Roads were originally created for bicycle use. It was difficult for the users to ride on the rutted horse and carriage trails. Luckily, when cars were invented, the roads for them already existed. Today Florida state law allows for a bicycle to use the full lane on a two lane road where there is no bicycle lane. The best way to get your wish to ride the four lane roads free of bicycles is to lobby the Florida State Legislature. However, if they changed the law to allow you to drive in any lane you wished without being slowed by another vehicle, bicyclists would be restricted from riding any distances because roads outside The Villages do not have multi-modal paths. Many Villagers ride 40-100 miles per day outside The Villages. They have to use our residential streets at some point to get outside our area. Would it be better to have all of them in The Villages riding on the cart paths. Would you still complain when you got behind one or a group of bikes. And imagine how long it would take a car who is sitting behind a group of twelve bicycles to get through a four-way stop if each bike had to stop and allowing the other cars in the intersection to alternate their turns. Be careful what you wish for.
Most Villagers enjoy some activity. We all contribute by way of our amenities fees to building rec centers, courts, courses, pools, etc. so that they can enjoy their activities. Thankfully, we don't complain when our neighbor takes advantage of one of these that we are paying for when we ourselves my not choose to use them. Cyclists pay for their bikes and related equipment and use the roads that already exist without any additional cost to any Villager. Let's extend to them the same graciousness that we extend to those who use all the recreation facilities that we all pay for.
In Europe, motorists are quite accommodating to the bicyclists and extravagant cycle parking areas are found in most larger cities. They appreciate bicycles. The bicycle does not pollute, contributes to good physical and mental health, provides transportation at no cost to the user, and adds no cost to the community. Consider what the traffic would be like if each of those cycles was a motor vehicle, especially one pulling a trailer.
As for the cyclist riding in the left lane: no cyclist chooses to ride in the left lane unless they are following the law or considering a safety issue. It is more difficult and stressful be in the left-hand lane. Their mirrors are mounted on the left side of the bike or helmet leaving the right side blins. You were traveling much faster than the bike that you referenced so it may have been out of your view when it moved in or out of the left hand lane. Perhaps the cyclists had planned to make a turn that was not viable in the traffic that was surrounding him/her causing a route change. It happens to all of us no matter what our chosen vehicle is. We should stop second guessing other drivers unless we know they are doing something unlawful. Please stop pointing fingers at cyclists. Yes, some do not know the law, but drivers of carts and vehices also may be ignorant of a few laws and break many when they think the can do so safely. For instance, did you know that it is illegal for a vehicle to come within 3 feet of a bicycle on the road, even if passing on a two lane road. And although rolling stops are frowned on for bicycles, it is often much safer for cyclist to roll through a stop after checking traffic than putting a foot down at a stop and then restarting, especially in a group. A car driver who does not stop, may require 50 feet to bring his vehicle to a stop after going through a stop sign. A cyclist may need one foot. Not looking and not stopping is dangerous for all vehicle operators.
Be thankful that residents want to ride bikes. It keeps them healthy. They will not be taking up your doctors' appointments, parking spaces, and waits in pharmacy lines. They will not be slowing you down in the aisles of stores because it is difficult for them to move. They will be easy to pass on the road and they will probably be a safer driver in a car because they have learned to be so aware. Maybe that cyclist will be the one to offer to help you when a task is too physically difficult for you. Let's thank heaven for all of us who are concerned about our own personal well-being and are motivated enough to get the exercise that we need. It makes our whole community stronger.
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