Introduction
The society’s effort has been accomplished with one of the most important cyclist routes in United States, the Great American Rail-Trail, which stretches across 3,700 miles from Washington DC to Washington State. This route is under development but is aimed to connect over 125 existing trails and green ways.
This project favors thousands of cyclists that use this road to transport to their work zones. Some people adopted bikes for daily mobility due important distance that cover along the city.
Let’s standout this important route for the physical protection that allows people to feel safer.
Bike ways that only delimit cyclist space with motor vehicles may result insecure, due some of their main features are designed to prevent transit accident caused by human mistakes.
Rail-trail has an infrastructure variety and devices that include bridges, tunnels, paved paths, signage, and bike repair stations.
The Great American Rail-Trail isn’t finished yet but the popular sections of the trail may attract around thousand of users per month.
Why Confined Bike-Ways are Better?
Sometimes new things cause fear, and some others the costumbrism obliged us to avoid the acceptation of new life ways, the same thing happens with mobility.
Every time more people use bike ways as a mean of daily transport which involves a risk in streets where is possible to find reckless drivers before the most vulnerable users in the road.
Infrastructure is crucially important to create a real physical space of distance among vehicles and cyclists. The main features of these infrastructure elements must have visible dimensions, must dissuade people to avoid being run over by vehicles them and must be cyclist-friendly.
A lot of products may increase the risk of run over a cyclist, that’s why is worth it a product with a ramp, helping cyclist to follow their path.
Most of cyclists feel safe with infrastructure that impedes passage of other vehicles in their lanes. This is suitable for a fluid and constant circulation, allowing a better attention.
Other advantage is that transit in the confined lanes provide families trust to develop this mean with their children, supervising and teaching basic standards of circulation in these roadways.
Basic Tips to Ride in Bike Ways
Even though bike ways are a safe option to ride, it doesn’t mean accidents can’t occur, but can be prevented. Here are some of them:
- Bike paths can have a established direction or two ways, however, without a reversible lane, it is suggested to avoid the contraflow circulation due can cause an accident as impact with someone.
- Is not your fault, but you can prevent it. If you observe a vehicle parking in a side of a bike way, reduce your speed and stay away in case the door is open.
- Remember to avoid the use of headphones, a lot of users communicate through sound, that’s why is important to hear them.
- Communication is the base of society. Remember to inform to other cyclists or drivers about your presence: use words, whistles and whistling… the important thing is make you present and heard. Your arms and hands help other cyclists to anticipate your moves, that’s why is viable to use them as signage.
- Not all the bikes have reflectors or light, but would be great to consider their installation. For all road users can be difficult the night visibility. That’s why reflective clothing or an equipped bike with this material may result in a benefit for everyone.
These are tips only and you’re not obliged to use them, but using these roadways makes us part of the mobility system and what would be better that prevent accidents by doing our bit.
