Pedestrian Awareness

In a society trained to equate status and vehicles with big, noisy cars, it's important to remind people that the unobtrusive, quiet bicycle is a serious form of transportation whose presence requires attention by others on the street. Pedestrians are right to be angry about cyclists who don't respect their rights. But by the same token, they must respect cyclists' rights.

Pedestrian respect of cyclists is largely a question of awareness. It means looking — not just listening — before crossing, with the assumption that a law-abiding bicyclist could be approaching at any time. It means thinking twice before stepping off the curb into the street. For those who insist on standing in the street, it means being ready to step back quickly to give a cyclist the right of way. Pedestrians should learn to respond to the sound of a bike bell the way they would a car horn. In other words, pedestrians have to realize that bicycles are not an aberration but a legitimate, increasingly common form of urban transport — one that is far more congenial to them than the car.

The city could develop public awareness campaigns, through subway posters and public service announcements on radio and television. These should be positive, emphasizing not that city walkers should bow down before the bicycle, but that bicycles belong on the streets. The DoT bicycle coordinator, if given more support and a budget, could coordinate these campaigns.