Make roads safer for bicycle riders
By CHUCK LEE La Crosse
As an avid bicyclist, I have thought a lot the past few weeks about the young man who was killed while riding on Hwy. 33. It's a complicated matter: conditions were not the best, that road is narrow, with many curves. In the end, I'm left with two thoughts that won't go away.
First, when I learned to drive, many years ago, I was taught that once behind the wheel, I was responsible for everything out in front of me. Everything. No matter the conditions. No matter the road. This young man did not die of natural causes. He was killed by someone behind a steering wheel. I've ridden our roads and been forced off the pavement; I've had objects thrown at me from automobiles; I've had drivers look right through me � nothing registers but other cars. These things happen all the time. Second, I would hope that this will lead our public officials (city, county and state) to think long and hard about the safety of our byways for bicyclists and pedestrians. How many deaths will it take before the Department of Transportation thinks about devoting funds to quiet transportation?
A portion of every federal dollar spent on roads is reserved for bike and pedestrian travel. The La Crosse district DOT leaves most of it unspent. There is no space right of the white line on Hwy 33, or on most county highways for that matter. One car accident and we need a new highway or intersection. One bicyclist's death is ignored.
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