Four weeks ago, I was riding my bike down a bustling roadway, headed to DePaul University, careening through a Ford Escape and a Dodge Challenger. Like many other streets in Chicago, it was crammed with bikers, swerving motorists and the all so familiar grocery-carrying pedestrians marooned in the middle of the street.

As I approached a four-way intersection, a taxicab – directly in front of me – had screeched to a stop. Although it was my turn to proceed, in seconds a door flung open in a white flash. A mirror demonstration of Newton’s First Law of gravity followed as my face planted into the pavement. I had been “doored” – the official term.

Although I had no major injuries, a question dashed frantically through my concussed head: Why do bikers – the most environmentally-friendly alternative to a vehicle – get such a bad rep from motorists and city officials alike? 

In fact, in the past week Chicago South Side alderwoman Pat Dowell stated that bikers should pay for the expenses of creating protected bike lanes. She has proposed a $25 registration fee that could generate up to $10 million of revenue. Where this $10 million will go is unclear – will it go directly to a fund for construction of new protected bike lanes in Chicago? And in fact, haven’t bikers already paid for the roads on which they ride, via state and city taxes? Upon contacting Alderwoman Dowell’s office for a comment on the topic I was brushed aside to an email for question – as of now still no response. 

In a city where the number of commuters cycling to work has increased by 150 percent in the last decade, something must be done to protect cyclists as well as motorists. So what exactly is being done? In 2012, there were 39.30 miles of new and restriped bike lanes constructed inside the city of Chicago. However, of the 134.20 total miles of bike lanes that presently exist in the city of Chicago, barriers protect only 8.5 percent. Similar to Chicago, other U.S. cities are also trying to play a game of catch up in meeting the demands of an increased number of cyclists, who all too often have limited bike lanes.

Looking across the pond, many cities’ internal infrastructures are centered on accommodating the vast number of cyclists. The importance placed on cycling in Copenhagen – where there are five times more bikes than motor vehicles – has paid off greatly for the city in various aspects. For example, the city reaps more than $330 million annually in health benefits from cycling. And in a city that has 214 miles of protected bike lanes, only 3.3 in every 1 million people suffer a fatal bike accident. So why is biking failing back here in the States?

In Chicago, it’s all perception and attitude that tends to damper the enormous possibilities that a more bike-friendly environment could have on the overall success of the city. The grumbling about bikers taking too much space on the road and the angry honks that constantly harass your progression down the street – this is the reason we find so much difficulty mustering up enough support to ensure the safety of cyclists. The decision of Chicago politicians not to make the city more “bike friendly” is not a result of the cons outweighing the pros; instead, their judgment seems to be clouded by their ignorance. Copenhagen, with a population of 560,000, saves $590 per person each year on health care costs. If Chicago biking reached its full potential, the city could potentially save as much as $1.5 billion annually on health care costs, far surpassing the revenue generated from the $25 bike registration fee. My suggestion for government officials is that they look at some other cities that have greatly benefited from increased bicycling infrastructure and implement some of these policies here in Chicago. 

For now, I refuse to ride my bike. It’s hanging up in my apartment storage closet and will remain there until I finally feel like my life isn’t in serious danger when cycling. There are 400,000 bikers in Chicago – nearly 15 percent of the total population. It’s about time something gets accomplished down in city hall.