Bikes and cars: the bumpy road

Re “Stop! Yield!” editorial, July 12

California Vehicle Code 21200 states, “Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle.”

Recently, I was at an intersection with several cars stopped at each stop sign. A group of seven cyclists came through the intersection, and not one of them stopped at the stop sign. They sailed through at full speed.

A few blocks later, I was driving on a six-lane road. As I approached a red light, two cyclists in the bike lane next to me sailed right through the red light. On my return trip on the same road, three cyclists pedaled right through a red light.

Cyclists are insistent about their right to equal use of the road, but they couldn’t care less about following the rules of the road. Only the privileges apply to them, not the responsibilities.

Motorists will respect cyclists when cyclists respect the rules of the road.

Cecelia Grace

Los Angeles

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Your editorial mixes two subjects: the bikers who use their bikes as transportation to save gas and money and those out for recreation on the populated canyon roads.

Those “going green” are usually riding on the right-hand side of city streets, and there are rules for them and cars that share those roads.

The people in the canyons are cycling for pleasure. They are the ones who ride side by side, chatting and ignoring cars that want to pass them. They are the ones who come steaming down the curves and cut off cars pulling out of driveways. They are the ones who encourage road rage.

There needs to be some etiquette for these drivers and bikers.

Lillie Reines

Los Angeles

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The editorial mentions the tortuously long process for the Los Angeles bicycle master plan. Absolutely right.

So far the bicycle community has submitted many suggestions to improve bicycle access across the city. This process will take at least two years and result in the potential to draw lines on a city map.

Not one new bicycle boulevard or even street marking will come out of the master plan. All the plan does is designate which routes “may” be built.

I asked the L.A. City Council Transportation Committee to speed the process. Nothing. I suggested building routes for those businesses that are now required to provide bike amenities.

I received no response.

Howard Hackett

Los Angeles