There are a certain percentage of people who believe the powerful should always have dominion over the less powerful. All of them have drivers licenses.
I think most of us have empathy for our fellow citizens and don’t think of the public space as an arena in which it is ‘us’ against ‘them’. I hope that public discussion on this issue can be focused on a model like Complete Streets that designs-in a good civic and neighborly policy, one which limits the competition between cars, bikes and people from the beginning. As a driver, bicyclist and pedestrian I can see all perspectives. I understand that a driver may feel that they are having something taken away from them when public spaces are shared more fairly. I can understand that a two-minute longer commute sometimes feels like an inconvenience. But as a good neighbor I understand that there is room for everyone in our public spaces and that taking the long view that values safety and livability will benefit the most in the end. People don’t fall in love with Savannah because they enjoy walking along Abercorn from Derenne to Eisenhower, after all.
I'm a 60 year old bike commuter, riding ten miles each day, mostly in Habersham's bike lane. When I leave work my younger co-workers practically get down on their knees and pray for my safety. We have a long way to go in changing the perception of the safety and practicality of riding. Keep expanding the infrastructure in ways that make streets safe for everyone and continue to get more cyclists out there without creating an us vs. them environment between cyclists, drivers and pedestrians. Good work John and the Savannah Bicycle Campaign!
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