Passing on Swan Mountain not that difficult

This letter is in response to the letter from Mark Schuster in today’s daily regarding banning cyclists from Swan Mountain Road.

Mr. Schuster seems ignorant of the laws in this country. Cyclists have every right to ride on any road they wish. The reasons someone rides a bike over Swan Mtn Road are varied. I would guess mostly it is for recreation, frequently to get around the lake, as there is no other way to accomplish that.

The county is in the process of completing a bike path over Swan Mountain to connect the existing paths so cyclists will not need to use that road. As a cyclist, I can tell you that when there is little shoulder, it means the cyclist must be extremely careful where they ride, as I doubt any cyclist wants to get hit by a vehicle of any sort. The cyclist generally loses.

My advice to Mr. Schuster is to avoid driving Swan Mountain Road if he is so upset by the cyclists, or take a deep breath, slow down, relax, and share the road.

The speed limit is only 25 or 30 mph, after all. As he pointed out, one can take the bus, or drive around through Frisco. I think his exaggeration regarding the time it takes to drive this road if one encounters a cyclist is ridiculous.

There is not that much traffic on that road to keep one from safely going around a cyclist. I’ve driven it many times and simply wait until there is a clear view of the road and then slowly pass the cyclist by going over the double yellow a few feet. It only takes a minute, and one can safely assume an oncoming car will be going near the speed limit and therefore will not appear out of nowhere in that minute.

I believe this is legal (I just checked with local law enforcement) and is considered “sharing the road”. It is the same thing one would do in the country-side when encountering a slow-moving tractor. (FYI, there is no road-hog law in Colorado. I checked on that as well.)

I think the crux of the matter is that some people view bicycles as traffic obstructions, when in fact, bicycles are traffic. Try driving a vehicle in a country where vehicles are out-numbered by bikes — then you might get the idea.

Given the high cost of fuel, and America’s propensity for driving gas-guzzlers, I personally would applaud seeing more bikes on the roads anywhere in this country.

We just happen to be blessed in Summit County with a myriad of paved bike trails.

I think drivers could prepare themselves for more bikes, scooters and motorcycles on the roads these days. So, slowing down and staying alert to these smaller vehicles seems to be a viable option.