Bike Wrecks Spur Campus Concern PDF Print E-mail
Written by Maria Gaura   
SANTA CRUZ (November 2009) - The bike path that trisects UC Santa Cruz’s Great Meadow offers spectacular views of Monterey Bay, and an exhilarating free-fall on the downhill ride. But a rash of serious accidents in recent months has campus officials trying to slow cyclists who blast downhill at speeds as high as 40 miles per hour, and sometimes end up in the emergency room.
This month, shortly after another cyclist was carted away in an ambulance, UCSC’s department of Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) posted informational signs along the path, Burma-Shave style, showing some chilling statistics.
“13 solo crashes on bike path in two years,” read one sign. “7 by ambulance, 4 by helicopter, 2 walked away,” read another. Further along, at the top of the final downhill run, a third sign said “Please slow down.”
“TAPS created and posted the signs as a new approach to bicycle safety, along a section of the bike path that has witnessed numerous accidents,” said department Director Larry Pageler. He noted that cyclists who speed downhill “can reach 35 or 40 miles per hour, and risk losing control.”
Startling as they are, the signs list only a fraction of the bicycle injuries on campus. TAPS’ statistics refer only to accidents on the Great Meadow pathway, in which the police or fire department were called. Accidents elsewhere on campus, non-injury accidents, and ones where injured cyclists limped away to seek medical care on their own, likely add up to a much larger number.


A deer strolls across the bike path

The path itself is wide, well-maintained and free of the cracks and potholes that plague city streets. But while the path is smooth and the meadow car-free, nature provides plenty of speed bumps for the incautious.
Ground squirrels frequently sprint into the path of oncoming cyclists, and the area’s numerous deer can be skittish and unpredictable. Large snakes sometimes warm themselves on the asphalt, and bobcats have been known to saunter across the path and vanish into the tall grass.
And while pedestrians are forbidden from using the path, it is rare to pedal the length of the meadow without encountering a few. One recent accident was caused by a pedestrian who stepped in front of an oncoming cyclist, causing him to swerve and lose control, according to campus staff. A couple of years ago, another biker reportedly smashed into a deer while riding at night, suffering broken bones.
Almost every cyclist who regularly uses the path has had near-misses with ground squirrels, whose erratic bursts of speed can startle even the well prepared. And many cyclists on campus are not safety conscious, and can be seen zipping downhill without helmet, shirt or even shoes.
But accidents happen even to experienced riders. One campus staffer, a cautious bicycle commuter, steered off the path to greet a friend, ran into a rock, and took a serious tumble.
“I got a concussion, and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance,” said the staffer, who asked not to be named. “My bike helmet was wrecked, but it saved my head.”
The university offers bike safety classes, and has sponsored giveaways of safety gadgets like bicycle lights. The warning signs stayed up for about a week, coming down shortly before Thanksgiving. Campus officials are now assessing the impact of the project, but there’s no word whether the signs will reappear after the holiday break.


A pedestrian strolls along the Great Meadow bike path

 
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