Berkeley Starts Bike Ride-Sharing Program
The City of Berkeley announced a new bike ride-sharing program on July 12 that it hopes will make it simpler for people to connect with transit stations as well as other bike-sharing programs in Emeryville and Oakland.
Berkeley Bike-Sharing
The network of bike-sharing was established through the City of Berkeley, Bay Area Motivate and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and is called Ford GoBike. Although the system is not yet complete, 10 bike share stations with 120 bicycles are the first phase of the program. The project is expected to be completed sometime next year with a total of 37 stations for bike-sharing and 400 bicycles that can be used inside the city. Current and future bike stations will include 100 bikes in Emeryville, 4,500 in San Francisco, 850 in Oakland, and 1,000 in San Jose.
How Much Do Passes Cost?
While bicycle riders choosing this option can pay for a single ride or for an entire day, monthly passes are available for $15 per month or for $149 per year. This includes unlimited trips of 45-minutes duration. To provide more equity for those who may be on a tighter budget, $5 memberships are available to qualified individuals.
Intersection Accidents
Many areas of the country have seen an exponential increase in the number of people who use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. Almost 50 percent of all bicycle accidents happen at intersections. In cities, such as Berkeley, motorists must use good judgment when entering an intersection.
Reasons Why Intersection Accidents Happen
- Drivers are unable to adequately measure the speed of the bike.
- Because of the bicycle’s size, drivers may not notice a bicyclist entering an intersection.
- Drivers are concentrating on cars at the intersection.
What a Bicyclist Can Do to Avoid Intersection Accidents
Bicyclists can do the following to avoid accidents:
- Wear bright-colored clothes
- Use reflectors on the bicycle in both the front and back
- Wear reflective clothing at night
- Keep a lookout for approaching vehicles in and outside the intersection
- Don’t enter the intersection unless you have the right of way
- Be aware of what can be done in the event a crash is imminent
Practical Intersection Tips
Bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers are obligated to know the rules of the road. To avoid car accident injuries in an intersection, it is important to understand who has the right-of-way. If a car and a bicycle both approach the intersection at the same time, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. If the car is on a minor roadway and a bicycle is on a major roadway entering the intersection, the bicycle would have the right-of-way.
Related Links:
Basic California law on intersections
How could intersections be safer?
Berkeley Car Accident Lawyer
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