Bike Against Auto

Portland is a bike friendly city. In fact, it has more bicycle trails than any city in the U.S. Every road here has an adjacent and well spaced bike path that walkers and joggers also use. This is good for everyone, ar users and those on bikes or foot, because it makes the roads much wider than in most other places. I think one reason Portland has low car accident rates (and the accompanying low auto insurance rates that go along with that) is because the roads are so wide. this gives the driver more latitude if making a mistake.

Oregon law says the bicycle commuter had just as much right as a car to be in that traffic lane. But this also means they have as many responsibilities as those driving in motorized vehicles. Though I haven't seen evidence of it, the locals here seem to feel the latter is neglected too often by the bikers and that they cause safety hazards for motorists. Some wonder if Portland bike community has a death wish? Not stopping for stop signs, racing at high speeds downhill toward pedestrians, cutting into lanes that cars use ae all some of the complaints here.

I find this interesting. It's almost like the old horse versus man feud that happened in the early 1900's when motorized vehicles pushed the noble horse from the street and made horse riding almost extinct on public roads. The many "green" nuts who praise anything that is involved with oil and gas and cheer walkers and bikers regardless of how they do it, are gritting their teeth against the extremists on the motor car side and both are slamming into each other.

I used to ride a bike in New Orleans quite often, but in my neighborhood here the roads are so steep that it isn't practical to ride unless one transports the bike by car to a more flat terrain and gets out and rides there. I have one foot on the gas peddle and one on the bike peddle and can see both sides of the feud. Fact is though, the car drivers will win the battle because people want the technology and convenience of motor cars more often than they want bike riders sharing their roads.

Yet, bike riders pay not one dollar in fees or taxes from the roads they use. Auto and motor vehicles pay license, registration and insurance for each vehicle. It even goes beyond that with trailer fees and other misc. items like boats. Bicycles aren't part of that list because they ride unlicensed and free of charge. So maybe they are the winners after all.

On the other hand, bike riders don't pollute like cars do, the health cost due to lack of exercise because of car use is sometimes horrific and expensive to society, car accidents kill over 30,000 people in the U.S each year while bike rider accidents kill very few, and most bike riders are car owners as well.

Sigh...maybe to deflect the biker/auto controversy we should just bring back the horse back on the streets here in Portland.