A Bike Lane Bounty?

 A couple of weeks ago, I was riding northbound on the Crescent Street bike lane.  Someone steered a sports car of some kind—tuned to make as much noise and be as generally obnoxious as possible—pulled into the bike lane.  I avoided doing a flip on that car’s hood only by hopping into the sidwalk.

Another driver, in a pickup truck that looked like it was actually being used for the kind of work done by people in overalls, rolled down his window and yelled, “You outta get that piece’a shit’s license numba!”

I didn’t.  But it occurred to me, later, that I should take that guy’s advice the next time I see someone blocking a lane.

Doing such a thing would definitely be worthwhile if cycling advocates in Ann Arbor, Michigan have their way.

They are proposing something that is under consideration here in New York:  a bounty.  It would be a percentage of the fines collected from scofflaw drivers.

I am definitely in favor of the idea, at least in principle. But I wonder how aggressive either city would be about going after such drivers:  More than a few I’ve encountered were police officers having a cup of coffee or watching videos that, shall we say, aren’t job-related.

Now, I understand if cops, firefighters or first responders need to use the lanes in actual emergencies. But I object to anyone just hanging out in them, or waiting for fares or passengers.

I also wonder whether either city would be as aggressive in collecting fines or disbursing whatever percentage of them as they are about ticketing cyclists, especially if they’re darker than I am.

Combining Her Passions For Pedaling And Painting

Perhaps it's because I've lived in New York most of my life: For me, bicycling and public art have become more and more intertwined.

These days, however, one doesn't have to go to biketopias like Portland or Amsterdam or art havens like Paris or New York to experience murals, large sculptures or installations during a ride.  It seems that smaller 'burgs are getting in on the idea of combining the two.  I think it has to do with increasing numbers of artists living and working outside of the traditional creative capitals for any number of reasons (not the least of which is the cost of studio space, supplies, or simply feeding and housing one's self) and cycling becoming a transportation option and recreation choice for many more people.

Among the communities that are bringing cycling and art together are the city of Kalamazoo and its eponymous Michigan county.  To that end, Bike Friendly Kalamazoo commissioned a mural that is going up along Lovers Lane, a popular cycling route in the city of Portage.

Photo by Dan Nichols for WWMT

The very colorful 17-by-58 foot image is being painted by local artists and is slated to be finished by the 15th of this month.  On that day, a public engagement will be held for the families that helped to paint it.

For the creator of the mural, Ellen VanderMyde, working on this project combines her passions for pedaling and painting.  She grew up in Portage and "grew up cycling this path" and hopes that people will ride to the mural to see it in person.

"We wanted to express the joys of cycling," explained Bicycle Friendly Kalamazoo President Paul Selden.  He hopes that "everybody who sees it would maybe want to get on a bicycle and if not maybe give those who are on bicycles a little more space on the road."

He also hopes to have another mural completed this year and that it, along with the work in progress, will be the beginning of more such installations. 

As far as I am concerned, public works of art readily visible to cyclists--whether or not those works are bicycle-themed--are  part of a city's cycling infrastructure.  If nothing else, I'd rather see a mural or a sculpture while I'm riding than risk my bike or my self on a poorly-conceived, -built or -maintained bike lane.