The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
A group of about 200 bicyclists rallied Saturday to promote making Shore Drive safer.
They biked a 6-mile and 16-mile route, ending with a cookout at Kokoamos Island Bar, Grill & Yacht Club on Marina Shores Drive. The goal was to promote adding bike lanes to Shore Drive and reducing the speed limit to 35 mph, organizer Bill Hart said.
"We just feel Shore Drive is very, very unsafe for everybody except drivers," he said. "People are not only getting killed, but they're getting injured, disabled, and we need to do something about it."
Since May 2008, two cyclists have died in Virginia Beach after collisions with vehicles. One was on Shore Drive, and one was on Witchduck Road.
Through mid-April, there were 16 crashes this year involving bicycles and motor vehicles, according to the Police Department.
Kokoamos approached the event's organizers and offered to host a post-ride barbecue, Hart said. It provided hot dogs, hamburgers, juice and sodas, manager Aimee Wetzel said.
"We do multiple facets of charity and are heavily into giving back to the community," she said. "Our main focus today was to make sure that everyone is safe down here on this corridor."
If the Shore Drive area was safer for pedestrians and cyclists, more people could walk and bike to bars, stores and restaurants, Wetzel said.
The League of American Bicyclists does not consider Virginia Beach a Bicycle Friendly Community, according to its Web site. The designation goes to communities that meet certain criteria, such as having bike lanes and enforcing bike-safety laws.
In Virginia, only Alexandria, Arlington and Charlottesville are considered Bicycle Friendly Communities, according to the Web site.
Virginia Beach would benefit from being added to the list, Hart said.
"I think they're hurting themselves in the long run," he said. "People are going green, and they're going to travel places where they can ride their bikes, and Virginia Beach has a reputation where you don't."
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com the goal
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Bicycles being banned from
Bicycles being banned from Shore Drive is the better yet.
Bad vibs
I knew when this post started it would be controversial, just like discussing religion or politics - you draw out the extreme opinion from both sides. I don't see a viable happy medium between bikers and motorists. To many people using to few roads. Sound familiar ?
Hey stacim82695
I've ridden bike lanes in cities like La Jolla, San Diego and Roswell and guess what - sometimes I have had to slow down for cyclists on beach cruisers or mountain bikes. Not a problem for me. I can spare an extra 2 seconds out of my day for someone else. If you understood how bike lanes work, that is riders are separated from traffic by a painted line and nothing else, I doubt you would have your 5 year old riding in them. That is exactly what a multi use trail is for. Not me going 20+ mph on my road bike but to keep your 5 year old out of traffic and out of danger.
So What's the Beef with Cyclist?
I’m a little perplexed by the few overly negative comments with regards to cyclist on the roadways. Cyclist doesn’t hurt anyone, they don’t pollute, they don’t kill and maim. They don’t hurt anyone besides occasionally causing a minor inconvenience to drivers who have may have to move over a little while passing. Really there’s nothing there to get angry or upset about. Basically cycling is a fun way to stay fit as well as a form of transportation. If our roads were made more accommodating for cycling then more and more people could enjoy it both as recreation as well as transportation. Perhaps going after cyclist on a public forum with negative stereotypes and displays of ignorance is a last PC bastion for those with angry and bigoted outlooks on life. Someone please explain what's so horrible about cycling, staying fit, not polluting.....
Responsibilty and risk
While you are slowing down, you are slowing down those behind you. Is it possible that an aggressive or unattentive driver is further back and an accident then occurs?
Is there really space in your lane on Shore Drive to swerve or could it be evening rush hour and the lanes are packed with SUV's and trucks with wide mirrors?
Shore drive is too narrow and too fast for a bike, which implies they need thier own lane. I am sure the city will jump right on widing the Lesner Bridge 6' with no additional expense to the taxpayer.
When you accomodate a biker that is in your lane, you in part are taking responsibilty for the risk they chose by getting on Shore Drive in the first place. Thier behavior modifies your behavior behind the wheel, which can have a domino effect on other drivers, that are wondering why the car ahead is braking and swerving....and then that bike swerves toward you more to avoid a hole in the road and winds up under your car.
Until Shore Drive is improved, if ever, the bikes do not belong on that road.
Solution must be practical.
"Perhaps going after cyclist on a public forum with negative stereotypes and displays of ignorance is a last PC bastion for those with angry and bigoted outlooks on life."
I think there are negative stereotypes being put forth by both sides in this issue, both the motorists and cyclists.
And the solution for safety in this issue must be a practical one for both the motorists and the cyclists to ever work without creating even more friction.
To me, reducing the speed limit to 35 mph on Shore Drive is not a practical one.
why
why is it not practical to change the speed limit on shore drive? You do realize that it's about a ten mile stretch of road that we're talking about right? not an entire system of state highways or anything...
55
"why is it not practical to change the speed limit on shore drive?"
Look what happens when people slow down in the HRBT where the speed limit is ormally 55. You get cars backed up for miles and some rear-end collisions thrown in the mix. I don't want to see that same type of congestive mess on Shore Drive.
I live on Shore Drive, I
I live on Shore Drive, I bike or drive on it every single day. To compare the volume of traffic on Shore to the HRBT is ridiculous. The areas of Shore with a bit of high traffic is not the area normally used by cyclists anyway. We are really looking to limit speedlimits on shore east of pleasure house road
here's a simple solution
Share.