U.S. Transportation Secretary was asked this question in an interview with theThe Huffington Post this week, and shockingly, he said he did not know what that term meant. That’s a good answer Ray. Regardless, the secretary lauded major metropolitan cities such as Chicago for their efforts to increase bicycle safety. He stated that his department would be looking into measures to encourage automobile drivers to observe better safety standards when it came to bicyclists cohabiting the roadways.
LaHood praised various cities for restructuring transportation policy around cleaner forms of transit, singling out the construction of bike lanes to encourage biking as particularly effective. But with additional bikers on the road come additional risks. And as head of the Department of Transportation, LaHood noted his “concern” over the “way that bikers are treated when they are on streets. I’m concerned that people that are driving cars have a level of respect for bikers, and that’s the reason that we have these bike lanes,” said LaHood. “Bikers have as much right to the streets as anybody driving a car and I am concerned about [their safety].”
Chicago, under Mayor Daley, was on the forefront of increased bicycle use around the city with separate lanes being created on almost every major street. Incoming mayor, Rahm Emanual, plans to follow through with what Daley started. Emanuel has pledged to create a “world-class bike network” and has hired Gabe Klein, former head of Washington D.C.’s Department of Transportation, to fill that role in the Windy City. Further, this blog reported a few weeks back that Illinois is finally recognizing dooring accident as actual motor vehicle accidents that require police and parties fill out mandatory Illinois Crash Reports.
Ray LaHood is probably not a hipster, but it is good to see that his administration is taking bicylce safety seriously and are looking for ways to decrease bicycle accidents.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.