Venice is the ideal place to commute by bicycle. In fact, I ride far more often than I drive. Yet too often drivers treat cyclists as if they don’t belong on the road. Some drivers simply don’t give cyclists a wide enough berth. (Pacific Avenue is particularly worrisome.)
But some cyclists don’t do themselves any favors, running red lights, going the wrong way on one way streets like Venice Boulevard and otherwise ignoring the traffic laws. Under the state motor vehicle code cyclists ride vehicles and are subject to the same regulations as drivers.
Cyclists' behavior is the only explanation for some Venetians' objections to the “special status” being given to cyclists under City Councilman Bill Rosendahl's proposed Bicycle Anti-Harassment Ordinance.
I support Rosendahl’s proposed ordinance to protect cyclists from harassment, but I also urge all of us who use our bikes to come to our senses and obey the traffic laws.
The more cyclists in Los Angeles, the cleaner our city will be. On a personal level, cycling is good for you. For bicyclists and drivers alike, this means everyone has to do his or her part to share the road.
