Election Section

The recent dust-up about reconfiguring Marin Avenue to make it safer for pedestrians has all the elements of a classic Berkeley political tempest in a teapot. A couple of op-ed articles in this paper asserted that the Marin Avenue reconfiguration is a scheme by bicyclists to disrupt motor traffic. 

Until recently the Marin Avenue project was only barely on the radar for cycling advocates. We are much more concerned, for example, with the state of Milvia Street in the downtown area. But it is instructive to see how quickly opponents of the Marin project identified bicyclists as the villains of the reconfiguration by stealth. 

Bicyclists make good targets when motorists feel frustrated and disempowered. Even in Berkeley many citizens assume that an automobile is the usual mode of transportation. Often when we want to pick up a box of screws at the hardware store, we grab the car keys and head out the door. We think about the store, and we think about the screws, but we don’t think about the car at all. 

The congestion in Berkeley concerns motorists and cyclists alike. In practice, bicycling activists are not interested in preventing people from driving. So, what is it that bicyclists and bicycling activists want? What are our goals? 

Many of us own cars and drive when it’s appropriate. But we are determined to use bicycles whenever possible. We don’t do it because we hate cars or drivers. We have adjusted our concept of what the appropriate use of a car should be. For a number of reasons we have decided to make driving our second choice. In a city where many of us live within three miles of our destination traveling by bicycle need not be an idealistic fantasy. In practice it is often more convenient to use a bike than a car. 

From reduction of air pollution to the savings on gasoline, there are lots of benefits to making a bicycle the primary choice for transportation. We cyclists have the opportunity to talk to our neighbors as we ride by. We don’t we get frustrated when we can’t find a parking place within feet of our destination. Nor do we expect to get downtown in five minutes. We have learned to allow decent amounts of time for things. 

The Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition believes that many people can use a bicycle for some trips and will experience some of the benefits. Our organization was founded almost 10 years ago and has over 400 paying members. Our goal is to create conditions that will make riding a bicycle as a means of everyday transportation more attractive to growing numbers of people. Among many other activities, BFBC has offered regular classes in safe bicycling skills that highlight the rules of the road and respect for the law. We teach people to stop at stop signs and traffic lights. We are aware that bicyclists must be ambassadors for good behavior. 

We’re interested in making Berkeley’s transportation infrastructure work well for everyone. This is not an easy task. Especially in Berkeley it is very hard to find universally pleasing solutions. In our efforts to make a constructive contribution to the public dialogue, we participate in the Transportation Commission. But in fact only three of the nine commissioners are regular cyclists. Only two transportation commissioners are members of the Commission’s bicycle subcommittee. 

By bicycling instead of driving we reduce congestion, making it easier for cars to get through town. It’s actually in motorists’ interests to encourage more people to ride bikes. 

At this point cars and motorcycles account for more than 60 percent of the traffic. Transit users account for 18 percent of all commute traffic. Pedestrians make up another 15 percent and bicyclists are about 6 percent of the traffic, which is much higher than the statewide average of 1 percent. When more people get out of their cars and walk or ride, walking and bicycling become safer, because motorists get used to looking out for them. So, not surprisingly, Berkeley is, by far, the safest place to walk or bike in California. 

It’s easy to see why the media have focused their attention on the more flamboyant aspects of bicycle activism like Critical Mass. It’s a way to tap into the commonly experienced frustration of being in a car, stuck in traffic. But it doesn’t really give anyone information about the work bicycle activists do to make streets safe and less stressful for everyone. 

We all benefit from sharing the resources of our public streets. Our dream in the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition is to see bicycles become a part of the scenery, the way they are in Holland, Japan, or Germany. Bicycles are not just toys for little kids in OshKosh and bigger kids in Lycra and spandex. 

For information about BFBC go to www.BFBC.org. For information about how cyclists and walkers create safer streets, see www.tsc.berkeley.edu/html/newsletter/Spring04/syntax.html. 

Emma Gilbride and Phil Morton are co-chairs of the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition.