I remember the ride vividly. Just a quick, easy ride to shake out the legs. Down the Rock Island Trail and back via the Tierra Williamsburg/SouthPointe Trail. Entirely off-road but for a few road crossings. At the 27th Street crossing, I waited for the light to turn red and the white man to flash. But, it was not safe to cross. Instead, someone driving a large SUV was driving (speeding) south on 27th, oblivious to the red light. I was already in the road and they were not slowing down. The grill of the SUV was inches from me when the driver finally stopped. So, instead of broken bones, I was full of endorphins. (Endorphins that I let out using many expletives). I think of this incident every time I hear about yet another cyclist, runner, or walker hit (and killed) in our city. I thought of it yesterday when I learned of a cyclist who was sideswiped (hit?) by a truck – a cyclist whose body is currently full of broken bones. When are we, as drivers, going to take responsibility for the vehicles we drive? And, importantly, when are traffic engineers and city planners going to take responsibility for the roads they build? Let us capitalize on the amazing trails we have and build safe connections that acknowledge the potential for mistakes, on roads and crossing roads, so these injuries and fatalities can be a thing of the past.
