Bicycle Safety on a Crowded  Island

Bicycling has become a very popular activity on our island.This is especially true during our peak tourist season. This normally safe and healthy sport has become an increasingly hazardous activity.  

A combination of high-density traffic and non-adherence to existing traffic rules by both motorists and bicyclists are a recipe for disaster.  

The newly installed shared use sidewalks were designed to alleviate the hazards of mixing bicycle and vehicular traffic.  

The reality is that most bicyclists are choosing not to utilize the shared use sidewalks. This situation is especially problematic on the popular bicycling routes in the island estate area where street elevations and curvature severely limit sight distances for both motorists and bicyclists.  

This problem is further exacerbated when bicyclists do not exercise caution at intersections.  

Possible solutions to this problem include:  

* Increase awareness by placing signage indicating that a shared use pathway should be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.  

* Enforcement of current laws which prohibit the blocking of sidewalks by private and commercial vehicles. 

 * Increase awareness in the cycling community of the existence and benefits of using shared pathways. 

* Consider an ordinance mandating the use of shared pathways by pedestrians and bicyclists.  

The construction of these new sidewalks caused a major disruption and necessitated the removal of many aesthetically pleasing and expensive paver driveways in the area.  

The area homeowners endured this disruption by being promised the benefit of enhanced safety. In all fairness, the people who pushed and planned for the shared pathways must now step up and implement a plan to effectively utilize them.