Changing Skyline: Pedaling in a lane that's their own

There remain some bugs to work out before Cutler's transportation staff makes the bike lanes permanent. Many drivers see the new zone as a convenient place for short-term, and sometimes, long-term, parking. During a recent trip, it seemed there was at least one vehicle blocking the lane on every block. Contractors' trucks seemed to dominate. The city also allows churchgoers to park in the bike lanes on Sundays, rendering them useless.

Cutler suggests educational advertising could help, followed by stricter police enforcement. That includes getting tough with wayward bicyclists, especially those who ride on the sidewalks.

No less an authority than David Byrne, the former Talking Heads front man, makes a good point in his new book on urban cycling, Bicycle Diaries. "If bikers want to be treated better by motorists and pedestrians then they have to obey the traffic laws."

So next time a motorist stops you at a red light, tell him that's exactly what you're doing.

Contact architecture critic Inga Saffron at 215-854-2213 or isaffron@phillynews.com.