A suggestion for the stimulus.

fter directing nearly a trillion dollars towards our ail-ing banks, insurance companies, and auto industry, the Obama administration has now pushed through a bill to spend just short of a trillion dollars to jump-start the rest of the economy. I am all for this. This recession has been devastating, and the sooner we get Americans back to work the better. But before all this money is allocated, I want to make a plea to our new president to steer some of that money to us—the bicycle commuters. I am part of a small but growing minority who tempt fate by riding to work. When possible, we try to ride on bike paths or designated bike lanes. But for the most part, we share the road with cars. And they don't like us any more than we like them. At least seven of my fellow riders have died recently in my city, Dallas. Many other local cyclists have been injured by automobiles, including golf commentator David Feherty, who has been hit twice. Here, we have a few token bike paths that crisscross parts of our city, but not much else. There are no designated bike lanes on any of our streets. When I share the road, it is with 4000-pound SUVs, many with their occupants chatting on mobile phones. It doesn't have to be this way. City planners in some of our more progressive cities have made space for us, with designated bike lanes on streets and miles of bike paths. Portland has gone one step further, creating " bike boxes " at major intersections, where cyclists can stop in front of cars, whose drivers are prohibited from turning right on red. This makes drivers aware of these cyclists and limits the possibility that a right-turning car will run over a cyclist who is going straight. These measures do more than just protect cyclists. They recognize our right to exist. They send a message that we are part of the transportation community, which in turn causes more people to join our ranks. Here in Dallas, people look at me as if I'm several fries short of a happy meal when they learn I ride to work. They then inevitably tell me about their best friend's aunt's cousin who got run over recently. I bet bicycle commuters in Portland don't have these conversations. The same people who accuse me of being a …