Why Can't Bicyclists and Pedestrians Get Along at UIUC?

It is physically impossible to have attended UIUC and not noticed the ongoing passive aggressive battle between pedestrians and bicycle riders. Numerous times have I seen bicyclists roll their eyes at people walking in the bike lane and walkers roll their eyes at bikers who ride on the sidewalk. As an avid bike rider and pedestrian at UIUC, I’ll admit I’ve done both these things. The problem is particularly more noticeable in the warmer seasons. Instead of taking the public buses that provided warmth in the winter, many fast-paced students opt for bikes. They’re convenient, environmentally friendly and promote an active lifestyle. The University has nearly 14,000 bikes registered in its system, a reasonably large percentage in a school comprised of over 40,000 students. With nearly 1 out of 4 students owning a bicycle, their presence on the roads can be a bit of a problem for pedestrians and cars.

One of the core issues in the situation is the lack of education about traffic safety. Quite a few people just don’t understand the rules of the road for self-propelled vehicles. Even though the University of Illinois Division of Public Safety has an adequate website that lists all the rights and responsibilities of bikers, pedestrians and drivers, the information doesn’t seem to be getting across. Pedestrians, according to the website, are to have the right of way when they establish themselves at a crosswalk, but are not to leave the curb when they see a closely approaching vehicle. Since all bike paths have moving vehicles and most have some sort of curb, this same rule ought to apply. Both walkers and bikers should be constantly aware of their surroundings when crossing paths, but many times this is not the case.

Among their other faults, the University of Illinois doesn’t exactly have the best bike-lane-constructing-and-maintaining skills when it comes to convenience and mobility. Despite the fact that bike paths are marked and lined, many are faded and cannot be easily distinguished from regular roads or sidewalks. Some are so full of potholes that they’re almost unusable. One bike path (pictured above) is placed right in front of a bus stop! This creates a big problem for bicyclists when classes let out and students fill the sidewalks on foot and the streets in cars. Bikes live in a sort of limbo world where they’re a constant annoyance with somebody. If they’re riding in the street, cars will have to swerve around them and potentially cause an accident. If they’re on the sidewalk, space is really limited and pedestrians may not notice when a bike is approaching, which causes accidents too. It’s like when a train takes up the same highway as a car: there’s a space issue, and somebody’s gonna get hurt.

Every year, many students are struck down in bike-ped collisions due to ignorance and reckless behavior. And this applies to both parties. Sometimes when I’m riding through the quad, sticking to the far side of the path so I’m not in anybody’s way, a group of people will just decide to stop right in front of me to chat. Granted, they probably think the edge of the walkway is a better spot than in the middle, but they might just happen to be standing at the entrance of one of the few bike paths that feed across the quad. On the other hand, I’ve seen bicyclists swerve in between crowds on the quad sidewalk, coming dangerously close to hitting pedestrians with handlebars front wheels. Have you ever gotten your foot run over by a bike wheel? It hurts! 

Unless more space is provided for bikes to manuever, a good way to counter passive aggression in this case should be a mutual understanding of responsibility between bicyclists and pedestrians. Just as we learn to be aware while driving on a highway, students should be fully aware of their surroundings while walking to class or biking to work. We all need to get somewhere, so why not do it with a little caution and cooperation?

Learn more about traffic safety and laws at the University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana campus by clicking here.