701??

Biking is more popular and probably less safe than ever. According to a story printed on the Rails to Trails website, more than 700 bicyclists die in an average year on America's roads. While the number is tiny in comparison with auto deaths, it's still sobering.

The picture to the left is a "Ghost bike", a memorial to the victim of a biking tragedy in DC this summer. And it's a reminder that there are individual tragedies behind large-number statistics.

The Rails to Trails conservancy is doing great things. Turning abandoned railroad rights of way into multi-use recreation trails are generally welcomed by most communities.

However, there are times when the only place to ride is on a roadway. With more and larger cars on the road (even with the current energy crisis, there are plenty of large vehicles out there), danger is a constant. I live on what was once a country road but is now a busy suburban street. But its evolution hasn't made it any wider. But ironically, it's at intersections where cars slow down that the greatest danger exists.

Cars looking for an expedited path through intersections often pull into breakdown lanes to go around cars ahead of them, cutting off bikers. In addition, right-turn-only lanes create a particularly nasty hazard as drivers look left entering the intersection and rarely to the right where bikers and pedestrians are found. I've had countless near-misses with cars looking to save a few precious seconds by disregarding my presence.

I really don't want a 'ghost bike' memorial in my name.