Rachel's challenge

Don't use my car for a week. Free yourself from the pod!

Activities for the week

Intro to Traffic Skills Class, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op: In preparation for Transportation Week I attended a class called "Intro to Traffic Skills" taught by Jim Sheehan at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op. The take-home message of the course was, as a cyclist, to take ownership of the road. Legally, bicyclists have to ride as far to the right as practicable, meaning that if there is a row of parked cars in the rightmost lane, cyclists have the right to move to the middle or left lane to avoid the obstruction. However, many cyclists ride as far to the right of the road as possible for fear that they are getting in the way of cars, which often creates safety hazards for the rider. For this reason, the majority of the class was dedicated to a ride through downtown Cleveland, during which we practiced signaling, changing lanes and avoiding dangerous road situations. This short class was imperative to my successes over the week. In addition to learning proper road etiquette, the course helped me adopt the mindset that I have a right to the road. I highly recommend "Intro to Traffic Skills" for any beginning road biker.

Traffic Skills 101 Class, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op: I also attended a course called "Traffic Skills 101" offered at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op. The 101 curriculum was created by the League of American Bicyclists and is a longer, more comprehensive version of the Intro course, complete with a road and written test. The course included more road riding and more individualized evaluation and attention, which was immensely helpful to me. Overall, I would recommend the Traffic Skills 101 for the commuter cyclist or for the more avid road rider.

Lessons learned

One day I met with John McGovern, the Clean Transportation Coordinator at the Earth Day Coalition. He encouraged me to think of walking, biking and public transportation as a “socially engaging mode of moving around.” “In a car you turn your mind off so much you don’t see the world,” he told me “but when you walk around your neighborhood, then you really begin to see the world.” John’s point was that alternative transportation is connective, in more ways than one. His idea rang true throughout the week. And once I let my guard down a little and opened myself up to the people around me, my commute became more enjoyable.

Quick tips

• Use the bicycling and public transportation settings on Google Maps
• Buy a weekly or monthly RTA bus/train pass. If you are taking more than one ride a day buying a pass will save you a lot of money! (Trust me, my commute to work took one train ride and one bus ride from home. That's four rides a day and 20 rides a week!)
• Do a safety check every time you ride your bike
• “Learn the art of schlepping,” as John McGovern said. Figure out the best way to transport your personal items, groceries, children, etc. without a car. You may have to adjust the amount of times you grocery shop per week, or you might just need to a bigger bag. 
• Be prepared to wake up early.

Biggest thrill

Earning my Traffic Skills 101 certificate!

Biggest embarrassment

An unfortunate interaction between me, a bicycle and rapidly closing RTA train doors. Not to mention some terrible mental images of being dragged along the train tracks or being flung into the street with my bike flying not far behind.

Best advice for beginners

My biggest adjustment during the week was getting used to being stared at with my bike—on the road, on the train, in Terminal Tower. But in the midst of the bad thoughts or embarrassment I would think about something John told me on Monday: “be prepared to take some ridicule but put up with it because you believe in something.” Stand proud, bikers and public transporters. You are car-free.

How Cleveland can improve  

• Even more bike lanes!
• Better places to store your bike on the RTA train.
• A better understanding that our behaviors have to change before the infrastructure can change.

Helpful resources

• Google Maps
• Greater Cleveland Regional Tansit Authority
• Bicycling Street Smarts  by John S. Allen
• The Ohio City Bicycle Co-op
• GreenCityBlueLake transportation section 
• County bike route maps from NOACA
• Worried about using a bus bike rack?  Fear not, brave rider.