Cyclist tells drivers in Chaguaramas: Do the right thing!

RECALLING near-death experiences she has witnessed, former national triathlon champion Maria Gooding is urging drivers to be more considerate of cyclists, particularly in Chaguaramas.

Her plea comes after aviral video in which she complained about cars parked in the bicycle lane along the boardwalk in Chaguaramas on January 12.

The cycling lane begins at Williams Bay and extends for 5.5 km along the Western Main Road,  ending at the Caribbean Dockyard.

The lane, which runs along the westbound side of the road, is marked off with plastic lane separators and road reflectors.

Gooding, a former sportswoman of the year nominee and a keen cyclist, called for more signage in the area.

She accused drivers who park in the cycle lane, forcing cyclists into the road, of being ignorant.

“Maybe we need signage that says, ‘This is a bike lane for biking and running only!’

"Because maybe some people are dumb and they don’t know, which is a possibility. They may not watch the news and they have no clue about cycling. They just think it’s a pavement and they could park on it.”

But Gooding said she believed the majority of drivers who parked in the lane were just lazy.

“There’s a whole paved parking lot on the opposite side of the road by the boardwalk. It’s $20 to park for the day. And once one person starts to park (in the lane), other people think it’s okay to park there too.”

Gooding told Newsday it was not the first time drivers had shown disregard for the cyclists who used the lane.

She said children learning to ride also had to contend with reckless drivers, and the area – one of the few spaces with a dedicated cycling lane – was no longer a “safe space” for cyclists.

“People pull into and out of the lane without consideration for the cyclists. They may pull into one of the compounds (at the side of the road) and they wouldn’t indicate. Even if we’re riding at a high speed, they think that they’re faster than us and they could cross the lane and turn into that compound before we get there.

She said the cyclists were forced to slow down suddenly, which could be dangerous if they were part of a large group of riders.

“There is no respect, no consideration, no patience. Everybody is just rushing. They’re only studying where they need to go and what they need to do, so cyclists on the road are just a big (inconvenience) for them.

“We would love for drivers to be a little bit more considerate and just be a little bit patient. Let the cyclists use the bike lane and just wait a few seconds for them to pass.”

She said increased patrols by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA), police and traffic wardens would also discourage people from parking in the lanes and driving recklessly.

Gooding said, though, it is ultimately up to drivers to do the right thing.

“People need to be more law-abiding when others are not looking. Why break the rules because nobody’s there to tell you, ‘Hey, you’re not supposed to do that!’? Just do the right thing.”