I bought an electric bike 18 months ago because the commute from the bay side of town to the Oak Knoll side of town where I teach was taking so much time from my life and making me more irritated when I got wherever it was I was trying to go. I would like to share 10 things I’ve learned:
1. My e-bike is a joy to ride and I’ve come to actually enjoy my commute. I feel happier when I get to work and when I get home. I’ve cut my commute time from 30 to 60 minutes each way to 20 minutes each way no matter what time I ride. If you have the ability to not drive, I encourage you to try out this easy mode of transportation.
2. There are a lot more bikes on the road than drivers may realize. I certainly didn’t realize that so many people commuted by bike until I became one of them. I have nearly 3,000 miles on my bike, almost exclusively in Menlo Park. That’s 3,000 miles my car wasn’t adding to traffic.
3. Stop signs are for everyone to stop at — bikes included. I may not be perfect at it, but I’m trying. I’ve noticed that cars often won’t take their turn at a four-way stop if they see a bike coming because they don’t know if the bike will stop, and most people aren’t willing to hit someone just to prove they have the right-of-way. If you ride a bike, you should follow the rules of the road just as you expect cars to do. Also, it’s good role modeling for the next biking generation to see. Special shout-out to the parents I see showing their kids to stop at stop signs and walk bikes in crosswalks. I do see kids who follow all the rules, and I know where they learned it.
4. Those green lanes on the edge of the driving lane are actually not just an overflow lane for cars. I see cars dip into this lane whether there are bikes there or not. And despite my neon jacket, many cars seem not to look before trying to share my green lane. Thank you to those who do.
5. Cars turning right are easily the biggest hazard I face on my ride. Drivers making right turns, please look for cyclists (and increasingly, scooterists as well). Right turns on Alma are a particular trouble spot. Watch for bikes! All the time. All across town. We’ve had 16 bike/ped accidents involving a car just since September!
6. Slow down! The death rate more than doubles for pedestrians hit by cars when the speed goes from 25 to 35 mph. Way too many cars are exceeding 30 mph on clearly posted and used school bike safety routes. Ringwood, Middle, and Santa Cruz avenues commonly have traffic exceeding 30 mph and heavy bike traffic. Maybe a citywide 25 mph limit would make our roads safer for all users.
7. In our small community, high school kids ride the wrong way on the sidewalk because the roads don’t feel safe. High school kids. What if we all drove like we lived in a small community where even middle school and elementary kids could feel safe sharing the roads?
8. Parents: Talk to your bike riders about why the helmet hanging from the handlebars of their bike isn’t doing them any good. Having nearly lost a relative to a head injury from a bike fall, I can attest to the lifesaving qualities of those plastic shells. No one plans to fall off their bike — there won’t be time to put the helmet on then. My relative had a full recovery.
9. Drivers: Many of you are still on your phones when you’re driving through town. It won’t be worth the damage that inattention might cause some day.
10. The traffic issues aren’t going away any time soon. However, if we choose policies that make our community more walkable and bikeable, then more of us will get the ease of access and increased quality of life that I’ve been enjoying since I started riding more and my commute went from being the most stressful part of my day, to the least.
Thank you for reading this. Hopefully we can all help make the roads a little safer for everyone.
Jacqui Cebrian, is a 12-year resident of the Belle Haven neighborhood in Menlo Park, a 15-year teacher at Oak Knoll, a former library commissioner, a current member of the Complete Streets Commission, a current member of Library Foundation Board of Directors, and a bicycle commuter.
