Within the past few years, Iowa State has expanded tremendously. Which means the sidewalks are overcrowded with more pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders. Iowa State has attempted to fix this issue with signage that says "Please walk your wheels." Unfortunately, these signs are often ignored, which is very frustrating for the walkers on campus (your's truly).
The other day a skateboarder ran directly into me. A couple of weeks ago as I and a few others were crossing a crosswalk, two cyclists were about 2 inches away from smashing into us.
This, my friends, calls for a quick lesson.
1. Walk your bicycle when you see a sign that says "walk your wheels."
It's there for a reason. The sidewalks are overcrowded and there isn't enough room for you to be riding your bicycle. Bikes are supposed to be ridden on the road anyway.
2. Ride your bike on the right side of the road, moving with the flow of traffic.
When you are a cyclist, you are considered to be a moving vehicle. As a moving vehicle you are required to obey all traffic laws as if you were driving a car. This includes yielding to those in a crosswalk. There are only two streets in Ames where cyclists are not allowed and those streets are Lincoln Way and Duff Ave.
3. Use hand signals.
Drivers and pedestrians are not psychic. We do not automatically know what your next move is. Please give us a signal and let us know what you are about to do next.
4. Stop at Stop signs.
Previously stated in the second point, you need to obey all traffic laws. This includes stop signs.
As for myself and the other pedestrians and drivers on Iowa State's campus, we kindly ask you to follow these rules. These four points are for the safety of you and others and they are very simple. If you would like to see the full list of rules from Iowa's Department of Transportation, please refer to this link.
