San Diego Suicides
Araceli Jeng
1234 Vista Dr
San Diego, CA 92042
November 15, 2009
Councilmember Marti Emerald
City Administration Bldg.
202 C Street, MS #10A
San Diego, CA 92101
Attn. Marti Emerald:
The city of San Diego is a safe neighborhood filled with young families, a high concentration of senior citizens, and people of all ages in between; however, when it comes to riding bicycles San Diego is completely the opposite. Riding a bicycle in areas that have no bike lanes can be a nightmare. As a former bike commuter in San Diego, I wanted to bring to your attention that many unreported bike accidents have occurred close to San Diego State University. While riding my bicycle to school, I have seen other bicyclists get hit by cars. I also heard …show more content…
in a meeting that two international students had been involved in bike car accidents. Afraid that I might be the next victim hit by a car, I stopped bicycling. Additional bike lanes are needed for all bicyclists to feel safe. Bike lanes work as simple traffic calming devices that reduce the risk of accident and increase the number of bike riders to promote public health.
Just two weeks ago, my roommate was a victim of a bike car accident. He was hit by an SUV truck that turned right in front of him. The driver was talking on her cell phone while driving and did not carefully look. The driver only made sure that cars were not in her way. The accident occurred on El Cajon Blvd during daytime, a street with no bike lanes. The injuries he received from the impact of the SUV truck caused him to stay in the hospital for one month. My roommate ended up with a broken tooth, nose, and shoulder. This semester was supposed to be his last year in school. Now he is unable to attend school for the whole semester, prolonging his graduation date. If El Cajon Blvd had bike lanes, I believe this accident could have been avoided.
El Cajon Blvd is the same street that I took to school when I used to ride my bicycle for transportation.
There were many cases when cars did not see me and almost hit my bicycle. Because motorists dislike sharing the road, bicyclists are harassed by some motorists who get desperate and start yelling, honking, and insulting riders. Some motorists believe that bike riders, when there are no bike lanes, should ride on the sidewalks and that the roads belong to vehicles. According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, road rage is a common experience among motorists and especially when on congested streets. Just two weeks ago, in the LA Times, “a physician was accused of deliberately injuring two cyclists by slamming on his car's brakes on a narrow Brentwood road and was convicted Monday of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon and other serious criminal charges.” It is shocking how a physician whose job it is to take care of people can have road rage against bicyclists. Scared of the same violence, some of the international students at SDSU told me they now ride their bikes on the sidewalk. To their surprise, some received a fine of $250 for doing so. Most of these students were aware that what they were doing was illegal, but said they were too afraid to ride in the street. They also did not expect an expensive fine. I have to admit, I was also shocked. Motorists usually receive lesser fines for moving violations that are far more …show more content…
dangerous.
To help create more bike lanes, I decided to join with San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and create fundraiser that can help raise enough fund to provide painting supplies for the bike lanes. Every three months in a year, we can create special events that can attract bicyclists to join us for the bike lane cause. With the help of San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, I will propose fun events such as Christmas bike ride, where people can be dressed up as Santa Claus riding their bike around city of San Diego. Dress code will be optional since some people are not too comfortable dressing up as Santa Claus. For people to become aware for these events, I would pass out fliers around SDSU campus, bike shops, and other bicycle associations. In addition, I will go to social networks and e-mail to groups of people who are interested in bicycling.
Besides working with San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, I will contact Trek Bicycle Corporation, which is one of the largest bike corporations in the U.S. to help us build more bike lanes in the city of San Diego. Trek Bicycle Corporation is currently involved in a program called “1 world 2 wheels” to help the world become a more bicycle friendly place. Since we are working on the similar project, I believe I will get full support from Trek Bicycle Corporation.
According to League of American Cyclists, the city of Davis proved that by adding more bike lanes the number of bike car collision decreased dramatically. People are riding their bikes more often and leaving behind their cars. Also many U.C. Davis students ride their bicycle to campus. Another fundamental reason why bike car accidents have reduced dramatically is that bike riders and car drivers know how to obey the rules that apply on the road. In addition, bike riders in Davis are less likely to suffer intensive injury because majority of the people wear helmets, bright clothes, and install lights in their bikes for motorists to be on the lookout of bicyclists. In addition, bike lanes helped the city of Davis reduce the population of obesity people.
Another bicycle friendly city in California is San Francisco. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, San Francisco had the highest percentage of residents who commute to work by bicycle among cities with a population of more than 500,000. San Francisco has been at the cutting edge of innovative strategies to promote cycling and better accommodate cyclists. The city has removed car parking to make room for bike parking, placed two Bike stations in the city, and distributed Watch for Bike stickers that are placed on the drivers-side rear view mirror on automobiles.
New bike infrastructure that enhances the safety, comfort, and appearance of the local neighborhood can cause bike riders to obey the rules.
Having painted bike lanes on streets and roads help both bicyclists and motorists stay in safer, more central positions in their respective lanes. Bicyclists are also less likely to ride on sidewalks when on street bike lanes exist. When they ride on sidewalks, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission studies have shown that it increases their accident risk 25 times more. This occurs primarily because motorists pulling onto roadways tend to focus on street traffic. As a result, a driver may fail to see sidewalk bicyclists and collide with them when the cyclists cross a driveway where motorists are merging into roadway
traffic.
In some streets, besides creating bike lanes, it is important to install more street lights. During night time, some motorists have a hard time distinguishing a bike lane, causing them to drive through the bike lanes. From my personal experience, while riding my bike, I had seen motorists unaware of bike lane existence block the path of bicyclists. In addition, more street lights can help motorists see bicyclists riding their bikes and drive more carefully around bike lanes.
The current trend of bike car accidents has led to many unnecessary injuries and costly medical care. For such an easy problem to fix, there are many solutions such as the ones I have proposed previously. In order to reduce the tax payer’s expenses, motorist road rage, and alleviate the fears of bicyclists, it is imperative that we add more bike lanes to streets that have only one side with bike lanes, and streets that have none.
The San Diego City is a lovely place to live, work, and play. With bike lanes on our streets, the San Diego would be a safer and more civilized place to bike. The traffic we see and experience on daily basis is not unchangeable fact of life. It could be mitigated by streetscapes design changes that encourage healthier activities that are also better for the environment. The San Diego community is educated and enthusiastic about these changes and wants to bring home some livable streets changes that are happening in many surrounding cities.
Southern California should be a bicycling paradise. The weather is perfect; the roads are wide and the terrain favorable. Our city streets should serve as a channel for all users, regardless of their particular mode of transit. Cyclists of all ages and abilities deserve a safe road to ride their bikes; therefore we need bike lanes on avenues that are currently unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians.
I implore you to approve my petition because it benefits the entire community of San Diego. Together with the help of San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Trek Bicycle Corporation it will be easy to accomplish new bike infrastructure. It will be definitely be the dream of many bicyclists that this petition becomes real. I am convinced that with your help we can build a better healthy San Diego. Together we can make a significant difference. Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal. Please feel free to contact me at anytime at (619) 639-3842 or at aracelijeng@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Araceli Jeng
1234 Vista Dr
San Diego, CA 92042
November 15, 2009
Councilmember Marti Emerald
City Administration Bldg.
202 C Street, MS #10A
San Diego, CA 92101
Attn. Marti Emerald:
The city of San Diego is a safe neighborhood filled with young families, a high concentration of senior citizens, and people of all ages in between; however, when it comes to riding bicycles San Diego is completely the opposite. Riding a bicycle in areas that have no bike lanes can be a nightmare. As a former bike commuter in San Diego, I wanted to bring to your attention that many unreported bike accidents have occurred close to San Diego State University. While riding my bicycle to school, I have seen other bicyclists get hit by cars. I also heard …show more content…
in a meeting that two international students had been involved in bike car accidents. Afraid that I might be the next victim hit by a car, I stopped bicycling. Additional bike lanes are needed for all bicyclists to feel safe. Bike lanes work as simple traffic calming devices that reduce the risk of accident and increase the number of bike riders to promote public health.
Just two weeks ago, my roommate was a victim of a bike car accident. He was hit by an SUV truck that turned right in front of him. The driver was talking on her cell phone while driving and did not carefully look. The driver only made sure that cars were not in her way. The accident occurred on El Cajon Blvd during daytime, a street with no bike lanes. The injuries he received from the impact of the SUV truck caused him to stay in the hospital for one month. My roommate ended up with a broken tooth, nose, and shoulder. This semester was supposed to be his last year in school. Now he is unable to attend school for the whole semester, prolonging his graduation date. If El Cajon Blvd had bike lanes, I believe this accident could have been avoided.
El Cajon Blvd is the same street that I took to school when I used to ride my bicycle for transportation.
There were many cases when cars did not see me and almost hit my bicycle. Because motorists dislike sharing the road, bicyclists are harassed by some motorists who get desperate and start yelling, honking, and insulting riders. Some motorists believe that bike riders, when there are no bike lanes, should ride on the sidewalks and that the roads belong to vehicles. According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, road rage is a common experience among motorists and especially when on congested streets. Just two weeks ago, in the LA Times, “a physician was accused of deliberately injuring two cyclists by slamming on his car's brakes on a narrow Brentwood road and was convicted Monday of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon and other serious criminal charges.” It is shocking how a physician whose job it is to take care of people can have road rage against bicyclists. Scared of the same violence, some of the international students at SDSU told me they now ride their bikes on the sidewalk. To their surprise, some received a fine of $250 for doing so. Most of these students were aware that what they were doing was illegal, but said they were too afraid to ride in the street. They also did not expect an expensive fine. I have to admit, I was also shocked. Motorists usually receive lesser fines for moving violations that are far more …show more content…
dangerous.
To help create more bike lanes, I decided to join with San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and create fundraiser that can help raise enough fund to provide painting supplies for the bike lanes. Every three months in a year, we can create special events that can attract bicyclists to join us for the bike lane cause. With the help of San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, I will propose fun events such as Christmas bike ride, where people can be dressed up as Santa Claus riding their bike around city of San Diego. Dress code will be optional since some people are not too comfortable dressing up as Santa Claus. For people to become aware for these events, I would pass out fliers around SDSU campus, bike shops, and other bicycle associations. In addition, I will go to social networks and e-mail to groups of people who are interested in bicycling.
Besides working with San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, I will contact Trek Bicycle Corporation, which is one of the largest bike corporations in the U.S. to help us build more bike lanes in the city of San Diego. Trek Bicycle Corporation is currently involved in a program called “1 world 2 wheels” to help the world become a more bicycle friendly place. Since we are working on the similar project, I believe I will get full support from Trek Bicycle Corporation.
According to League of American Cyclists, the city of Davis proved that by adding more bike lanes the number of bike car collision decreased dramatically. People are riding their bikes more often and leaving behind their cars. Also many U.C. Davis students ride their bicycle to campus. Another fundamental reason why bike car accidents have reduced dramatically is that bike riders and car drivers know how to obey the rules that apply on the road. In addition, bike riders in Davis are less likely to suffer intensive injury because majority of the people wear helmets, bright clothes, and install lights in their bikes for motorists to be on the lookout of bicyclists. In addition, bike lanes helped the city of Davis reduce the population of obesity people.
Another bicycle friendly city in California is San Francisco. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, San Francisco had the highest percentage of residents who commute to work by bicycle among cities with a population of more than 500,000. San Francisco has been at the cutting edge of innovative strategies to promote cycling and better accommodate cyclists. The city has removed car parking to make room for bike parking, placed two Bike stations in the city, and distributed Watch for Bike stickers that are placed on the drivers-side rear view mirror on automobiles.
New bike infrastructure that enhances the safety, comfort, and appearance of the local neighborhood can cause bike riders to obey the rules.
Having painted bike lanes on streets and roads help both bicyclists and motorists stay in safer, more central positions in their respective lanes. Bicyclists are also less likely to ride on sidewalks when on street bike lanes exist. When they ride on sidewalks, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission studies have shown that it increases their accident risk 25 times more. This occurs primarily because motorists pulling onto roadways tend to focus on street traffic. As a result, a driver may fail to see sidewalk bicyclists and collide with them when the cyclists cross a driveway where motorists are merging into roadway
traffic.
In some streets, besides creating bike lanes, it is important to install more street lights. During night time, some motorists have a hard time distinguishing a bike lane, causing them to drive through the bike lanes. From my personal experience, while riding my bike, I had seen motorists unaware of bike lane existence block the path of bicyclists. In addition, more street lights can help motorists see bicyclists riding their bikes and drive more carefully around bike lanes.
The current trend of bike car accidents has led to many unnecessary injuries and costly medical care. For such an easy problem to fix, there are many solutions such as the ones I have proposed previously. In order to reduce the tax payer’s expenses, motorist road rage, and alleviate the fears of bicyclists, it is imperative that we add more bike lanes to streets that have only one side with bike lanes, and streets that have none.
The San Diego City is a lovely place to live, work, and play. With bike lanes on our streets, the San Diego would be a safer and more civilized place to bike. The traffic we see and experience on daily basis is not unchangeable fact of life. It could be mitigated by streetscapes design changes that encourage healthier activities that are also better for the environment. The San Diego community is educated and enthusiastic about these changes and wants to bring home some livable streets changes that are happening in many surrounding cities.
Southern California should be a bicycling paradise. The weather is perfect; the roads are wide and the terrain favorable. Our city streets should serve as a channel for all users, regardless of their particular mode of transit. Cyclists of all ages and abilities deserve a safe road to ride their bikes; therefore we need bike lanes on avenues that are currently unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians.
I implore you to approve my petition because it benefits the entire community of San Diego. Together with the help of San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Trek Bicycle Corporation it will be easy to accomplish new bike infrastructure. It will be definitely be the dream of many bicyclists that this petition becomes real. I am convinced that with your help we can build a better healthy San Diego. Together we can make a significant difference. Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal. Please feel free to contact me at anytime at (619) 639-3842 or at aracelijeng@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Araceli Jeng