Experienced bicycle rider David Camp was out for a routine bicycle ride through the Las Sendas community when he almost collided with a truck. He takes the necessary precautions to stay safe and be seen by drivers. David wears a bicycle helmet along with a yellow jersey and yellow socks.
Recently, that bicycle helmet saved him from a head injury when a large truck turned left in front of him on Ridgecrest heading into an enclave.
“I had to react very quickly to not end up under the truck,” explained David. “I had to lay the bike down…which resulted in me hitting the asphalt. I did not end up under the truck which is what I was desperately trying to avoid. The driver of the truck did stop after he pulled into the gate.”
Residents called the police and fire and told them the incident was not David’s fault. Fortunately, David did not have to be transported to the hospital but he did end up with knee injuries and soreness on his arms. He said being an experienced bicyclist helped him make a quick decision.
“The driver was going much faster than me,” said David. “I started slowing down but I realized I was not going to slow down fast enough. It could have been tragic.”
He said many people don’t have a sense of how fast these things happen. “I recently observed two people on e-bikes at the gate. Neither one had gloves on or a helmet. If you’re riding a bicycle, you don’t have metal around you. If something bad is going to happen, you’re going to catch it.”
David has observed the traffic flow increasing significantly in Las Sendas in the last 5-6 years. “It used to be a much smaller traffic flow during the work days. The volume and speed of cars at Las Sendas have increased.
“I live close enough to the road where I can hear people roaring down Ridgecrest because it’s a nice straight road,” said David. “But if somebody is coming at the other side and turns in front of you and you’re going fast, you’re toast.
“I see cars coming down Echo Canyon and if the drivers see the gate open they speed up to get through the gates. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Why would you do that? It’s a big risk. It’s not worth the risk to do something like this.”
David also offers this advice: “Slow down if you can’t stay in the bike lane, especially in areas where it curves. You’re at fault in an accident if you sway outside the bicycle lane. Insurance won’t cover it.”
Here’s a link to the City of Mesa’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program - https://www.mesaaz.gov/residents/streets-transportation/bike-pedestrian-program
The Board and management team have also noted an increase in traffic speed on the public roads throughout Las Sendas. Members of the Board and management team have had several meetings with the City of Mesa Councilmember, traffic department and police department to discuss solutions. The challenge is that any change that could reduce speed for vehicles would also slow down the first responders. It’s important that the resolution doesn’t reduce the response time of the Fire and Medical personnel. While we don’t have a solution yet, we’re encouraged by the conversations we’ve had with the City representatives and their willingness to explore out-of-the-box ideas for the public roads in Las Sendas.
