Jed Weeks, executive director of Bikemore, feels for the families of victims involved in two deadly incidents last week.Bikemore is a biking organization that advocates for bikers’ rights in Baltimore.Friday afternoon, police said a 44-year-old man was killed after a driver hit his bike near South Caroline and Bank streets in Fells Point.The cyclist was thrown from his seat and fell onto another car, then thrown into a third car. “It’s really horrifying,” Weeks said. “Both Bank and Gough streets are identified streets in the Baltimore City Separated Bike Lane Network plan, which was supposed to be a five-year plan to create bike infrastructure on our city streets.”However, he believes better bike infrastructure should be a priority.”Separated infrastructure is really the safest thing for riders,” Weeks said. “Like, paint is not going to stop a car driving fast, right? Even a flex post like these is not going to stop a car driving over it. What we need is concrete separated infrastructure.”On top of that, Weeks said there are things that bikers and drivers should keep in mind when they hit the road.”From the driver’s perspective, when you’re approaching someone riding a bike, you need to recognize that they do have the legal right to be in the roadway,” Weeks said. “Your obligation to them is to wait behind them until it is safe to pass them. And then you’re permitted to pass them but you must give three feet of space while passing them.”And for people on bikes or scooters, Weeks said to stay in the middle of the lane.”It’s important to, you know, consider your environment, if you are riding on a higher speed roadway that doesn’t have infrastructure on it, you want to be in the middle of that lane. So, a driver is forced to pass you safely,” he said.
BALTIMORE —
Jed Weeks, executive director of Bikemore, feels for the families of victims involved in two deadly incidents last week.
Bikemore is a biking organization that advocates for bikers’ rights in Baltimore.
Friday afternoon, police said a 44-year-old man was killed after a driver hit his bike near South Caroline and Bank streets in Fells Point.
The cyclist was thrown from his seat and fell onto another car, then thrown into a third car.
“It’s really horrifying,” Weeks said. “Both Bank and Gough streets are identified streets in the Baltimore City Separated Bike Lane Network plan, which was supposed to be a five-year plan to create bike infrastructure on our city streets.”
However, he believes better bike infrastructure should be a priority.
“Separated infrastructure is really the safest thing for riders,” Weeks said. “Like, paint is not going to stop a car driving fast, right? Even a flex post like these is not going to stop a car driving over it. What we need is concrete separated infrastructure.”
On top of that, Weeks said there are things that bikers and drivers should keep in mind when they hit the road.
“From the driver’s perspective, when you’re approaching someone riding a bike, you need to recognize that they do have the legal right to be in the roadway,” Weeks said. “Your obligation to them is to wait behind them until it is safe to pass them. And then you’re permitted to pass them but you must give three feet of space while passing them.”
And for people on bikes or scooters, Weeks said to stay in the middle of the lane.
“It’s important to, you know, consider your environment, if you are riding on a higher speed roadway that doesn’t have infrastructure on it, you want to be in the middle of that lane. So, a driver is forced to pass you safely,” he said.