e bike lanes - concerns for safety

Some time ago, I read about bikers who gather on Sundays and even joined the walkathon with bikes! Morning exercise on open wide roads is fine but for those who are already using bikes, ask them and we know 'Traffic is a big issue and biking on roads is dangerous' - Agree? I do. I use to go for my daily bike rides when I realized the cross roads always gave me panic with the rushing AMTS buses and fast pacing cars - people overtaking from wrong way and scooterists/motor cyclists driving like a rowing, swinging boat ! All pushed me, a cyclist away to get down many a times and save my soul. I ended up using my society lanes for biking every day but this too gave me panics as cars rushed in from all lanes with great speed! Now, where do I find the bike lanes?

Safety is indeed a concern. Special cycling lanes are no more like they use to be earlier as our roads are almost tailored for one in all vehicles. Drive as you like it. Here's a question that concerns safety - Some cities—New York, Los Angeles, Seattle—make available maps of bicycle routes. The inclusion of bike routes on Google Maps has also been a boon to cyclists across the country looking for the safest and most direct routes. I wonder, when we can find such Bicycle routes in Gujarat and India?

Here's this week's Environment Questions:

Are there efforts to increase bike lanes and paths around the nation? I’d like to be able to bike more instead of drive, but I’m concerned about safety. - John Shields, Minneapolis, MN

“Around the U.S. new bike lanes and paths are all the rage, helping cash-strapped cities simultaneously green operations and trim budgets (adding bike lanes is far less costly than building new roads). Some studies have even shown that bike trails help improve nearby home values.

¿Hay alguna manera de utilizar la energía en la caca de mis perros? Tengo tres perros y mucho estiércol y querría deshacerme de esto en una manera más “verde.” - Mary C., Wallace, ID
(Is there a way to utilize the energy in my dogs’ poop? I have three dogs and lots of poop and would like to dispose of it in a “greener” manner. - Mary C., Wallace, )

“Matthew Mazzotta, armado con una beca de $4.000 del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts (MIT) creó el sistema ingenioso de convertidor de caca Park Spark que utiliza caca de perro para alimentar un farol a gas que ilumina un rincón del Pacific Street Dog Park en Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Read the Question and Answers - In English In Spanish

Sometimes, as teachers, we find it difficult to explain to children on why use less vehicles and go more cycling and walking. Their arguments on road safety and their first hand information on happennings on road even give us second thoughts, How can we promote cycling? Urban living has its own gains and pains - We can only teach our children to be safe and adopt transportation for them to go to school that checks their safety.

A new program on Road safety is lately being introduced in schools by the Traffic Police - A concern, the Taffic staff needs to understand the rules first, isn't it?

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids