along with ignorance for why roads were created and a limited understanding of why people may use non-motorized transportation) who, it would be no exaggeration to say, only fear getting nabbed for striking cyclists.
Then, there is the matter of conveying policies to those creating and revising infrastructure. The Connecticut DOT has a Complete Streets policy, which states that “accommodations for all users shall be a routine part of the planning, design, construction and operating activities.” But, as demonstrated recently in meetings with representatives of the CT DOT, not all were willing to budge on the plans they devised which did not factor in all users of the streets. Only after intense pressure from local businesses, neighborhood groups, and alternative transportation advocates did the department slow down to reconsider the absence of wisdom in redirecting cyclists to more dangerous streets. Still, no decision has yet been made regarding the Flower Street closure, though there was a hearing last week during which the DOT was asked to explain its rush to shut down the street running from Capitol to Farmington, between the Aetna and the Courant compounds. How bicycle friendly is a state, really, when this little regard is given to those commuting just outside of downtown in the capital city?
The Complete Streets Policy was noted by the League of American Bicyclists as one of Connecticut’s successes.
Another so-called success is the safe passing law. In Connecticut, motorists are legally obligated to pass cyclists with a buffer of at least three feet. It has received ample promotion, like on bus wraps, but it is unclear if it is enforced except for after accidents occur.
Meanwhile, it seems that every week another serious or fatal accident is reported, and for there to be any real consequences, the circumstances have to demonstrate a combination of egregiously reckless behaviors.
#20? Connecticut need not be proud of its mediocrity.
Josh LaPorte
I go through bursts of using my bicycle as my main mode of transportation, alternating with almost exclusive on-foot travel with the occasional bus journey. I do own a car and use it to haul large/heavy stuff or travel longer distances. I’m blessed to live on Asylum Hill, where everything is walking distance.
I wholeheartedly support bicyclists, but I do observe a LOT of illegal and unsafe behavior of folks on bicycles (and, for that matter, of car drivers as well). People blowing through stop signs and lights, riding the wrong way down one way streets, threading between cars, riding on the sidewalk (my pet peeve), cutting corners at intersections. Add this to the horrendous behavior of car drivers in relating to bicyclists and I’m frankly not surprised that there are regular serious or fatal accidents. Yesterday I was driving home from the lumber yard and came upon a group of adults walking slowly down the middle of the street. There are adequate and convenient sidewalks on both sides of the street, why walk in the middle? I find, as a pedestrian, that both cars and bicycles pose a threat to my safety; why add to that issue by walking directly in the path of cars and bicycles? On the other hand, I’ve narrowly missed being run down by bicyclists blasting down the sidewalk too many times to count.
In general, I think the State needs to do far, far more to educate pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers of their respective rights and responsibilities in sharing the road.
Kerri Provost
Some of the behaviors you’ve described (not all…some people are just jerks, and that transfers to whatever means of transportation they are using) would be mitigated by better enforcement of laws. I know there are folks who ride on the sidewalks because they falsely believe it is safer than the roadways. Even if they are not aiming for pedestrians, they are potentially creating problems by being there. Riding the wrong way is the same type of thing — people believe it is more safe to see vehicles coming at them. That’s understandable. But it’s less safe because of the types of maneuvers they are forced to make against traffic, thus, they are creating a worse situation for themselves.
It doesn’t help when security guards employed by places like the Aetna insist on riding on sidewalks, setting a bad standard.
Josh LaPorte
Some people definitely are jerks. I tend to stop riding the bike because I find myself reaching my destination fuming with rage over some jerk-ish behavior of some car driver. I think you’re right, enforcement of some laws would help.
I recall I found a very useful website on how to bike safely and avoid accidents, which logically explained why being where drivers don’t expect you to be puts you in far more danger of getting into an accident, e.g. biking against traffic, biking the wrong way on a one way street (cars don’t look carefully in the direction traffic should not be coming from), biking on the sidewalk, etc.
Pablo Delano
I won’t say much because I’m hardly an expert but I used a bike exclusively for transport in NYC from 1980 to 1996, and that included traveling between Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn, in all seasons and through all sorts of traffic. Yet when I moved to CT in 1996, I found biking here terrifying – much worse than mid-town Manhattan. So I stopped. For whatever that’s worth.
Also, regarding the sidewalks, I agree but surprisingly in many more bike-friendly societies the sidewalks is where you are supposed to ride. Japan, Germany, etc. Sometimes they divide the sidewalks into a lane for walkers and one for bikers.