If we’re going to make bicycling safer in the U.S., we need to be honest about what needs to be done.

The primary safety solution from many groups is to wear a helmet. But, according to research, wearing helmets is not the best way to improve bicycling safety. Creating safe bicycle facilities, increasing bicycle use, and educating users are the best means for improving safety. The results from the Netherlands support this. It’s one of the safest places to bike in the world yet almost no one wears helmets.

What do you call a cyclist wearing a helmet in the Netherlands? A tourist.

One study summarizes the six priorities that Germany and the Netherlands use to make biking so safe:

• Better Facilities for Walking and Cycling
• Traffic Calming of Residential Neighborhoods
• Urban Design Oriented to People and Not Cars
• Restrictions on Motor Vehicle Use
• Traffic Education
• Traffic Regulations and Enforcement

The big challenge in Metro Detroit is many road agencies and municipalities don’t know what better bicycling facilities are. For example, the Road Commission of Oakland County refuses to acknowledge much less use best practices for bicycling facilities. They ignore the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) guidelines for bicycling facilities. They ignore Federal Highway Administration guidance. They ignore bicycling safety studies that show their policies have been consistently found to be unsafe.

And similarly, many cities have followed the Road Commission’s lead. Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield have pursued wide sidewalks (ironically called “safety” paths) despite the overwhelming evidence that these are not safe options for cyclists.

If we truly want safe cycling, we need to start by forcing our local road agencies and municipalities to use best practices and provide safe non-motorized transportation options for cyclists. This should be our primary campaign. And that message needs to come from cyclists, citizens, AAA, medical professionals, health experts, the Traffic Improvement Association (TIA), and others.

This doesn’t mean helmet use should be discouraged. Helmets can lessen injuries when cyclists are hit. But it’s much better to prevent those “hits” in the first place.

The 2007 bike and pedestrian crash results for the four counties in the MDOT Metro Region have just been added to our on-line database.

In summary, while pedestrian crashes have dropped, bicycle crashes increased by over 13%. As noted by SEMCOG, “traffic crashes involving bicycles are more severe than overall crashes.” In other words, they cause a much higher percentage of injuries. Bikes don’t have bumpers, crash cages, and air bags.

The only “good” news is there were 6 bicycle fatalities this year, down from 13 last year. Still, 23% of all traffic related fatalities in the Metro Region were pedestrians or cyclists.

These numbers only provide more justification for road agencies (like Wayne County and the Road Commission of Oakland County) to begin implementing best practices for safe biking. Agencies and municipalities need to create and implement non-motorized plans on how to reduce these crashes.  Road projects that increase bicyclist safety should be rewarded, not penalized as they can be today in Oakland County.

SEMCOG has released their 2007 Traffic Crash Report. The Michigan State Police should be releasing theirs sometime this month.

Michigan’s laws for hand signaling were based on people sitting in Model-Ts. They assume no one can see your right hand. They assume it’s important to signal all braking. They assume you don’t need your left hand for braking.

These are bad assumptions for cyclists. Many states have updated their laws, but Michigan has not. (more…)

On Wednesday, Oakland County hosted an Urban Trails Meeting for the communities within the four geographic township boundaries of Royal Oak, Southfield, Troy, and Bloomfield. The meeting’s purpose was “to discuss the possibilities and opportunities for enhancing and promoting non-motorized connectivity in an urban environment.”

The southeast quadrant of Oakland County is arguably the most developed area within the county. However, it is heavily used by bikers and pedestrians for travel and recreation, demonstrating the desire for non-motorized facilities that are safe and connected. The infrastructure is already in place for a multi- use, interconnected urban trail system in your community – lets build on what exists and help market this area as a great place to walk and bike!

The turnout was very good. Most of the invited communities were in attendance and gave brief summaries of where they are at this their biking facilities.

Next, Oakland County described their potential services, including GIS and planning. They also mentioned possibilie of service grants so communities could apply for this help from the County. With Michigan’s strong home-rule design, the County really can’t force bike networks and municipal cooperation. At best they can encourage and show the way. But at the end of the day, it’s local government’s job to get this done.

And as most area cyclists will tell you, they are not getting the job done with a few exceptions (namely Ferndale, Madison Heights, and Troy.) This is despite the fact that there is very strong support for biking facilities among the public. And, in some cases, these bike networks are even specified in community master plans.

Money is often a given excuse, yet 1% of the state road funding these communities receive must be spent on non-motorized transportation. In addition, M-DOT awards transportation enhancement and CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grants for non-motorized facilities. This is not an excuse.

What appears to be true is there is internal opposition within local governments, primarily from older, auto-centric, stuck in the mud individuals.

Some have suggested we wait until these roadblocks retire. I disagree. Cyclists shouldn’t be expected to forgo safe facilities until then. We’ve been patient so far while the rest of the country (and world) move forward.

Senator Tom Harkin from Iowa has introduced the Complete Streets Act of 2008. According to the Senator’s web site, “To reduce accidents, legislation will create ‘Complete Streets’ to keep motorists, transit vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians safe.”

Making our streets bike and pedestrian friendly is a win-win for us all. It not only promotes healthier lifestyles, it lowers the amount of traffic congestion that many people deal with every day.

So, what would this bill do for the Detroit area? It would require M-DOT and SEMCOG to adopt policies ensuring “that the safety and convenience of all users of the transportation system shall be accommodated.” That means all new road construction and reconstruction should include bicycle facilities unless very specific justifications can be documented.

Some U.S. cities and states already have Complete Streets policies. In Michigan, only the City of Jackson has done so.

What can you do to help? Make a quick call to Senators Levin (202.224.6221) and Stabenow (202.224.4822) to let them know you support Senator Harkin’s Complete Streets Act of 2008. If no one answers, just leave a message of support, your name, and address. (more…)