A group of neighbors are out to make more bicycle-friendly streets, in the name of their friend, Paul Jerde, a cyclist who was seriously injured last June while riding near White Rock Lake. Here’s the background story on Paul in today’s Morning News. Paul’s friends, family and co-workers are maintaining this blog containing constant updates about his condition. The group has a petition headed for City Council they hope will help enforce more safety and traffic measures such as street markings, separated bike lanes and "better education and communication among cyclists, motorists, city planners and law enforcement officials."
As tragic as the whole situation is, I think we can learn so very much from this group. I’m sure they are hurt and angry over what happened to their friend, but rather than blaming and polluting the blogosphere with trash talk, they are taking positive, productive action. As cyclists, joggers, pedestrians and drivers of the increasingly popular White Rock Lake, it doesn’t really do much good to blame one another or go territorial. It works much better to try to educate each other — we’re all on the same team.
