Corner Post editorial —
Bikers vs walkers, can they coexist?

by Kerry O'Connor, posted Dec. 12, 2011

It’s 8:50 a.m. on a typical Wednesday on campus. The streets and sidewalks are filled with students in a rush to make it to class on time. As you walk on the sidewalk minding your own business, from behind you hear a faint buzzing noise, then …WOOSH!  A person on a bike rushes past almost knocking you to the ground, not to mention giving you heart palpitations. 

With MU being such a large campus, it is difficult to get to class on time, especially if you must go from one side of campus to the other. Sometimes classes feel too far away to walk within the 10-minute time period, but they are too close to drive.  Increasingly, students are solving this problem by riding bikes.  

According to the MU police department, the number of registered bikes increased to 259 during 2011, up from a total of 183 during 2010. Not all 259 bikers are pedaling as fast as they can and almost running over every person on the sidewalk. But, you do start to wonder if they don’t realize that those bike lanes painted on the streets are there for a reason.  

“There are many times throughout the day that I almost get run over on the sidewalk by someone on a bike,” said Emilie Eagan, MU freshman. “I don’t understand why they don’t use the bike lanes like they are supposed to.”

Bikers’ coming up behind you and almost hitting you is not the only problem.

In the last two years the MU police department reported 37 accidents involving bicyclists, 27 of those involved pedestrians. Bikes on campus are considered vehicles and should stay on the street along with stopping for pedestrians and other vehicles.

“I ride on the sidewalk instead of the street because I feel like I am holding up traffic on the street,” said Sarah Pence, MU freshman. “I also don’t want to take the risk of getting hit by a car.”

According to MU police department, all traffic laws apply to cyclists riding on a street or roadway, and a cyclist must obey every traffic control device. When riding on sidewalks outside of the business district, bicyclists must yield to pedestrians and give audible signal prior to overtaking and passing them. 
Cyclists emerging from an alley, driveway or building shall, upon approaching a sidewalk, yield right of way to all pedestrians approaching on said sidewalk, and upon entering the roadway, shall yield to all vehicles approaching on said roadway.

Every day I see bicyclists ignoring many of these laws. And, yet, campus police do not seem to feel a need to enforce them. I, and many other students, would feel safer if the police worked harder to ticket and enforce the different laws they have in their bicyclist handbook. 

To make the bicyclists feel safer when riding in their bike lanes, the lanes could be made wider and have signs to make cars more aware of the bicyclists.  

With these changes everyone could enjoy a safer and happier Mizzou and not worry about being ran over by a bike.

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