Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is encouraging commuters to think about making the trip by bicycle on Friday. It’s Bike to Work Day, and groups are meeting in six locationsaround Louisville and Southern Indiana to commute downtown together.The event is designed to help potential bicycle commuters increase their comfort level with riding on city streets. Bicycling is good exercise, and good for the environment. But even people that are experienced often face hazards on local roads.“I think a lot of drivers just don’t know how to react when there’s a bike around,” said frequent bike commuter Carolyn Waters. She’s never been in an accident, but has had some close calls.“Be a little patient when you’re trying to pass someone on a bicycle, and you’ll get around safely when you do it that way,” she said.Waters says even staying in bike lanes can cause problems, when drivers ignore the boundaries and violate cyclists’ personal space.So far this year in Jefferson County, there have been 52 collisions that have involved bicycles; 34 of those have included injuries. Since 2007, 10 people have died in bicycle collisions. Here's a map of bike-car collisions in the area.
