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Media CBD Courier in the News

The manager of CBD Courier, a bicycle courier service, wants Mayor Jerry Abramson and Metro Police Chief Robert White to hit the road — on bikes.

"I want them to feel the heat," said Jackie Green, who is also executive director of Louisville's Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation. "I would love for them to receive the angry horn of a passing motorist. I want them to know how dirty our streets are. I want them to feel the heat rolling off the engines of the automobiles and the trucks this summer. I want them to be intimidated by the speed of passing vehicles."

Green is upset because of a perceived lack of interest among officials in the metro area to improve conditions for cyclists.

"It takes sometimes a lot of courage to get out there on these roads," he said. "You have to be alert. You have to be assertive. And if you're not, you'll be taken advantage of."

He thinks if public figures took regular or occasional symbolic bike trips to work, then perhaps motorists would pay more attention to cyclists and more people would be encouraged to bike.

His most current frustrations are accentuated by numerous recent incidents that underscore his contention.

March 14: Green was cycling eastward on Jeffersonville's 10th Street when a westbound police officer yelled out the window of his cruiser, demanding that Green leave the road. Green cycled onward. The officer turned around, then drew up beside Green with the window down and repeated the demand. "Not having time to inform the officer of the law, (I) told the officer (I) was making a left-hand turn, then turned off the road," Green said.

April 15: A CBD Courier rider, Paul Thompson, asked a Louisville bike policeman if bike officers would set a better example for the community by riding on the streets rather than the sidewalk. "The officer was courteous, but missed the point," Green said. "He spoke of not blocking traffic and, after we informed him that adults cycling on sidewalks is illegal, assured us that we would not be arrested for riding on sidewalks."

April 22: The Second Street Bridge was closed several days for Thunder Over Louisville, denying all access to area pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross the Ohio River.

April 22: A CBD Courier rider narrowly escaped being hit by a swung hardhat from a passing pickup truck while traveling south on the Second Street Bridge.

April 23: While Green traveled northward by bike on the Second Street Bridge, a driver aggressively honked as she passed, and pointed to the sidewalk. (For weeks the west sidewalk has been closed on the north end of the bridge. The east sidewalk is closed on the south end of the bridge.)

April 23: Ten minutes after the previous episode, on the return trip southward on the bridge, two cars passed Green on his bike, drew up parallel to each other, then slowed down to a stop, totally blocking both southbound lanes.

May 6: A cyclist in Louisville was struck by a car.

Green finally felt moved last week to contact the mayor's office and ask if Abramson would occasionally bike to work and experience what regular cyclists go through. Green said he would be even more pleased with some form of action on the city's part.

"Cycling is not as encouraged as it should be for many reasons," he said. "We the activists, so to speak, can push and push and push, but unless there is leadership from the top, we're just going to run ourselves ragged. What I'm looking for is palpable leadership on their part."

Abramson said Louisville leaders have made the city more bicycle-friendly in recent years, citing the Riverwalk along the Ohio River and the six-mile path from Farnsley-Moreman Landing to Lees Lane.

"The city has added more bike racks along major thoroughfares," he said. "And TARC has recognized the increase in bike usage with the Bikes on Board program. Now 90 percent of TARC buses have racks on the front of buses to encourage both bicycling and mass transit."

In addition, Louisville began airing public service announcements on bicycle safety last month. They urge motorists and cyclists to share the road and follow safety rules.

"I support Bike to Work Week and applaud those who can cycle to work," Abramson said. "With my hectic schedule these days, I have to limit my bike riding to the weekends."

Contact the writer at greg@leoweekly.com