Local motorists, cyclists should work together to save lives

I was riding my bike over the James Island Connector on July 5 around 9:30 a.m. when I approached the scene of the accident in which Dr. Mitchell Hollon was killed.

It is rare that I bike the connector because it is so dangerous. Cars are going sometimes 70 mph only a couple feet from you. There's often debris in the lane, and it would be easy to lose control.

But the view and the ride are spectacular. If only bicyclists and pedestrians had been considered when the roadway was built. Look at the new Cooper River bridge. When I rode over it on the morning of July 4, it was brimming with life, as always. It's clear that people want the option to get out of their cars and walk or bike -- please give it to them.

There are a few options I can see for retrofitting the connector. A big problem is the on and off ramps, which are difficult to maneuver. The Ravenel bridge separates the bike/pedestrian way from the roadway with a hard barrier and uses a separate entrance.

The Manhattan bridge that integrates so many modes of transportation in a stacked way is an inspiring design.

Simply creating a bike lane is not enough for the connector because of the low railing and potential for cars to swerve into bikes, and a hardened structure along the existing emergency lane would still be problematic with on and off ramps.

Improvements should be aimed at accommodating pedestrians, too. Going above the roadway or bridging over ramps with a pathway might work, with the advantage of increased sightseeing and exercise value. A new structure that parallels the connector could be an approach, too, although this would be costly.

There will be significant cost in any project like this, but human casualties are the existing cost of no change.

The connector is an important route to me because Folly Road is such a debacle and this route bypasses much of it. In fact, getting to Folly Beach is especially nice from downtown at the end of the connector if you take the route recommended by Coastal Cyclists -- Central Park Road to Riverland Drive, then Grimball Road back onto Folly Road.

You're back on Folly Road very close to where the bike lane picks up that goes out to the beach -- this is where the Bus 31 route ends (which experimentally went to Folly Beach in the summer of 2009).

For me, there is no better way to get to work than the connector. I would bike to work frequently if I thought it wouldn't kill me.

On June 11, I was riding back from a Spoleto event at Bowens Island when I saw a downed biker on Folly Road. On July 6, a biker was killed on the I-26 Interstate in North Charleston. These are probably just a small portion of the bike-car accidents that have happened recently.

There is increased interest in cycling in our area, and last September, Charleston was designated a "Bicycle Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.

This does not change the reality that many drivers don't know how to react to bikes on the road. (Please don't honk right next to me to let me know you are there, please give me appropriate space, don't get mad because I'm riding in the middle of the lane -- I don't want to get hit by a person who slings open their door without looking or deal with roadside debris and manholes).

Many drivers don't even think to look for cyclists. A lot of drivers don't want bikes on the road at all. (Please don't yell at me to ride on the sidewalk -- it is illegal.)

It takes a collaborative effort of motorists and cyclists to produce safe conditions for riders.

Everyone has their particular routes that are dear to them, and many of us have a vision of how our urban fabric could be improved. I urge my fellow citizens to attend our local planning meetings.

The next Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting is July 27 at City of Charleston Planning Office, 75 Calhoun St., 3rd Floor.

Our city doesn't have to be designed from the top down.

Celie Dailey is an artist and bicycle enthusiast who lives in Charleston.