Results of the Grand Rapids bike survey will help shape upcoming bike safety educational campaign
Grand Rapids is committed to being a bicycle friendly community. In less than five years, the city has added over 70 miles of bike lanes and, last year, passed an ordinance and began ticketing motorists for blocking bicycle lanes. The efforts of Grand Rapids residents to welcome bikes as a form of transportation haven’t gone unnoticed. Last year, the League of American Bicyclists designated it as a “bronze” level bicycle friendly community.
Yet, Grand Rapids has a significant challenge – bicycle safety. The city has the second-highest rate of bicycle accident fatalities of all of Michigan’s 
larger cities. In fact, the number is three times higher than the state’s average number of bicycle accident deaths. According to an interview with Grand Rapids Manager Suzanne Schulz , those between the ages of 10- 24 years are most likely to be involved in fatal bicycle accidents. In an effort to reverse this trend, The City of Grand Rapids is conducting an online survey from now until April 29, 2015 to glean the public’s perspective on bicycling, their cycling habits, and potential messaging ideas to encourage motorists and bicyclists to share the road.
The survey is part of a $632,000 bicycle safety project, and is an effort to begin a rational dialogue between bicyclists and motorists about entitlement to use the road. Using the results gleaned from the survey, an educational campaign will be launched this fall that will attempt to make Grand Rapids roads safer for cyclists.
Under Michigan law, those riding a bicycle have a right to use the roads. Still, some motorists believe cyclists should be required to ride on the sidewalk. The fact is bicycles are safer and more likely to be seen by motorists when ridden on streets. Most motorists don’t stop at intersections or at the end of driveways until they have crossed the sidewalk. Motorists also don’t expect to encounter people on sidewalks at the speed traveled by most cyclists.
Further, Grand Rapids (and many other cities) have ordinances that prohibit bicycles on certain sidewalks, for the safety of pedestrians. For example, Grand Rapids ordinance 10.132(1) states, “No bicyclist shall operate or ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk within the Downtown Improvement District as described in Section 1.960 of the City Code except in that portion of the Downtown Improvement District that is north of I-196. Section 10.132(2)provides that “No bicyclist shall operate or ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk where traffic control devices or signs are posted or displayed prohibiting riding a bicycle thereon.” In addition, pedestrians and others who are legally entitled to use the sidewalks have the right of way. Section 10.132(4).
Please take the time to fill out the survey and make your opinions known. Grand Rapids has many people working hard to make cycling safer and more convenient for its residents and guests. With your help, it can become an even friendlier bicycling community.
