I love biking. I’m not a hardcore cyclist with a four-figure bike, but I do enjoy the challenge of an annual century ride. As a former marathoner (eh, one and done!), biking has become my favorite way to unplug from screens and reconnect with friends. When I retire, I long to join that crew of 60-something cyclists who hang out at Fairgrounds on weekday mornings, sipping coffee and flipping through the New York Times — the print edition, of course.
As for the current debate over the local bike plan — let’s be honest, even if it passes, we’re probably 2-3 years away from seeing full implementation.
I’ve read and listened to both sides of the recent bike plan debate, channeling the late, great Judge Wapner from The People’s Court. After weighing the arguments, I’ve come to a conclusion: we don’t deserve bike lanes.
Hold your applause, anti-bike plan folks — here comes the pivot.
Thanks to the speed and convenience of same-day delivery, every residential street now feels like a commercial thoroughfare. Cars, trucks, and newly licensed teens fly down our streets, treating stop signs more like suggestions than rules. There’s no doubt our neighborhood roads are less safe and more congested than they were a decade ago.
Rather than bickering over bike lanes, what if we focused our energy on something more foundational — like requiring helmets for anyone under 18? Evanston passed such an ordinance in 2012. Somehow, it’s become “cool” for kids to ride with their helmets dangling from their handlebars, technically following the “bring your helmet” rule, but missing the point entirely. Now we’ve got kids riding no-hands, blowing past stop signs, and even texting while biking.
By the time kids hit high school, they’ve been warned about the dangers of social media, STIs, drugs, and driving under the influence. It’s time biking safety joined that list. Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85% — yet only about 15% of teens consistently wear one.
Here’s a simple proposal for an Oak Park Bike Safety Ordinance:
● Under 18: Must wear a helmet while biking
● First offense: Warning and a mandatory bike safety course
● Second offense: $100 fine or 100 burpees — your choice
Parents, we also have to do our part. It’s not enough to leave helmet safety to others. I like to believe that if we found out our newly licensed teen was driving the family minivan without a seatbelt, there would be swift consequences — probably the loss of driving privileges. I’d argue that we should treat the helmet dangling from the handlebars with the same urgency as a missing seatbelt.
Obviously, an ordinance won’t fix everything. But it will shine a spotlight on the risks of riding without a helmet. We shouldn’t have to wait for a tragic accident and a candlelight vigil in Scoville Park to act on something so simple and sensible.
The bike lane debate is a distraction. Let’s start by making sure our kids wear their helmets. Then we can say we deserve bike lanes.
Vince Gay has 20+ years in education, classroom teacher to administrator. The proud parent of two school-age children is an active member of the Oak Park community.