I ride in the streets where I'm seen better by motorists.
- Cody Custer
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Jason's Cycling Experience in Wichita.
"I've always ridden a bicycle, but about ten years ago, turning middle-aged, and finding my knees a bit sore from jogging, I became a "full-time" urban cyclist, riding nearly every day all year. Cycling proved for me to be a great low-impact exercise. I ride as a commuter, to run small errands, for my health, or recreationally.
In 2017, I was riding on the Douglas south sidewalk going east and crossed Hydraulic Street using the pedestrian crosswalk. As I was crossing, a car turning left in front of me hit my rear bike tire and also damaged the bike frame. I was able to get out of the way to mitigate the damage to myself and the bicycle. The driver didn’t stop to check on my welfare.
Thankfully, I was physically fine, but the next week, after fixing my bicycle and asking myself "why I wasn't seen by the motorist”, I began to take another look at my bike riding. If I had been crossing the intersection in the street lane, and not on the sidewalk, there is a greater chance the car would have seen me. Motorists, when turning left, instinctively look first for oncoming traffic. As a cyclist, if I’d been in the street lane, then I am now “oncoming traffic” as well.
Every city intersection is different. If no bike lanes are present, then in my view, if riding a bicycle, if you feel safer crossing an intersection in the pedestrian crosswalk, then it’s best to dismount from your bike, and walk it across. That way, in case of danger, while walking you have the freedom to stop, move forward, or move back. A cyclist riding along a pedestrian crosswalk usually can only stop, or move forward, but cannot backtrack quickly if needed. Not to mention, possibly creating obstacles for other pedestrians. In conclusion, when I’m bicycle riding in the city, I mostly ride in the street where I’m better seen by motorists coming from all directions."
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