Rantings and Ravings

By Sun Advocate

While the Wasatch Front continues to expand alternative transportation options for its citizens, we have very few choices.
Basically we have cars, trucks, or vans.
There are a few specialized transportation options mostly for seniors, but for the rest of us there are few other alternatives.
I have written before how I plan to try and use my bike for much of my getting around this summer, but I can tell you that no one is making it easy for those of us who are looking at that option. Even as bike trailers fly out of the bike shops, our community continues to ignore the potential bike commuter.
Bike racks are non-existent throughout the city. Both bike dealers have them in front of their shop, but nowhere else does.
Even places where kids ride their bikes to, like the Dino-Mine park, do not have racks. I want to be able to lock up my transportation and put it out of the way, but I can’t at most places.
I used to take my bike inside the stores and CEU when I rode in from Wellington. Often I was told I needed to take it back outside, but after I explained that I needed someone to watch it if I did, they usually relented. Now though I have a bike trailer attached and it is not feasible to take the bike inside.
It would also be nice if the city looked at a few well placed bike lanes to help us negotiate the downtown area. At many intersections, the right turning cars will cut you off if you are going straight. A bike lane would not keep everyone from doing that, but just the presence of it might spark the awareness of the drivers to watch a bit more.
Bike lanes might also help keep the kids from riding on the down town side walks. The other day I watched several kids almost get hit as they cruised past a parking area driveway. They were hidden by a building until they shot past the opening. The driver was looking out at the traffic and startled by the sudden appearance of the youngsters.
A quick stomp of the brakes and a swerve of the bikes and disaster was averted.
But in any case, there are more people than ever out on their bikes. If you are in your car, you need to be vigilant for the others who share the road with you.
Remember that bicyclists have the same rules of the road that you do. They actually can use the turning lanes to make a left turn. They have the right away when they are going straight down a road and you are turning.
Kids do not always follow the rules, so be extra careful anytime they may be out and about.
I have probably repeated myself in this column as compared to others I have written.
But another year has passed, gas prices are even higher than before, and people are buying more bikes than ever and still things have remained the same around our town.