Hello Washington University community,

I am a St. Louis resident—I live just northeast of the Wash. U. area and I spend a lot of my time biking and driving down Skinker Boulevard.

I commute by bike quite a bit, almost always ending up on Delmar or Skinker. I love seeing other bike commuters. I love taking my lane. I love letting cars know that we’re allowed on the street.

I’ve also almost collided with a few Wash. U. students while driving at night. Every single close call was with a cyclist who did not have any lights, not to mention reflective gear.

When it’s dark and rainy, cyclists are nearly impossible to see until they’re a few yards away. Traffic around Forest Park Parkway and Skinker is already wild as it is, especially with the lane shifts and changes from Forest Park Parkway to Wydown Boulevard. I’ve been a part of a lot of close calls, and I imagine those close calls would be potentially fatal with drunk drivers or people who aren’t already watching for cyclists. I honestly think it’s a miracle that in my four years here, no one has been seriously injured or killed.

Rear lights are really cheap—they’re available for less than $20. I also think it’d be great if the school even provided some at discount price, like they do for locks.

I know the biking is slowing down around campus now that the cold temps have settled in, but stay safe, y’all.