Metro Detroit bicyclist hit by car in Ferndale pushes for redesign of bike lanes
FERNDALE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A man in Ferndale is still recovering after being hit by a car while riding his bike Monday afternoon.
"I was right in front of the Taco Bell, and then a vehicle in the drive-thru was already parked here, and she only looked to oncoming traffic, didn't see me, and ended up hitting me directly, pushing me into traffic," said Jon Thebo. "Still pretty shook up. I still feel like something is going to hit me on my left side."
The collision happened on Woodward Avenue near Marshall Street, where Thebo utilized the city's newly installed bike lanes.
Fortunately, he only suffered a few bumps, bruises, and a minor concussion, and he says this accident is not the first time his life has been at risk because of these bike lanes.
"This is actually my fourth time, where this time I actually got hit. The three other times, I was close to getting hit but didn't," Thebo said.
Thebo is an avid cyclist who uses the bike lanes daily but says he's never felt entirely safe.
"It's really concerning because there's not enough indication that it is a bike lane, and if somebody is an elderly or a child, it could have been worse," he said.
Thebo says he plans to address the Ferndale City Council at their next meeting on May 13 at 7:00 p.m. to propose a redesign of the bike lanes on Woodward Avenue so no one else gets hurt or, even worse, killed.
"I would hope that they would consider the ideas of putting up more barriers to indicate that there is a bike lane, secondly highlight it more in that greenish color to make it more indicated to drivers," Thebo said.
Thebo says it comes down to saving lives.
"I'm in huge favor of the bike lane, but I just think they need to put more safety measures in place," he said.