On Saturday, June 14th, there is a rally to support the building of bike lanes on High Ridge Road. It begins at 1pm and is taking place at Rippowam Middle School (381 High Ridge).
I don't know how you get to where you are going in your day to day life, but you should go - especially if you're a passionate car enthusiast (sometimes referred to as a 'petrolhead') who wouldn't dream of cycling on High Ridge Road.
Let me illustrate why.
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This picture is of some of my 1:87 scale miniatures I frequently use to illustrate traffic and safety issues on DIYBIKING.COM. Here we have seven identical cars (and one cyclist) on two stretches of road the exact same width. All that is different about the road on the right is the motor vehicle travel lanes are a bit narrower, which gives more space to the cyclist.
When I first built this model, I had to double-check the measurements of the two roads, because even I had trouble seeing the difference between them (until I had a good look at the amount of space the cyclist has).
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And this is the main point: My guess is that if the travel lane your car uses on High Ridge suddenly shrunk from twelve feet wide to eleven feet, you probably wouldn't notice.
Cutting the width of lanes from twelve feet wide to eleven feet is a key component of Complete Streets. It brings more space to the shoulder, which, if wide enough, can create a bike lane. And if there is a safe way to travel by bike, those who have access to bikes will be more likely to use them.
That'll take cars off the road, and that will make your commute, as a motorist, even better.
Bike lanes on High Ridge Road are not contentious, expensive or abstract. It's something within reach that will make that road work a whole lot better for everyone who uses it. Hope to see you at the rally on Saturday.
Mike Norris is the founder of DIYBIKING.COM, a site dedicated to casual cycling, random builds, and bike travel. He is a member of the Connecticut Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board and owns one 3,300 lb. SUV and 14 2/3 bicycles. He lives and works in Stamford and can be reached at connecticutmike@gmail.com
