Cyclology: Your opinion
Your opinion of me is none of my business but I’d like my safety to be. Isn’t that true for all of us? We all want to feel safe. I am currently reading “Bicycle/Race” by Adonia E. Lugo. The book is not about “a” race. It is about transportation, culture, and resistance. Inside the front cover is a note from the Elgin Bike Hub- “This is a community resource from EBH. Please return it, or share it in a way that makes Elgin a happier, healthier, more equitable community” How do we do that? Sharing is a great start. Adonia writes powerful catch phrases like: reclaim shared public roadways, hierarchy of the street, and the human right to mobility. Within the first few chapters, Adonia touches upon the history on how mobility and race is viewed in L.A. Sharing her observations educates the reader on cultural behaviors. On top of page 13 this line really rang out “…how we traveled and whose safety mattered”. Mattered?! Who doesn’t want to feel safe? No matter who we are and what method is used to travel, safety is key. I currently feel safe when commuting, but am I just lucky? Does everyone feel just as safe? I don’t want anyone to feel unsafe by another person’s [fill in the blank], status, size, race, sex, finances, religion, strength, boredom, or choice of transportation. Now a wild animal could make you feel unsafe but wild animals do not have prejudices. I’d love to see Elgin with well-built bike paths that provide plentiful destinations. My first path choice is safety. I am exposed on my bike and that is part of the charm, being a part of the climate around me. Knowing I am making my carbon footprint smaller. Yet, when the road is not built for my bike along with other modes of transportation then I feel like the first choice in the food chain. In those cases, I do take public transportation or even a car when the route is not welcoming to bikes. Yet, what about the people who need to use their bikes for all transportation needs? Bikes have rights in IL and when the roads are not bike friendly that tends to be forgotten. So even if the well-built bike paths are never built then I ask that other modes of transportation remember that everyone matters when you #BikeElgin and beyond. Safety is a path to happiness which nurtures health. Share the safety equally.