The Creek Beat: Is It Time To Take Bicycles And/Or Cars Off Mount Diablo's Road?

There's that famous line from some of the Old West movies: "This town ain't big enough for the both of us."

That sentiment could be applied to the narrow, winding road up Mount Diablo.

Right now, cars and bicycles are allowed to climb the asphalt pathway together, but I'm not sure this is a good idea any longer and perhaps it's time for one or even both of them to go.

The argument against cars is a pretty basic one. They take up almost all of their half of Diablo's road. They also emit pollutants as they make the ascent. They're also a modern day intrusion onto what is still a relatively pristine mountain.

However, prohibiting them would also make it impossible for about 90 percent of the population to take in one of the world's largest vistas from the Diablo summit. Few can hike, run or bike to the top.

Bicyclists don't pollute and they don't take up nearly as much of the road.

However, there are also problems with them, or at least the people who ride them.

Bicyclists tend to go about 5 miles per hour up the hill and about 45 mph going down.

During the ascent, cars creep up behind them and then have to wait for an opening to pass.

On the descent, the bicyclists are sometimes traveling faster than the automobiles as well as speeding around blind curves unable to see a vehicle or person ahead of them.

The attitude of some of the bicyclists also irks many motorists.

It appears some of the bicyclists feel they own that road up Diablo. If you dare to try to share that piece of pavement with them you are treated to an angry glare.

The bicyclists hurtling down the hill also don't seem to have much patience with cars that are not going quite as quickly as them.

Most bicyclists ride single file, but you do get the occasional pair that pedal side by side and refuse to move.

I'm surprised I don't hear of more serious bicycle accidents up on that hill. I've never heard of a mishap where a car has hit a bicyclist, although I'm sure that has happened.

I do hear of a number of crashes where a bicyclist has simply lost control and fallen. Fortunately, most of the time they aren't too badly injured.

What do you think? Are things OK as they are? Or should we ban either cars or bicyclists from the mountain road?

Or perhaps prohibit both modes of transportation except for special events such as the Amgen bicycle race or the annual Pearl Harbor Day lighting of the summit beacon.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

And be careful out there.