Opinion: A cyclist's perspective on recent death in Encinitas

Re "Controversy over Encinitas bike lanes renews after father of four dies in crash" ( March 24 ): The most telling and troubling sentence in the article was “Critics said the barriers prevent them from exiting the bike lanes into vehicle lanes when they want to quickly pass a slower cyclist or avoid pedestrians or other hazards.” A significant contributor to vehicular crashes is speed differential. This comment states that we (cyclists) want to ride however we want and, at will, weave in and out of the restricted cycle lanes onto the motor vehicle portion. This clearly states where the problem lies: These critics do not want to share the road.

By the way, I have used a bicycle to commute to work and for recreation, along with being a long-distance runner for decades. Using public roads and paths does require both consideration of others and an awareness of safety, which means that I adapt my pace to the current conditions.

— H. Michael Arrighi, San Diego

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune .