PUBLISHED 7/9/08 -----

We’re in the midst of Healthy Air Week, a seven-day recognition of the community’s ongoing quest for healthy lungs and civic responsibility.

Among other things, Central Valley residents are being asked to consider carpooling, walking or biking to work.

Walking would seem the most ideal of those options, because it promotes physical fitness and requires no special equipment, and almost everyone is capable of giving it a shot. Sidewalks and crosswalks make walking to work reasonably safe, but distance makes it impractical for the vast majority.

That leaves bicycling as the best option for those interested in sparing the air and simultaneously improving their physical conditioning.

But the hazards and hassles of crosstown cycling can be discouraging. Healthy Air Week seems like a good time for local government to look at major cycling commute routes and try to improve their safety and convenience.

A few suggestions:

• Make stoplights bike-friendly. Tweak traffic signals so cyclists can trigger green lights more easily. Bakersfield has some intersections where the wire sensors imbedded in the pavement near intersections are not sensitive enough to detect a bike. To help trigger a green, cyclists should position their bikes directly over one of the saw cuts usually visible at these intersections. But if sensors don’t seem to respond, alert the city via e-mail (traffic@ci.bakersfield.ca.us) or phone (326-3724).

Of course, cyclists can always punch the pedestrian crossing button if there’s a nearby crosswalk, but that sometimes takes some maneuvering.

• Sweep up the glass. Road maintenance departments should remain vigilant in keeping bike lanes and road shoulders maintained and free of debris. Many times cyclists have to venture into the path of traffic to avoid riding through broken glass or hitting potholes.

• Maximize visibility. A few places on the Kern River bike path are downright dangerous. At the top of the list: The blind corner on the east side of the Highway 99 undercrossing, just west of Beach Park’s skateboard park. Cyclists can’t see what might be coming, and if a rider strays over the center line, collisions can — and do — ensue. The westbound downhill adds speed to that dangerous equation. That spot, and a few others, can use safety mirrors.

• Keep building bike lanes. Narrow shoulders intimidate would-be cyclists. Cities must be willing to accommodate bikes as best they can by laying out generous bike lanes when they design roads, and they must be prepared to extend, enhance and beautify bike routes like the Kern River bike trail.

• Educate the public. The California Vehicle Code states that “Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle.” But most bike commuters have experienced motorists who don’t seem to know (or accept) that.

Cyclists must ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic, not the opposite direction. They must be prepared to move one lane to the left (cautiously) as they approach certain intersections in order to allow cars to make right turns — and to protect themselves from right-turning cars. But not all motorists (or cyclists) understand those and other practices.

If local and regional authorities, including the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, are going to encourage lifestyle changes that promote healthy air, they must be willing to protect the individuals who are willing to try.

Do you have additional suggestions to promote clean-air commuting? E-mail us at opinion@bakersfield.com.