Overcrowding leads to bike problems

OSAKA, Japan – Bloomington is known for its bike scene.

So too is Osaka, Japan, a much larger city than Bloomington. Watching the hordes of cyclists here has made me realize the good and bad of biking as alternative transportation.   

Osaka is a highly populated city, and in turn, much traffic must be dealt with. To control this problem, many restrictions, fees and expenses have been passed for people who own and drive cars in Japan.

Required safety inspections every two or three years can run up to about $2,000, not including the mandatory insurance and weight tax. The government imposes annual automobile taxes and taxes when you buy the car. Auto insurance is mandated, but some policies are not full coverage, so additional insurance fees may also be necessary.

On expressways and scenic driving routes, tolls can cost from about $60 to $275. Gasoline is on average $1.10 a liter, about $4.10 per gallon, and there are high parking costs.

The legal minimum age for driving in Japan is 18, and before you can receive a license, you must show proof that you possess a parking spot, because there is such little space.

With owning and driving a car in Japan being such a hassle, bicycles have become a very popular choice of transport, especially for short distances.

However, I have also encountered many problems because so many people use bikes.
City streets are typically very narrow with barely any room for two cars to pass each other, so most people ride their bikes on the sidewalk. Designated sidewalks allow this, but I have found that these are mostly seen as an option and not so much as a rule.

I have dodged bikes countless times and jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. I have also witnessed two bicycles crash into each other due to the fact that there were people walking on one side and two bicycles attempting to pass each other on the other side. 

Parking is another major issue in the city. There are plenty of “parking lots” for bikes, even multi-storied ones, but because of a heavy flow of people to stores and subways, parking is still limited. There is a huge problem of parked bicycles crowding the sidewalks, sometimes blocking entry ways to stores. There are officers who are supposed to control the parking near stores, and if necessary, bikes are removed and will be returned after a fee is paid.

Bicycle transportation is a great solution to many issues for the environment, health and just trafficking in general. But it still creates many congestion problems of its own.

Having such a vast amount of cyclists in the area and such a great need for them, it is hard to think that there is such little being done about regulating the flow of bicycle traffic.