As a reluctant daily bicyclist for physical therapy, and a pre-COVID-19 (now working from home) bike commuter, I find bicycling hazardous. Bicycles have little dedicated space. I bike on the sidewalk from Broadway and Evans Street in South Portland to Lydia Lane because there’s no shoulder or bike lane.
There and on the path from Portland Head Light to Cape Elizabeth, pedestrians tell me to bike on the road in spite of yellow signs posted on the path that indicate bicycles are welcome. If they took a moment to look at the shoulder, or lack thereof, they might realize their suggestion is ludicrous. One day, someone purposely blocked the path with her dogs and tried to grab my bike from me!
Other pet peeves are parked cars, gardening services (which could easily park in their clients’ driveways) and delivery trucks blocking shoulders and paths; road construction that does not accommodate bikes; broken shoulders “fixed” with drizzled tar; cars (particularly out of staters) that come within inches of bicyclists; shoulders that provide 18 inches or less for bicycles, and new roads without wider bike lanes.
Back Cove Trail continues along the waterfront to Commercial Street and ends. A bike lane should be provided from Commercial Street to the Casco Bay Bridge protected sidewalk, and a lane from the ramp in the middle of the bridge down to Ocean Street to the rail trail should be provided. These issues should be addressed and make common safety sense.
Ginny Schneider
South Portland
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