School is back in session.  There are many new faces in town and many familiar faces have returned.  Professors and students have returned from a long summer absence due to vacations or research trips or both.  The line forms at Pizza Pipeline down the street every day around noon as the kids from Hellgate High School que up to get their afternoon sustenance.

The roads are also filled with more cars and bikes and skateboarders and pedestrians.  Each weekday morning there is more traffic to navigate as my kids and I make our way either by bike or car to work and school.  Fortunately we have not encountered any cyclist/car conflict.  Hopefully this will be the case all year if not longer.  Actually the only conflict we encountered was over the summer when my 7 year old daughter accidentally cut-off another cyclist as she crossed an intersection.  The cyclist was perturbed but understanding.  It was a good learning experience for my daughter and myself.  I am slowly trying to teach each of my kids the right, responsbilities and rules of riding on the roads.

Key among these is riding on the right side of the road and riding with the flow of traffic.  We ride in the bike lane when one is available and take the bike path whenever possible.  I have also tried to teach them what to do in trickier situations such as when riding down Van Buren under the freeway where the bike lane suddenly disappears.  The law says that we should stay as far to the right as is safe.  Unfortunately that still leaves us in the undesired position of being in the middle of the lane.  Fortunately we are allowed to be there.  Cars are fairly understanding of this especially if they have fair warning that we will be occupying this lane.  The last thing I want to do is swerve into the lane and surprise an unsuspecting driver.  The outcome can never be pleasant.

Being traffic is another important facet of commuting by bike.  A bike is small and quick and it is very easy to make a quick turn across traffic and dash down an alley or zip across an intersection when the light is still red.  But the fact remains we are still a part of traffic and we have to respect the rules that keep us all safe; and our small quick bikes are usually no match for an unexpected encounter with a big heavy car. 

I hope you all stay safe out on the roads.  I am sure I will see you out there many times.  Give a wave or a smile we will probably see each other several time this year.