Bike Lanes

With the recent fall of the economy the rate of growth in bike commuting has risen dramatically. Many people who commute to work or school have used or seen a bike lane on the side of the street. As a frequent bicyclist, I have noticed that many cities including San Jose have not enforced mandatory bike lanes for all of the main roads and intersections used by bicyclists. Some of the benefits for having bike lanes include; a decrease in sidewalk riding; lower rate of wrong-way riding, as well as an increase in helmet usage. Out of the 70 largest U.S. Cities that have "Bike Commuters", San Francisco and Oakland are in the top 5. Downtown San Jose is full of students that commute daily and an increase in bike lanes will not only make it safer for the students, but it will also encourage others to ride which has obvious benefits (reduced pollution, healthier alternative). In addition, Drivers don't have to "Share the Road" and look out for any potential riders if there is a dedicated lane for bicyclists which they know to stay off of.

In August of 2010 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom implemented a city wide campaign which would add 31 miles to the existing 48 miles of bike lanes in the City, an increase of 64 percent. I feel like the improvements have not continued since then and San Francisco's current mayor, Mayor Edwin M. Lee as well as San Jose's Mayor Chuck Reed have not done enough about this issue.