Backwards Priorities: Most Vulnerable Commuters Last to Be Considered

As I stood on the fringes of the emergency vehicles, I pondered the intersection, while Colin clutched my hand and pondered the firefighters. I glanced down at my helmeted three-year-old (almost, four, he would be quick to add) and thought, “Is this a good street for us? I thought it was, but maybe it’s not. What are our options?”

So there we were, on Brooklyn and 47th, just trying to get from home to school and on to the office safely. Where should we be? I’m tired of feeling cars breathing down my back no matter which street I take. I’m tired of worrying that I’m going to get rear-ended by a driver who isn’t paying attention. I’m tired of not being able to get across needlessly high-speed arterials without taking my life in my hands. I’m tired of trying to do something modestly good by biking a few miles instead of driving, and feeling like I’m at battle.

Lest I sound totally beaten down, I’m not. I still have hope, but hope alone won’t amount to much. If more families are going to get around by bike, we need safer streets. And we need them now.