Rowland M. Shelley: Bikers should use lanes

An aspect of the bike/cars issue that receives little attention is when bicyclists refuse to use the lanes available to them.

A paved bike path/greenway lies parallel to and only 3 to 4 feet from Reedy Creek Road between Edwards Mill and Trenton roads, yet many bicyclists ignore it and ride on the street anyway. This stretch of Reedy Creek has sections of brick median, and passing bicyclists where median exists is tight even in a small car; larger vehicles have to wait until the median ends to do so comfortably and safely.

For a driver rushing someone to the ER at nearby Rex Hospital, this slight but unnecessary delay is more than a mere inconvenience. It could hold avoidable medical consequences because the bike path is a mere step off the roadway. Much is said about drivers sharing the road with bicyclists, but this should not be a factor when a paved bike path is provided, and bicyclists flatly refuse to use it.

Ned Barnett’s Jan. 17 column “More bikes claim a share of the road” cited 65 miles of bike lanes and 114 miles of greenway in Raleigh available to bicycles, and where they exist, bicyclists should use them. Respect and courtesy work both ways.

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Rowland M. Shelley: Bikers should use lanes."