Gear shift – Baton Rouge has a growing bike culture. It’s time for everyone to learn the rules.

Avid cyclist Pat Fellows is adamant about following the rules of the road no matter what time of day it is. At 5 a.m.on a Saturday morning—when there are almost no cars around—Fellows waits for the traffic light at Highland Road and Lee Drive to turn green before he pedals into the street.

“It probably seems ridiculous, but those are the rules,” Fellows says. “Bikes have to follow the same laws as cars.”

Fellows, owner of Fresh Salads+Wraps and co-founder of Rocketkidz triathlons, is a well-known fitness voice and an experienced biker in Baton Rouge. He has been cycling seriously for years, and sees a lot of growth in local bike culture.

New bike racks have been installed throughout the LSU campus and in front of local businesses. Mid City’s Capital Heights Avenue was recently transformed from a two-lane to a one-way street to accommodate a designated foot and bike path. Share-a-lane signs have been painted on numerous roads, reminding motorists that the law permits both types of transportation. And BREC is nearing completion of the Wards Creek trail, a 2.2-mile urban path designed for walking, jogging and cycling that will connect the Mall of Louisiana to Siegen Lane. It’s the first phase of the 7.4-mile Capital Area Pathways Project, a trail that will connect parks and destinations around Bluebonnet Boulevard, Perkins Road and Essen Lane.

But while the Capital City’s embrace of alternative transportation is expanding, the increase in bike traffic has triggered an occasional clash of cultures. Motorists traveling on the roads normally occupied by cars aren’t quite sure what to do when they’re stuck behind a bike, and some are expressing frustration.

“There can be a lot of hostility from drivers,” says Fellows. “I think it’s still a pretty antagonistic relationship.”

The bottom line, Fellows says, is that motorists and bikers should respect each other and the rules of the road. Bike Baton Rouge chairman Beaux Jones agrees.

“Bikes vs. cars, it’s a lose-lose proposition, especially for the bike,” he says. “Our organization is not about us-them. We’re about building bridges and finding ways to make the city more livable.”

Jones says the most important issue is safety.

“We know that drivers want that as much as bikers. If you’re stuck behind a biker and it’s taking a few extra seconds, it’s really no different than being behind a slow car,” Jones says. “But ultimately, no one wants to see a biker injured, and you want to be in a city that has more than one way of getting around.”

• Cyclists have a right, by law, to be on the road.
• Vehicles should give cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance. Do not tailgate or speed past bikes. Be patient and let them progress as though they were a slow car.
• Bikes should obey the same rules of the road required of cars.
• Cyclists should always wear a helmet—and it should fit properly.
• Cyclists should use hand signals—and drivers should notice them. Today’s hand signals are easier to understand. A cyclist points his left arm straight out when turning left, and right arm when turning right.
• Don’t cycle on sidewalks. They’re meant for pedestrians.
• Don’t cycle against the traffic, cycle with it.
• Illuminate bikes while riding at night.
• Pedestrians, especially those walking in groups, should be mindful of cyclists and shift out of the way if they hear a bell or call.
• Cyclists should be attentive to pedestrians.