I never thought that, at age 42, I’d turn into one of those radical bicyclist demonstrators, but I think I’m ready. The last few weeks of bicycling in this town, combined with East Lansing City Council’s frustrating answers to my questions about the lack of bike lanes, have sent me over the edge.
I bike from my downtown house to Goodrich to get groceries for our family. A few weeks ago, a driver tried to run me off Harrison Road, screaming, “Get off the road.” I switched to the sidewalk, where I was stopped by an aggressive pedestrian who screamed at me to get off the sidewalk.
I put the problem to the City Council. What should I do on Harrison Road? One member responded to remind me I have the right to the road. Great, I said, I’ll tell my husband to mention it in my eulogy. Another told me he doesn’t think “major roads” such as Harrison Road, Grand River Avenue and Hagadorn Road should have bike lanes, because it is unsafe for bicyclists. Less safe than the alternatives? Hagadorn Road was just widened and repaved from Grand River Avenue to Shaw Lane. Did they put in a bike lane? Nope.
What about Chandler Road, also just widened and repaved, and a major commuting route for students. Bike lanes? No. When I wrote to ask why we missed this opportunity, council members wrote back to tell me to just use the extra-wide sidewalk, which they’re calling a “pathway.” One also told me pedestrians complain about bicyclists on sidewalks because we come up out of nowhere. Good point. So why are they telling me to use a sidewalk as a bike lane?
It’s illegal to bike on sidewalks in East Lansing, and they especially discourage it downtown. You know, downtown — where council wants us to live and patronize businesses without adding to traffic.
Feeling as crazy as me yet?
Burcham Drive is one of the few roads in town that has a real bike lane. So I’d love to use it to bike with my son to his school, but we’re not allowed. The public school has a rule against children biking to or from school, even with their parents, and they reinforce it by failing to provide racks. This means our family can’t attend after-hours events on bikes, either. I admit, occasionally my son and I sneak over on our bikes anyway and lock-up in an undisclosed location, but not very often, because my son doesn’t like to break rules.
But I say it is time to break some rules to wake up those in charge. I’d love it if some of the young folks here would organize a Critical Mass-style bike ride to wake up this town to the presence of bicyclists. Perhaps we’ll even be joined by the biking police officer who visits my son’s school to tell the kids about her bike accident in town and how important it is to wear a helmet. As a fellow bicyclist, I have sympathy for her, but I’d rather give her sympathy and bike lanes.
Alice Dreger
East Lansing resident
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