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More odds and ends

PROGRESS ON NEGLIGENT VEHICULAR HOMICIDE BILL: Last week, the Illinois House overwhelmingly passed a bill (115-1) that would create the offense of negligent vehicular homicide. The bill now goes to the Senate.

The bill is, at least in part, in response to the tragic death of Champaign-Urbana area cyclist Matt Wilhelm, who was killed in 2006 when he was struck by a car driven by a woman downloading a cell-phone ring tone. The woman was charged with a petty offense after Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz determined that under current Illinois law, she could not have been charged with the felony charge of vehicular homicide.

The bill would create a middle ground for those accidents that rise above a petty offense but do meet the "willful and wanton" disregard for public safety standard required for a felony charge.

STUDENT BUILDS UP FOR BIKE AND BUILD: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports today about the efforts of 26-year-old Lindenwood University junior to raise money for Bike and Build, an organization that provides money for affordable housing projects throughout the country.

On May 25, David Gowryluk of Holland, Manitoba, and 30 other cyclists will begin a 3,600-mile journey from Manteo, N.C., to San Diego. Gowryluk and his fellow cyclists are scheduled to end the trip July 27.

CAUTION URGED ON MCT CONFLUENCE TRAIL: The U.S. Corps of Engineers will be working on the levee between Chain of Rocks Road near Granite City, Ill., and Cahokia Creek until 2009, creating rocky conditions for cyclists and runners on the Madison County Transit Confluence Trail. The Confluence Trail may or may not be closed during this period. Please ride with caution in this area until further notice.

Meanwhile, the MCT Nature Trail remains closed from Sand Road, near Edwardsville to Anderson Lane in Pontoon Beach for reconstruction. The trail will reopen June 1. Cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, etc. are urged to avoid that section of the trail.

Labels: advocacy, charities, cycling, safety, trails

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