After thinking and revising our long list of relative topics, I have decided to investigate the battle between bikers and drivers of the road. I became first interested in this when my stepmother and I were riding our bikes on the side of the road and a guy in a large truck came racing pass us. He was nearly close to hitting us. And ever since I moved to South Burlington I have noticed that drivers dislike sharing the road with bikers because of them having a bike path. And I found this to be odd considering that the bike path is what keeps bicyclist off the road. I have already learned that this year Vermont has seen a increase in bicyclist versus automobiles deaths. It has gone up four deaths since 2005 . Up until this year there was only one death. I want to learn more about those particular accidents and try to figure out the cause. I also want to find out a way to prevent these accidents from happening. Some questions I have about this topic are what would it cost to either expand the bike path or make roads bigger for bikers. I think for everyone to want change is good, but it's the reasoning that affects the change. So I think that in order for people to really understand this is to put themselves into both the drivers and bicyclists shoes and look at this from both angles. That is what I am planning on doing in order to find a solution to this problem. I would like others to get from this that it's not just one persons fault. It is not just the bicyclist's fault, it's also the drivers fault. I hope that after people read/watch this at the end they will learn how to see everyone's different perspective and not just their own. My focus question is 'what can I/we do as a community to stop these deaths from happening? I hope to learn much more.
-Thanks for reading, have a nice afternoon.
Hi Lydia. I'm Laurie; I teach in Burlington. Thanks for an informative and thought provoking blog on the increased numbers of cyclists' deaths this year in Vermont. It has been very sad and I think your topic is on very many minds.
ReplyDeleteI think when you start talking with drivers, you will find many reasons why they are nervous around cyclists. Conversely, cyclists have many concerns as well. As you go forward, I think it will be helpful to know if you are going to focus on South Burlington alone or all of Chittenden county or even more of the area? (Your research on the accidents themselves may guide you.) I also am curious about your ideas around the cost of road expansion or making and maintaining more bike paths. Additionally, there was an event two weeks ago in Burlington sponsored by the group Local Motion where they actually closed down a section of the city on a Sunday so it was available only to bikes and pedestrians. That might be fun to research too. So many interesting places to investigate.
Keep up the great thinking. Looking forward to your next post.
Hi Laurie,
DeleteSorry it took me so long to reply, it's been a hectic week! Thanks for the comment! Yeah, once I get farther into my research I will determine ether or not to focus on just South Burlington. I think I will let my research guide me. Yeah I heard about that. My step mother's best friend was in that. Thank you, I hope you have a great weekend.
~Lydia
Hi Lydia,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kate Carroll and I teach at Middlebury Union High School with Mr. O'Leary. I am very interested to find out where you research takes you concerning the sharing of our roads. I think about and often witness instances that you described on your own bike. As a driver, I am extra cautious because my husband loves to bike the gaps of Vermont. Also one of the bike-car fatalities that you mentioned occurred in our district; a drunk driver hit and killed a MUHS parent who was biking.
So, obviously, I think you have picked a very important topic. I also think your intent to consider driver and biker points of view is essential as I have witnessed the bikers who don’t seem to want to share the road with drivers!
I am curious about your comment that “I have noticed that drivers dislike sharing the road with bikers because of them having a bike path”. How does this manifest? Do the drivers purposefully drive into the bike lane?
Where do you see yourself starting to gather information? Do you think you will contact individuals or organizations such as law enforcement, bike clubs, VT Dept. of Transportation or Tourism? Also, you may want to read news reports about this year’s incidents to investigate the factors that led to the accidents such as road conditions, DUI, fatigue, visibility (I always get nervous when the sun is setting and I am driving westward on a popular bike road).
Best wishes,
Kate Carroll
Hi, awh that's so sad, I'm so sorry, that's awful. Um I don't honestly believe that driver intentionally drive into the biking lane, but when there is a bike path literally six feet away, you start to wonder. I think I will start by asking some drivers all over Vermont to just get a sense of how it is in different towns. And then do the same with bikers. I just think it's right to show both sides of the story. That's some great advice, thank you. I hope you have a great weekend.
Delete~Lydia