I agree 100% with the idea submitted by Mary Ann Porucznik and printed in the Aug. 26 Viewpoints section: “Bikers, learn the rules of the road.”
Daily I see bikers riding without helmets (yes, they are not required by IL law, but they should be by Oak Park). Riding the wrong way, riding without hands on the handlebars. Riding through stop signs. Weaving through stopped car traffic, endangering pedestrians. Riding three or four abreast without moving over for cars to pass. This happens in my neighborhood near Scoville Park, and in every other neighborhood I drive or walk through.
As Ms. Porucznik states, bike riders need to learn the rules of the road, take a test, and become licensed before being allowed to ride bikes on our streets. I agree with her suggestion that this requirement should become part of Oak Park’s bicycle safety plan. Violators should receive monetary citations, up to and including license revocation. Law-abiding bike riders will become law-abiding car drivers.
Ellen Edwards
Oak Park