Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Edition:
Peninsula/S.F. Section: Front Page: 1A
Illustration: Photos (2)
Source: BY ANN E. MARIMOW, Mercury News
A car and a bicycle approach an intersection with a right-turn-only lane. The cyclist shifts to the left to continue straight, just as the motorist signals to turn right.
So who's the jerk? Turns out it could be either.
Both are following the rules of the road. But misinformation and bad behavior
often lead to honking, yelling and rude gestures.
Some Peninsula cities are trying to curb tension between cyclists and drivers, in hopes of making the roads safer. Palo Alto is offering street skills courses for cyclists, Menlo Park is considering lowering the speed limit on Sand Hill Road and Woodside's bike committee has proposed new road signs that read: ''Be Courteous, Share The Road.''
With the Peninsula's scenic roads, network of bike lanes and interest in environmentally friendly transportation, the volume of cyclists adds to the potential for conflict.
''We really need to get both groups to behave responsibly,'' said Bob Page, who formed Woodside's bike committee and has pedaled to work in Menlo Park since 1974. ''Everyone is best served if people view that roadways should be shared. No one really wants to injure another person.''
Equally at fault
That's the idea behind Palo Alto's free four-hour classes beginning next month. The city's more than 30 miles of bike lanes are intended to get peopleout of their cars for trips across town. But riding safely isn't just staying as close to the curb as possible.
From 1999 to 2000, the Palo Alto Police Department reported 161 collisions involving bicycles -- 114 with injuries and two fatalities. Half the time, bike riders were at fault and half the time motorists, according to police.
''A lot of people know how to ride a bicycle, but few people know how to drive one,'' said former Stanford University bike coordinator John Ciccarelli, who will teach Palo Alto's street skills classes.
Lycra-clad cyclists descend on Woodside each weekend to tackle the town's challenging rural roads free from car traffic. The bike riders are part of the town's economy, stopping at Robert's Market to refuel with energy bars and water. Yet many of the entrances to the town aren't so welcoming to those on two wheels. For at least the past decade, street signs have specifically warned, ''Bicyclists advised: California Vehicle Code strictly enforced.''
''It's rather antagonistic toward cyclists,'' said Ted Zayner, current chairman of the committee that's working to replace the signs with more bike-friendly ones that feature a bike and car together.
But that peaceful coexistence is sometimes challenged. That's particularly true in San Francisco, where bike activists with the group Critical Mass travel en masse during commute times to advocate an auto-free environment. It often has the reverse effect of turning motorists against cyclists.
Aggravation
In Los Altos Hills, Mayor Toni Casey said residents have complained about bikers riding four and five abreast, ignoring traffic signs and not paying attention to cars. The narrow, winding roads of Los Altos Hills make for interesting riding, but there are also dangerous blind spots, Casey said.
''You can't get around them and it's aggravating,'' she said.
The town council has asked the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department to patrol the roads to make sure cyclists are riding as close to the curb as possible, Casey said.
Then there are misunderstandings. On her trips around Palo Alto, Amanda Jones of the city's transportation department has too often heard the refrain: ''Get in the bike lane, lady!''
If the driver's windows are down, Jones calmly explains that she's positioning herself to continue straight so the driver can turn right.
''I'm not trying to impede traffic,'' said Jones, who is hard to miss in her neon yellow commuting jacket. ''I'm not my own Critical Mass.''
And sometimes there are just accidents. In the 25 years Palo Alto resident Jan Gabus has biked to his dental office in Menlo Park, he has been hit twice. The first time the sun was in the driver's eyes. Three months ago, the driver was backing into a parking space and didn't see Gabus coming.
''Cars need to be aware that bikers are very vulnerable,'' Gabus said. ''And as a biker, you really have to be courteous and polite, no matter what happens.''
There are some signs of improved relations. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition last summer launched a public ad campaign titled ''Coexist.'' Ads acknowledged that both cyclists and drivers are responsible for road safety.
The California Bicycle Coalition in Sacramento recently held its first face-to-face meeting with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV has updated its driver's manual and exam with better information on car/bike interactions.
The next challenge, executive director Chris Morfas said, is making sure that every person who takes the California driver's test has to answer at least one question related to cyclists.
Morfas said, ''It's a significant step forward in bike/car
relations.''
Infobox: IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
Palo Alto is offering 10 free four-hour Street Skills classes for cyclists from
Feb. 9 through May 15 at Cubberley Community Center and the Ventura police substation.
For more information, contact Amanda Jones with the city transportation department
at (650) 329-2568 or amandajones@city.palo.alto.ca.us.
ASPHALT ETIQUETTE
Here's how drivers and bicyclists going the same direction should
approach an intersection:
Motorists
Bicyclists
Source: Bicycle Commuter Coalition of Riverside
Caption: PHOTO: EUGENE H. LOUIE -- MERCURY NEWS
Amanda Jones, Palo Alto's bike and commute coordinator, dons a helmet before
getting on her bicycle.
PHOTO: EUGENE H. LOUIE -- MERCURY NEWS
Amanda Jones, who works in Palo Alto's transportation department, makes her
way through noontime traffic on University Avenue. The city is offering free
bike skills classes.