Revolution Over FearGetting up the nerve to leave the car at home by Erica Guttman Although I grew up in Olympia, I spent almost a year in that bike-lover's heaven, Santa Barbara, before relocating in Rhode Island for a while. Imagine the shock to my system upon arrival in Providence when I first encountered narrow, rough, cobblestone streets, crazy drivers out to break every traffic law possible, rail tracks six inches above grade, and potholes seemingly large enough to swallow my bike whole! I put my road bike in storage and discovered the joys of walking in New England. Finally, though, I saved up my money to buy a beefy mountain bike that I figured would give me the courage to tackle those mean streets. I grew to love bike commuting in Rhode Island, in spite of wanting to provide some lessons in manners to some of the natives who thought bikes were only for kids on sidewalks. After nine years in Rhode Island, my husband and I returned to Olympia last summer and I promptly got the opportunity to confront another set of fears by biking the often-shoulderless Pacific Coast with oversized RVs hot on our tails, and only our rear-view mirrors saving us from being "taken out" a few times. When we finally resettled here after ten years away, I was relieved to be back in my comfy hometown where most motorists know how to share the road and there are plenty of fellow cyclists and pedestrians out and about to keep me company. So I was surprised when I talked with some of my old environmentalist pals about the Bicycle Commuter Contest. To my query, "Are you ready for the Contest?," I received responses like: "Are you nuts? I live on the West Side and I work in Lacey," and "Oh no, I only bike on my side of town. I don't deal with downtown and Harrison Hill." Even when I suggested combining bike trips with the bus, I was met with skepticism. My friends' comments got me thinking about safety and perceptions about safety, and how these are big hurdles to overcome in changing our transportation behavior. I'll admit I've got my fears: I'm afraid of going fast and I'm afraid of the dark. But I'm not afraid of taking the full lane and moving at the speed of traffic to travel down Harrison Hill. And with my safety lights blinking, I feel just as safe on Harrison in the middle of the night as during the day. A coworker commented recently, "I'm so impressed that you take the bus. My husband would never let me do anything so unsafe." Say WHAT? I can't imagine any mode of transportation safer than the bus: buses are rarely involved in crashes, a friendly bus driver is present, and one is surrounded by plenty of friendly folks who will help out with directions, schedules, change, and even sharing the wait at unfriendly stops. Although we feel like our cars protect us, we're much more likely to experience calamity in our cars than when traveling on foot or using mass transit. In Rhode Island, my bike commute took me through so-called "bad" neighborhoods; I never had a problem with residents of these neighborhoods, only with those in the "nice" areas. The only problems I've ever encountered with mass transit were petty thefts in Guatemala and Mexico City. I've had far worse things happen to me in my car - I've been whacked by careless drivers several times. When walking or riding my bike, I am more aware of my surroundings, I can move more flexibly, and I feel more in control; therefore, I feel safer than when I'm in my car. Many people have fears about cycling, walking, and taking transit, but statistics from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission show that these modes of transportation are actually very low-risk. Although you can't stop a really crazy person or a drunk from crashing into you, most crashes occur to people who don't look where they're going, aren't visible, or break traffic laws. The people I mentioned above are concerned about their resource consumption and would never dream of putting a disposable diaper on their kids' butts, but their fears are keeping them from trying alternative transportation strategies. Yet, our use of our cars is probably our single greatest environmental impact (and dangerous to boot). If we're going to have a "velorution" (as some of my carless friends imagine) or even a major shift in how we move ourselves around, it's going to take the commitment of folks who understand the tremendous impact of automobiles on our environment and on the character of our communities. These are the folks who need to be out on the streets walking, biking and taking transit. Their fear will compel them to be prudent: They'll obey traffic laws, make themselves visible, and what's more, they'll create the need for more safe facilities for walkers and bikers and will support more buses for transit users. Lots of people are carless by necessity rather than by choice. But they lack the power to resist transit-service cuts and protest unsafe walking or biking facilities. Those of us who have the ability to choose our transportation strategy must lead the alternative-transportation revolution. More people who are economically advantaged and care about the environment need to join with those who have no choice. It is our obligation to the planet and to our community to discover how easy it is to make alternative transportation part of our daily lives.
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