Runners and Cyclists Fight For Piece of Roadway
Edmond runners and cyclists have a lot to say after a story by reporter Diana Baldwin quoted drivers who think they should jog and ride their bikes on the sidewalks.
Here’s some of the readers’ comments to that story:
Please, Please, Please say or do something in regards to Joggers wearing REFLECTIVE CLOTHING the school athletes have finaly started doing that. I know until politicians make a law ( which I think would be a good idea ) it can’t be enforced, but possibly police officers could at least suggest it. The adreline that they get and arrogance (some feel) is a problem to the driving public. At least, (if I am not mistaken) there IS a law against them wearing ear phones while biking and or jogging.
P.S. I do support and praise the joggers and bikers and think they are very special people.
Duane Tutor
I wanted to comment on why we run on the roads. I also often hear people complain that neighborhood children ride their bikes on the street or that mothers push strollers or pull wagons on the street. This is why. In our neighborhood and many others, the sidewalks are poorly designed. The three foot wide sidewalk is built right next to the curb. Then the builders put 2 foot by 2 foot brick mailboxes in front of each house, leaving little room to get past. A stroller will not fit and young bike riders cannot negotiate the tight fit. When the sidewalks are right next to the curb, they cross driveways where the driveways are at an angle. This requires runners to carefully place their footing so as to dodge the bump at both sides of the driveway. This also creates a bump that most young bike riders can’t handle. Had the sidewalks been built with a grass median between the curb and the sidewalk, the sidewalks would be much flatter, free of mailboxes, and easier to use. Why do runners run on the roads outside of neighborhoods? Often there is no option. Many roads in Edmond don’t have sidewalks, or they will have sidewalks for a couple miles, skip a mile, and then the sidewalk will resume. It is very difficult to map out an 8, 10, or 12 mile run in Edmond and to stay on sidewalks the entire way. Usually when you see runners on the road, they are trying to get from one sidewalk section to the next or they live in an area without sidewalks and are trying to get to a stretch with sidewalks. The responsibility lies with Edmond to become more pedestrian friendly.
Brenda Landwehr
I read with interest the columns this week. Perhaps if the drivers put down their cell phones, didn’t use the car as a rolling makeup studio or breakfast bar, followed the laws (ever float a stop sign, Sandra?) and didn’t speed 10-15 mph over the posted limit, then they wouldn’t be surprised by a runner or a biker.
Too many drivers act like they own the road, and are a hazard to runners, bikers, other vehicles and themselves. Everyone pays for the road system, and has an equal privilege to use those roads. Drivers need to watch for runners, bikers, and pedestrians, and we as runners, should be aware of the vehicles. It’s in everyone’s interest to make this work.
Dave Greer
It’s still early in the morning for many. I sit down with a hot cup of coffee and the newspaper still feeling refreshed from my morning run. I did 8 miles this morning. Sounds like a lot to many but I’m tapering back this week. Why this week? It is one week before over 18,000 runners will get into the streets of downtown OKC and run all over the metro in the Ninth Annual OKC Memorial Marathon.
So I found it both ironic and maddening to open up the newspaper to see the article titled “Drivers complain about runners on road” in the “My Edmond” section. It was a short article told from only one perspective. It mentioned city ordinances and state statutes that “require pedestrians to run on sidewalks where provided”. However, in the excerpts from the city ordinance it failed to list the state statute which says such and never referenced where we might find said statute. Not until a call was placed to the Edmond police department and returned by an angry sergeant on duty did we know that the statute is ordinance # 10.56.070. Who knew? Apparently not Diana Baldwin nor do either of the two Edmond policemen who have literally pulled us over while running, hand on billy club lest two women wearing spandex and reflective vests assault him. My guess is they’ve never pulled over two men running.
So let me tell you about the runner’s perspective. Why do we run on Boulevard between Second Street and Danforth where “the problem is particularly bad”? Are we just out to break the law? If we were why would we then get on the sidewalks when once we round the corner and run down Danforth or run on Boulevard north of Danforth? In fact, notice the other runners at different areas around town. We are on the sidewalks the majority of the time. In fact, the only two of the 8 miles I ran today was run in the street. Those two miles were on Boulevard between Second and Danforth.
We run before daylight most of the time. Why? First of all, that is the only time many of us can get a workout in for the day. For many stay-at-home moms, it allows them to get their workout in before most of the family is out of bed. In addition, we like that time of day because we realize that we do live in a city and traffic is generally lightest at that time of day than at any other.
Running when it is dark makes it hard to see us. Maybe that’s why we are lit up like Christmas trees with all the reflective gear we wear. Still drivers speed by refusing to so much as move over into the next lane even though there isn’t another car within a mile of you. You do this, by the way, even after daylight when we are easily visible. This really isn’t about not being able to see us. It’s about something more than that. I have an opinion about that but I’ll save that for another day.
Drivers want to complain about the runners but frankly they are just as rude and angry at the bicyclists that ride in Edmond. And the bicyclists have every right to the road. It’s really about you just being angry about who you are and someone exerting the power over you to slow you down for about 5 seconds. It’s really more about you not getting your way.
Edmond is one of the most affluent suburbs in the metropolitan area and our citizens have more education per person than most suburbs in the OKC area. So it really is embarrassing that a town that prides itself on being affluent, smart, and progressive would have a police force that chooses to harass the citizens who exercise. I wish I saw as much enthusiasm in protecting the runners as you have in allowing drivers who are usually breaking the law by speeding and driving aggressively and verbally assaulting people.
Back to the facts. The sidewalks on Boulevard and Broadway between Second Street and Danforth are in terrible shape and basically run through resident’s front yard. I have no idea where the legal line is between their private property and a city sidewalk but they often park their cars in their driveway in such a way that it blocks the sidewalk. Then you have to run through the yard which may be very uneven. Remember we are often running in the dark. So if you can’t see what you’re running on you substantially increase your chance of turning an ankle or tripping and falling. That’s why we get in the street. No curbs to trip over, no overhanging trees that can put your eye out and generally much more of an even surface.
We applauded the City Council and former mayor Saundra Naifeh who worked to get marvelous wide sidewalks between Danforth and Covell on Boulevard. We love running on those sidewalks! We need more of those – a lot more. What happened to the development and expansion of our trails system? If you would put sidewalks like that down Boulevard and Broadway you would never find us in the streets again!
So why not just go another route? Boulevard is one of the few streets that actually have some street lights working. It is also a street that connects to several other great running roads with sidewalks. Many runners are going more than just a mile or two. Trying to find 8 or more miles of sidewalks that are fit to run on is very difficult in this town – particularly when it is dark.
Why not run in Mitch Park or Hafer Park? First of all, would you recommend a dark secluded park to your daughter or wife as the best place to run? I run with a friend as many women runners do and we purposely do it around town instead of in the park so as to avoid areas of vulnerability. There are a lot of places to hide in the park. Ask any teenager. It is not well-patrolled at that time of day either by police car or on foot. How about designating several police on foot or on bicycles to patrol Hafer and Mitch every morning between five am and six thirty as a way of encouraging early morning runners? Frankly, it’s not that safe in the park after the sun comes up unless law enforcement is around.
Since there are no plans in place to improve the sidewalks on Boulevard or Broadway anytime soon I would suggest making 5:00am to 7:00am a running friendly time. Designate that time as a no-sidewalk time zone. Then drivers will know to expect to see us in the street. I would love to know the traffic count down those streets during that time of day. It is not a heavy traffic time. Again, this is more than just about runners creating a problem. It’s about control.
No wonder Oklahoma ranks at the bottom of every obesity related survey that is ever published along with every obesity-related disease, i.e. diabetes, hypertension, etc. Shame on the Edmond police and these arrogant angry drivers who would do anything to discourage anyone from pursuing a healthier lifestyle – even if it means we occasionally will be found in the street. My message to the drivers who are bothered by the runners, “GO AROUND YOU LAZY JERKS! Will it really kill you?!”
Disappointed,
T. Curtis
I cycled over 6,000 miles last year, most of them on public streets and roads. I try to comply with the state statute that requires we ride as far to the right as is safe. Oklahoma law and now an OKC ordinance requires drivers to allow at least three feet between themselves and the bike when passing. Most drivers in Oklahoma are courteous and if the biker is riding correctly, do not hassle us. But, it only takes one angry impatient driver to cause serious harm or death. As to sidewalks, most cities prohibit riding on the sidewalk.
R. Welch
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Comments
I’m more concerned about the guy that drives his motorized wheelchair in the street than any runner or biker.
Sidewalks are for WALKING. If runners and bicyclists MUST be on sidewalks in certain areas, then they should give walkers the right of way. I can’t count the number of times each week when I am forced to stop abruptly or jump out of the way of oncoming runners and bicyclists who treat pedestrians as “obstacles”. Sometimes they run or ride in pairs, taking up the entire width od the sidewalk.
I’ve even had a couple of these dolts yell “Coming thru!” at me. Most frighteneing isd to have a bicyclist pass you from behind, closely, at high speed. Many runners and bicyclists ARE courteous, but many are not. Sidewalks were bever intended to be muti-use paths. At one time people either walked or drove. Now they walk, drive, run, bicycle, skate, and do God know what else, all on sidewalks.
I totally agree, i am from new york, and we have a lot of bike lanes designated for bikers, but i definitely do not feel very save using them, i usually try to ride a bicycle so that the traffic comes at me and at least i can dodge some maniac
I rode my bike on the sidewalk when I went to college. There were sidewalks on most of the part and my hours were such that I often didn’t have to worry about kids using them. I used them because, even in broad daylight, drivers felt like there was no problem in coming within inches of me while speeding down the street, or by pulling out without paying attention, or any other number of things that made me decide it wasn’t safe to ride on the streets.
Everyone needs to pay attention when they’re traveling about. We get in this habit of being quite mindless about it, and that’s how we get into accidents to begin with.