Is it safe to commute here?
 

I live in Flint, MI. I'm sure some of you have heard of the crime here. Fortunately I stay in a very safe part of Flint. I ride my bike to the store without any problems. I am currently enrolled at the University of Michigan - Flint, which is roughly 7 miles from my house. I really would like to commute by bike each day, but many of my family and friends think that it is a bad idea, due to the rougher neighborhoods and streets the commute require. Any suggestions? Possibly tips on how to stay safe while riding? Any input is appreciated.

Eesh, I would hate to say no problem not knowing the area personally so hopefully other BF members from the area can weigh in. Post a link to google maps of your route, it may help.

With that being said, what would you normally do to get to school? Public transpo? If you have the bus to help out I say go for it without question. The reason I say this is that if it is early in the morning or early evening (light out) you should not have much of a problem. If you are on campus studying late, then you would have to worry a little bit. However, if you have the bus as on option and get caught on campus late at night, you can simply take the bus as a last resort. If you decide to do that you better make sure your bike will be safe overnight. Will it be? Two U-locks with cables for components in a well lit/public area should do the trick.

Beyond that you need only worry about safety on the bike which is mostly a question of awareness. That solves 99% of issues, mace for the other 1%.

More details are needed to say yes/no.

I think mace wouldn't be a terrible idea for those "just in case" moments. Thanks.

I used to live in downtown Cleveland and crime was always a big problem there. It was so bad that drug dealers used to sell drugs on the corner opposite of the biggest police department in town, because they felt they would be shot by other drug dealers if they set up shop elsewhere.

My defensive strategy was that I knew the streets extremely well, not just on my primary route but the ones next to it so if I thought I was being followed I could ditch the bad guys using one-way streets, alleyways, etc. I NEVER used an iPod or anything else to listen to, I always paid a high level of attention to what I saw and heard around me. I also did not try to present an attractive target by riding an expensive bike or carrying flashy items.

I rode the streets aggressively which probably sent a message to crooks that I was in far better shape than them or that I would not be an easy target. I also did not stay stopped too long at red lights or other places in order to keep moving. I never once responded to boorish shouts of "Hey!" or anything else that could have been used to stop me.

I don't know enough about Flint to give you an opinion on what to do there, but my strategy worked for me in Cleveland.

I have mace that hangs off my backpack. Thankfully I've never had to use it.

Honestly though, I find that my family and friends always seem to have a reason for me not to ride. It's raining, it's hazardous, you're exposed, it's cold, 9/11, your femur is still broken from last week... Do you feel like it's not safe?

Thanks MadCityCyclist. Those are all great ideas. Sometimes I wish I lived in a more bicycle friendly city. Oh well, I am thankful for what I have. It can always be worse.

Isn't that the truth man. Haha

Check the regs for your campus, some have rules about mace &/or pepper spray and what concentrations are allowed and which are not. It would be bad to be worried about crime and get suspended in the process.

As to being safe or not, only you can make that decision. I gave up on one 22 mile commute over the final two miles due to the traffic and uninsured bad drivers. One round trip and that was it, decided it wasn't worth my life.

If it makes you feel any better about your friends and families concerns, generally friends and family always think you will die if you use a bike for transportation, even if you live in one of the safest cities in the country.

Those were great ideas.
What are your concerns?


The first part of your ride looks to be a nightmare. I'm not too fond of riding down busy 4 lane roads where drivers don't think they should share a road with a bicycle.

There is a nice bike path/route that parallels 80% of your ride (on your google map, turn on "bicycling". It doesn't get much better than that. Personally, I avoid major roads and just go on google to find good side roads that get me there in the same amount of time. I don't like riding with cars (unless I am with a dozen or more riders).


Personally, I might consider heading south from where you are, adding half a mile to your ride but avoiding Beecher. But that assumes the two lane roads are less trafficed and safer for bikes (that may or may not be a valid assumption)

http://goo.gl/maps/FWaCV

I lived in Flint, off and on, for a couple of years. Right by AC spark plug. That was 30 yrs ago now. It was rough then and I imagine it's even rougher now. I suppose even I might hesitate.

but the guy from Cleveland really did have some good suggestions.

If you carry yourself well, then your chances of getting mugged can be brought down to about the level that you'd risk in other day-to-day living in a blighted urban area.

go around the bad parts even if it makes your ride longer

I had to ride through COPS / gang territory in Riviera Beach, Florida. I learned not to give hand signals because it summoned a car full of drug dealers wanting to know what you wanted. When you hear "hey, thats my bike" start to pedal like your life depends on it, because it does. I carried a 800,000 volt cattle prod after a very sketchy incident with a high school kid. What made the most difference was dressing like a crazy crack head and riding a beater bike. I would take my work stuff off and look like a homeless guy on a junky bike.
Never got bothered again. :beer:

Not really too familiar with the area, but I've lived in some pretty rough places without major incident. Give it a go and see how you like it. You can always modify your route if necessary. For the most part, neighborhoods considered 'bad' are nothing to be too worried about ... especially if you're just passing through at 10-25 mph.

If you're worried about random street violence, don't be. (1) It's incredibly rare. (2) it can happen anywhere. [really, i rode through the same neighborhood where this incident took place for 4-5 years with never a worry that a marauding pack of youth would spontaneously attack me (or of anything else ... it's a nice, working class neighborhood).] Just be alert and follow your gut on when to start pedaling really fast.

(as another person mentioned ... weapons and schools don't mix. be sure to check and double-check you're school's regulations and your local laws before taking a weapon on campus. learning to fight people is a good alternative if you're able.)

There's gold in that post.
IMHO not drawing attention to yourself and being aware of your surroundings is essential. Also, conveying the impression that you're not an easy target to those who may take note of you is also important. And never respond to any shouts... act as though you were deaf, people looking to cause trouble are like fishermen and will usually only react if you 'bite'. Also in really rough neighborhoods forget about adhering to traffic laws... if you can break them without causing an incident, then do so. Sometimes it's best to break laws in the interest of self preservation in ares where laws don't mean much in the first place. I think it's called being 'street smart'.

Can't add too much to the very good replies already posted, but I suspect that your instinct is correct - you should be able to safely commute. I don't know what your definition of "rough" is, however - only you can make that call.

I ride 7 miles each way from home to my job in Houston. While none of the neighborhoods I ride through are really bad (most are pretty fancy!), it's not uncommon to encounter a sketchy character or two. There aren't roving gangs or anything, however. I ignore them, avoid them, or run stop signs/lights if they're really freaking me out.

Normal commuting daylight hours are easy, lots of people out and about and drivers are generally polite (and know they have witnesses if they are jerks and bully me off the roads).

After dark things seem sketchier, yet I've biked by myself through downtown and the 6th ward at 10:30 pm a few times, and had no problems at all. I do run the lights at night though - feels safer to keep moving. Also, my normal commuting route sticks to side streets/bike lanes. If it's later at night, I switch to a main road and really take the lane to stay away from the sidewalks and potential weird people. It's 2 lane, so cars can pass easily, but it's much better lit and traveled, and I feel better knowing there are others around.

I get more creeped out on the dedicated bike paths along the bayou than I do on the street. WAY easier for someone to hide and attack in the parks.

If you're worried, get one of those collapsible baton, good self defense item lol.

But Just check your route and plan which street is safe to take.