The Salt Lake Tribune’s latest poll on emotions of street security was fascinating. I selected to not take it for the reason that obtainable questions don’t replicate the nuance I expertise as a bicycle owner, pedestrian and diver. I’d like to supply these observations as an alternative. Ultimately, my security is dependent upon how I take advantage of the street, however usually the street itself is poorly deliberate, or these round me are performing unsafely.
As a dedicated city bicycle owner for the previous 25-plus years (11 in Salt Lake City), I typically really feel protected following the principles of the street and bike lanes in Salt Lake City. Cyclists are much less protected close to electrical bikes travelling at motor-vehicle speeds. Without a motorcycle lane, I occupy the right-most automobile lane, leaving about two-thirds of it to my proper. In this fashion, I present that I’m current, a part of the site visitors, and that drivers wishing to move me should change lanes correctly to move me, when it’s protected for them to take action. I additionally get rid of the chance of colliding with opening parked automobile doorways. Sometimes, a driver will honk at me as they move. Their impatience doesn’t concern me.
As a driver, I really feel safer on city/suburban streets than on Utah highways. I’ve been in a freeway accident on account of the frequent poor design or full lack of merge lanes at freeway entrances. An entrance ramp shouldn’t merely dump drivers into 70mph site visitors: we’d like a size of lane to match velocity and sign. I additionally really feel unsafe with the extent of disregard that many Salt Lake City drivers have for cease indicators.
I really feel most secure in Salt Lake City travelling by TRAX/Frontrunner, adopted intently by bus. However, the guesswork concerned to find routes — coupled with less-than-helpful 15-minute service intervals — signifies that these are regularly not usable choices for my journeys.
Loren Carle, Salt Lake City
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