A number of instances of cyclist harassment have been reported to Asheville on Bikes and law enforcement this summer, most notably Buncombe County resident Bill Miller’s hit and run experience. Due to this rise in cyclist harassment and the growing aggression surrounding these events, it’s more important than ever for Asheville cyclists to stay safe and vigilant while biking our city’s roads.

Harassment is defined as “aggressive pressure or intimidation.”

Cyclist harassment by the numbers

In 2014, North Carolina was ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous states for cyclists. And though Asheville has gained a reputation as a cycling mecca, harassment of cyclists has been increasing in Asheville and Buncombe County over the past decade. Consider the following events:

North Carolina has been ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous states for cyclists.

You may remember in 2018 when an Asheville cyclist was forced off the road by a motorist who was trying to pass her in oncoming traffic. The driver, who was charged with a misdemeanor, verbally threatened the cyclist through the window of his pickup truck as he forced her into the grass. 

You may also recall the Asheville cyclist who was punched in the face at the intersection of Sand Hill Road and Sardis Road back in 2017. Thankfully, the incident was caught on camera by another driver, although the assailant was merely charged with simple assault. 

Then there was the 2009 incident where a former Asheville firefighter shot and nearly killed an Asheville cyclist because he thought the child bike seat his son was riding in was unsafe. The assailant got away with serving just 4 months in prison and paying $1,200 in medical expenses.

Most recently, we were informed of a few other incidences of harassment towards cyclists, including the following story:

Abby and Austin’s story

Just after 11 am on July 31, 2021, AoB’s Executive Assistant, Abby Walker, and her husband Austin were riding single file up a long stretch of hill on Turkey Creek Road, when a man driving a Honda CR-V began screaming at the group out of his car window. The man and his young child proceeded to follow Abby and Austin, berating them with obscenities as they climbed. 

The driver cursed at Abby and Austin, and prevented them from escaping by refusing to move his vehicle from the road.

When the pair eventually found a driveway to pull into, the driver got out of his car and proceeded to tell Abby and Austin that they were “creating a dangerous situation” and being “disrespectful” because they were cycling. The man told them that biking was not considered “transportation” but rather “a hobby.” When another vehicle stopped to make sure the cyclists were okay, the man told her she should mind her own business and leave them alone. He continued cursing at Abby and Austin and prevented them from escaping by refusing to move his vehicle from the road.

Warning: This video contains explicit language and aggression.

It is clear that aggression and violence towards cyclists is a serious problem in the Asheville area, and dangerous motorists aren’t always prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Migration to Buncombe County, coupled with urban expansion into previously rural areas, has created a growing tension between motorists and cyclists. 

What to do if you’re harassed 

The unfortunate truth is that if you ride a bike in the Asheville area, you may experience harassment. While you may not be able to avoid confrontation with motorists, there are a few actions you can take if you are harassed:

1. Contact local law enforcement. If you are threatened by a motorist in any way while biking, immediately call 911. While this may feel like overreacting (and the driver very well may tell you it is), you never know when a situation is going to escalate out of control and necessitate a police officer.
2. Keep yourself safe. If you are threatened by an aggressive motorist, maintain your physical safety by being prepared to get off your bike and away from the aggressor, or biking away to a safe distance (unless you are injured). Do not engage the motorist, and use concise, neutral language (like Austin’s responses in the above video) to diffuse a situation, or say nothing at all.
3. Document as much as you can. Make a concerted effort to get the motorist’s license plate, vehicle make and model, and his or her physical description. If you’re unable to get this information yourself, ask a bystander to record this information. If you have a smartphone or other recording device, take video and/or photos of the incident to share with authorities. Also, try to collect the names and phone numbers of any witnesses present.
4. File a report with law enforcement. Once the authorities have arrived and you are safe, file a police report.
5. Fill out our Road Violence Report. Help AoB gather information about aggressive interactions between motorists and cyclists in Asheville by filling out our Road Violence Report. This data will help us raise awareness around bike safety and prosecute irresponsible motorists.

Take these steps to stay safe on the road

Practicing proper bike safety, like fitting your bike with lights and riding responsibly, can help prevent and mitigate some (but not all) dangerous motorist-cyclist interactions. To ensure your safety during every ride, make sure you:

• Wear protective equipment. More cyclists are starting to wear a combination of front and rear lights and video cameras to make themselves seen, and to record any adverse events with motor vehicles. And, of course, always wear a helmet!
• Claim your space. If you don’t have a bike lane, bike advocacy organization Bike Law suggests in their Ride Guide that you should ride far enough towards the center of the lane to make it clear to motorists that they must move into the next lane to pass you. If you’re not used to road biking, this may seem dangerous; however, a motorist is more likely to try to pass you when they shouldn’t (resulting in you getting hit or run off the road) if you try to ride on the shoulder or in the gutter. Riding closer to the center of the lane also makes you more visible to motorists, which is especially important when crossing driveways and intersections.
  
  Remember, cyclists have the right to the full width of the road (except interstates and highways) as long as they follow traffic laws, and drivers are legally required to give you 3 feet of room when passing.

For more bike safety information, read up on our tips for developing safe bike riding habits, and consider signing up for Buncombe County’s Cycle Smart bike safety course.

Asheville on Bikes is dedicated to increasing bike safety

Asheville on Bikes has been advocating for safe biking conditions and bike infrastructure for over 15 years. Learn more about our mission and how to get involved on our website. As always, stay safe and enjoy the ride!

The post Harassment Against Cyclists is on the Rise in Asheville. Here’s What You Need to Know. appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

When an SUV collides with a cyclist, the result is never pretty. Such was the case on May 13th, 2021 when Candler resident Bill Miller was going for his daily bike ride and was broadsided by a Ford Explorer. The driver, 67-year-old Paul Bork, who witnesses say was speeding, made no effort to avoid him despite the absence of any other traffic on the straightaway section of road. To make matters worse, Bork didn’t even make an effort to help Bill. Instead, witnesses saw Bork stop briefly to survey the damage before fleeing the scene.

Bill’s story

Bill’s solo bike rides into the lower Hominy Valley were more than a daily exercise routine—they were critical to his mental well-being. The 70-year-old regularly rode 25- to 45-mile loops to clear his mind, connect with his neighbors, and experience his beloved ecosystem.

Biltmore Lake, the community Bill calls home, is a suburban neighborhood located just outside the Asheville city limits in Buncombe County. With its beautiful lake, extensive trail system, and slow speed limit, the community is cherished for its pedestrian friendliness. Joggers, cyclists, children, and the elderly regularly enjoy the mountain enclave by navigating its well-kept roads and trails.

But the Biltmore Lake area is growing faster than infrastructure can keep pace with, which has led to increased congestion and reckless driving. To emphasize this point, the road where Bill was hit was a straightaway with a crosswalk. In fact, the driver was merely a quarter mile from a stop sign when he hit Bill at a speed fast enough to shatter his femur and destroy his bike.

The aftermath of the “accident”

Following the “accident,” Bill was placed in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital trauma bay. In shock and excruciating pain, he underwent multiple x-rays and CT scans. According to his wife, Susan, a Nurse Practitioner, “I saw his x-ray and felt sick. His left femur was in pieces. He had to have a procedure in the ER where holes were bored into his femur and metal rods were inserted for traction. He had to spend the night that way and in the morning underwent extensive surgery to reassemble his femur with rods, plates, and screws. He also had a fractured rib and later developed deep vein thrombosis in his lower left leg.”

One of the most difficult things for Bill following the accident was telling his 9-month-pregnant daughter he wouldn’t be able to help her and her husband with their new baby. Bill and his daughter are very close, and he and Susan had planned on being extremely involved with their new grandson.

Despite Bill’s remarkable health, recovering from the accident hasn’t been easy. Bill hasn’t been able to climb the multiple flights of stairs in their house, so Susan set up a bedroom and makeshift shower on the first floor for him to use while he heals. He is going to physical therapy twice a week, and can now use a cane and walker to get around his house. Susan says it’s devastating seeing her husband, who was so healthy and strong just a month ago, now barely able to walk on his own. Normally this time of year, Bill would be enjoying group bike rides, volunteering with bike races and environmental organizations, hiking with friends, and swimming in nearby rivers; now he is unable to tend to his own garden.

After a lifetime of biking, Bill says he probably won’t ride his bike on public roads again. The physical and psychological toll the accident took is too overwhelming, and he’s concerned he could be hit again. He laments the fact that he doesn’t even feel safe biking to the nearby grocery store just a mile from his house because that stretch of Sandhill Road doesn’t have a bike lane, shoulder, or sidewalk. “It’s a shame that bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Buncombe County is so limited. The City of Asheville has made some great improvements in infrastructure over the years, but we’re still far from being a bikeable community.”

Making western North Carolina more bike-friendly

One factor that may have been at play in Bill’s accident is the design speed of the road on which he was hit. Design speed refers to the speed a road is designed to be traveled, and is often much higher than its posted speed. For example, Reeves Coves Road, the street on which Bill was hit, has a speed limit of 35 mph, but as a main artery through Biltmore Lake and nearby Reeves Cove, it may have been designed for vehicles to travel much faster. Motorists will often follow a road’s design speed over its posted speed.

As Bill’s story shows, it’s important that states are designing roads that are safe for multiple modes of travel. This may include installing roundabouts, stop signs, pedestrian crosswalks, or other traffic-calming features, which can also help reduce a road’s design speed.

Another way to increase bike and pedestrian safety is through transportation education. Many drivers don’t understand that a road’s “right of way” applies to all its users, and that all people—regardless of their mode of transportation—have a right to the safe and predictable use of public roads.

Road rage is a serious problem

With more cars on the road than ever, especially around his community, Bill says he thinks drivers are more irritable and on edge. Incidences of road rage have continued to increase over the past several decades, with a staggering 66% of all traffic fatalities caused by aggressive driving. Unfortunately, this road rage is also afflicted on bikers: Bill says he’s had drivers force him off the road and yell at him, and his friend had a bottle thrown at her while biking in Biltmore Lake. “People typically don’t get angry with one another when they’re at a busy grocery store, but when they have to share the road with a biker, they sure do,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of assumptions and privilege driving this aggression.”

Investing in active transportation

As people increasingly migrate to western North Carolina, it’s critical we make the investment into active transportation. Instead of widening roads by adding more vehicle lanes (which actually increases congestion, as seen in Atlanta in Los Angeles), our cities must install more bike lanes, shoulders, crosswalks, stop signs, and roundabouts. As Bill can attest, peoples’ lives literally depend on it.

“The City of Asheville has made some great improvements in infrastructure over the years, but we’re far from being a bikeable community.” – Bill Miller

Justice for Bill

Bill wants Paul Bork to be held accountable for his actions, and he says he thinks his community feels the same way. Thankfully, Bill wasn’t killed, but he did suffer extreme pain, immobility, and medical bills—not to mention the terror and grief his family has had to endure. The egregious harm Bork has done to Bill and his family is only made worse by the fact that as Bill’s neighbor, Bork may be able to continue to drive through the Biltmore Lake and Candler communities where children play, walk, and bike to school, and residents recreate.

Insurance for cyclists

Like many motorists who commit hit and runs, Paul Bork is most likely an underinsured driver, therefore Bill may face an uphill battle getting him to help pay his medical bills. Bill wants cyclists to know that you can help defend yourself against uninsured and underinsured motorists by purchasing uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This insurance provides compensation when the at-fault driver’s coverage isn’t enough to pay for all the damages you incur, or when the at-fault driver is uninsured. Most auto insurance comes with UM/UIM; however, UM/UIM typically only covers up to $30,000 in damages, so you should consider adding additional UM/UIM coverage. Check with your auto insurance provider to make sure your plan includes adequate UM/UIM coverage.*

*Unfortunately, health care insurers, by law, can and will demand reimbursement of their medical payments from any liability settlement, so maximizing your auto coverage is important. BikeLaw attorney Ann Groninger has written a very informative article on this subject, which Bill and Susan recommend to cyclists.

Asheville on Bikes supports Bill

Asheville on Bikes wants motorists to know that they will be held accountable for harming or intimidating cyclists in Buncombe County. Paul Bork has been charged with Felony Hit and Run—Serious Injury, and our organization is working with the local District Attorney to make sure that he is convicted and receives the maximum penalty available. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and when that privilege is abused, that right should be revoked. We hope Bill’s story makes people think twice about how they operate their motor vehicles.

Words of thanks from Bill:

“Susan and I are so very grateful for all the help and support we have received. From the people at the scene who stayed at my side and protected me, to those who came forward as witnesses, went to my home to get my wife, and to all the dear friends and neighbors who cooked meals, sent cards, visited, mowed, moved furniture and more, and kept my spirits up by staying in touch: we are forever in your debt. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it.”

The post Asheville Cyclist Hospitalized After Hit and Run appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

On Monday, April 9, 2018, the assailant, Claude Donald Watson, pled guilty to simple assault and was sentenced to a minimum of 3 days in jail, contingent on his compliance with probation (should he fail to comply, he will serve up to 45 days). In addition, Watson was ordered to pay $450 in fines and court costs. We’ve reprinted the press release issued by the Buncombe County District Attorney’s office below.

We’re satisfied with this outcome and credit our Asheville on Bikes members and the greater cycling community for ensuring this incident received the attention it deserved. Your comments, social media shares, and willingness to share your own stories of motorist aggression made sure the authorities listened and helped ensure justice was carried out.

Thank you for your support—stories like this show the real impact that we have when we speak up.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUNCOMBE COUNTY                               April 11, 2018
828-259-3410

State v.  Claude Donald Watson

A Candler man will spend at least 3 days in jail after being pleading guilty to the Simple Assault of a man while he was riding his bicycle.

Watson was sentenced by District Court Judge Julie Kepple on Monday April 9, 2018, to suspended term of imprisonment of 45 days with service of a 3-day “split sentence” in jail ordered as a condition of probation.  The remainder of his sentence would be activated if Watson fails to comply with probation.

On September 27, 2017, Watson was filmed shortly after noon.  A cyclist was also filmed to be headed southbound on Sand Hill Road, and was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Sand Hill and Sardis roads.

A motorist in a Dodge Ram pickup truck, who stopped in front of the cyclist, got out of the truck and appeared to punch the cyclist in the face.

After investigators reviewed video of the event, APD arrested Watson Sept. 29 and charged him with simple assault and reckless driving to endanger.

The video was shot from the cab of a commercial vehicle that happened to approach the scene.

The cyclist’s injuries were listed in the incident report as “minor.” Alcohol was not a factor in the incident.

Sule, Executive Director of Asheville on Bikes, said “we decided to put this video out and promote it,” he said. “We want people to share their stories so we can better understand the issues and conflicts that occur on our roads and address them.”

Sule added that the cyclist was riding legally in his lane of travel and that AOB is satisfied with the judgment.

“The District Attorney’s Office recognizes that under NC law bicycles are considered vehicles and cyclists have the legal right to travel on our roads without fear of assault and unprovoked violence as the evidence clearly showed in this case,” District Attorney Todd Williams said.

Judge Kepple further ordered the defendant to violate no law and have no contact with the victim, and pay a $25 fine, $320 in costs, and $115 in court appointed attorney’s fees.  Watson had previously paid $276 to make restitution to the victim.

Prior coverage with video at this link:  https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2017/10/04/video-appears-show-assault-asheville-cyclist/730627001/

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Love greenways, do you? Ask and ye shall receive.

You show, we grow! Fresh from the bike-loving camaraderie of today’s Bike of the Irish ride, head on over to this drop-in event tomorrow from 4-6 pm.

“Buncombe County, N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and HNTB (a consultant for the NCDOT) will host a drop-in public meeting regarding potential options for the possible addition of a greenway in the vicinity of I-26, Brevard Road and Long Shoals Road in Buncombe County. The meeting will be held from 4pm to 6pm on Monday, March 23, 2015 in the auditorium of the N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, North Carolina.”

(Not that you need ANY other reason to attend, but can you IMAGINE how spectacular the arboretum is this time of year?)

Here’s the event RSVP.

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