I don’t believe the article titled “MPD increase bicycle tickets” by Whitney Trotta (Sept. 1) represents the prevailing opinion held by the majority of cyclists at large in Madison — it doesn’t include the opinion held by UW Cycling members, anyway.

Trotta, interviewed a few fixed-gear kids and delivery boys who were pissed about the Madison Police Departments’ recent crackdown on bike traffic violations.

Trotta should have interviewed someone who is considered a true cyclist. She most likely would have gathered a response quite foreign to that of the knuckleheaded delivery boys, Tierney and Bzdawka, who were pissed about their tickets.

The cyclists I have talked to about the MPD crackdown were all for it. One of the reasons cyclists applaud the crackdown is that they follow the rules and have to deal with angry motorists. The reason motorists are angry: people running red lights and not following the rules.

Also, don’t forget that cyclists are motorists on a daily basis too.

After reading this article, it’s apparent there needs to be respect between motorists and all people on bikes because they are all considered the same under the traffic law.

By law, people on bikes are traffic just as cars are. This means motorists must give you at least the same respect as they give other motorists. This also means cyclists must reciprocate that respect.

I chatted with a member of the MPD giving out tickets to people running red lights at the corner of Johnson and State streets. He pretty much summed up my feelings when he said, “If people think they have the right to run red lights, they have the right to get run over by a car.”

Until people riding bikes and motorists adhere to traffic laws, there will continue to be problems on the road.

Jon Cook

Vice President–UW CyclingSenior

Life sciences communication