Saturday, February 13, 2010

Iowa Bicycle Safety and Responsibility Bill

Efforts to make Iowa roads safer for bicyclists are still alive.

This week, an Iowa House subcommittee approved the Bike Safety and Responsibility Bill, and it goes before a House Human Respirces Committee next week. The Iowa Senate passed the bill last winter, but the bill stalled in the House last year before the subcommittee took up the issue.

Here's a summary of what the bill would do, according to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition:

• Motorists would have to give bicyclists and other vulnerable users of Iowa highways at least 5 feet of clearance while passing.
• Require bicyclists to obey applicable traffic signs and signals.
• Prohibit people from throwing objects at cyclists and other vulnerable users.
• Prohibit motorists from intentionally driving their vehicles toward or close to cyclists and other vulnerable users.

The bill would create a wide range of fines and punishments, KCCI-TV in Des Moines reports the most serious of which are if a cyclist is injured, the driver must pay $500 and lose his  license for three months. If the cyclist dies, the fine increases to $1,000 and the suspension increases to six months.

"I don't think you can put a price on a life, but there has to be something that's a little bit more doling out of justice that acts as a deterrent," Ken Sherman of the Coalition told KCCI.

No doubt, the bill will face opposition if it advances to the full House. A group that calls itself the Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa wants to ban bicycles from most country roads. During this week's subcommittee meeting, Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, says the 5-foot requirement may not be practical on some country roads.

As an alternative to the bicycle safety bill, Baudler would like to see a requirement that a cyclist's jersey must be at least 50 percent yellow or hunter orange to make the cyclist more visible on the road.

“(With) deer hunting in Iowa, we had fatalities, we had injuries. When the legislature required ‘hunter orange’ from the waist up basically, our fatalities (and) our injuries plummeted,” Baudler said at the Bike Iowa site.

The Coalition tries to counter some of Baudler's arguments at its blog.

Labels: advocacy, Iowa, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:17 PM

Monday, January 18, 2010

UPDATE: Matt Wilhelm's parents on Oprah

UPDATED (JAN. 18): The parents of Matt Wilhelm. the Champaign-Urbana area cyclist who was killed in 2006 when he was struck by a car driven by a woman downloading cell phone ring tones, appeared on today's episode of Oprah Winfrey's TV show.

Gloria and Chuck Wilhelm briefly described how their son died and how they worked to get Illinois laws changed, culminating in the texting ban that went into effect Jan. 1.

"If you get a ticket, you can blame it on us because we were the ones who went to Springfield to work with the senators," Gloria said on the show.

You can see the video of the Wilhelms and other families who lost loved ones in accidents involving distracted drivers at Oprah's Web site.

Oprah launched her "No Phone Zone" campaign on Monday's show. According to an Associated Press story last week, Oprah said she wants people to know "how absolutely stupid it is that we continue to text and drive." She's asking drivers to take a pledge to avoidt text-messaging or talking on cell phones while driving.

Oprah's show is aired at 4 p.m. CST on KSDK-TV, Channel 5, in St. Louis and WCIA-TV, Channel 3, in Champaign-Urbana. You can check where the show appears in your area here.

Matt Wilhelm's death prompted some changes, including better education about cyclists' right to the road and a task force that recommended more laws to protect users of Illinois highway. While progress has been made, more progress needs to be done, including laws that would make it a felony if a distracted driver kills or critically injuries a cyclist, pedestrian or motorist.

You can see a public service announcement about Matt at the News-Gazette.

Labels: advocacy, Illinois, safety, television

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:30 PM

Monday, January 04, 2010

Facebook Page takes aim at cyclists

One of my Facebook friends who just happens to be a St. Louis cycling advocate today brought to my attention a Facebook Page that doesn't take very kindly to bicyclists.

The page -- There's a perfectly good path right next to the road you stupid cyclist! -- sadly has more than 31,500 fans. The picture shown here is the page's profile photo. Here's a message from the group, which appears to be based in Australia.:

"No matter how far to the left you are, you're taking up my road. My car is hard, and i am not slowing down!"

It's also disheartening that a wall post that read "saw a cyclist stack it today" had 399 people liking the post.

Certainly, people who object to the way some bicyclists ride certainly have a right to have a Facebook Page to express their views. But when they cross the line and encourage behavior that could kill or seriously injure a bicyclist, something needs to be done.

If you're a Facebook user and object to the page, you can report it to Facebook. The "Report Page" link is at the bottom of the left column of the page.

Labels: advocacy, safety

Roger 2 comments links to this post 12:27 AM

Friday, January 01, 2010

New laws that affect Illinois cyclists

With the start of the new year, there are at least three new laws that go in effect today in Illinois that affect bicyclists.

You're probably aware of two of the new laws -- a ban on text messaging while driving and a ban on cell phone usage in school and construction zones.

You're probably not aware of the other law. As of today, no one under the age of 16 may operate a gas- or electric-powered bicycle in Illinois. In addition, you can't ride a gas- or electric-powered bicycle on a sidewalk, and you can't ride those bikes any faster than 20 mph on Illinois roads.

As for the texting and cell phones. they are moving violations with fines up to $1,000 depending on the circumstances. Texting and cell phone usage during emergencies or if the car is stopped and placed in park or neutral are legal.

"Upon conviction, it would be a mark against your driving record. Three of those means a suspension of your driver's license," Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State, told WLS-TV in Chicago.

The texting and cell phone bans were prompted at least in part by the 2006 death of bicyclist Matt Wilhelm. Matt was riding on Illinois 130 east of Urbana when he struck by a car driven by a woman who was downloading a cell phone ring tone.

The News-Gazette reports that Matt's mother, Gloria Wilhelm, will appear on a January episode of Oprah Winfrey's TV show, but no date has been set for the segment to air.

"We finally have laws on the books that say it's wrong to be driving and texting and using a cell phone. We never had a law before that said it's wrong. The texting applies to all age groups, which is really great," Matt's father, Chuck Wilhelm, told the News-Gazette.

Labels: advocacy, bicycles, Illinois, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 2:28 PM

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Share the Damn Road jerseys

Professional cyclist Phil Gaimon has created a series of cycling jerseys under the name Share the Damn Road.

Phil says on his Web site he was "tired of being honked at, buzzed, and cussed out while he trained, and frustrated that the speed of motor vehicles made witty and insulting replies impossible. To solve that problem, he set out to create a line of jerseys that express what he's always wanted to say to passing cars."

Phil says his goal is to convey messages of safety and cyclists' rights by using humor. He warns these jerseys aren't for "wimps." In addition to "share the damn road," you can buy jerseys with the messages"don't honk at me," "don't run me over" and "slow down."

I agree with Phil the jerseys are funny, at least from the cyclist's point of view, and I've felt many of the same sentiments over the years.

But call me a wimp if you must. I'm not convinced all motorists will find the humor in those messages. I fear a motorist with a case of road rage will treat the messages the same way a bull responds to a waving red cape.

There are two messages I do like -- the "Infinite MPG" and the "3 Feet" jerseys -- that are less likely to draw ire from motorists and get the message across.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:59 PM

Monday, October 26, 2009

St. Louis gets more national attention

St. Louis ' efforts to make its streets more friendly to modes of transportation other than cars and trucks are getting more national attention.

On top of its recognition last week by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, The Architect's Newspaper and Wired's Autopia have recognized efforts by Great Streets St. Louis  to bring the Complete Streets concept to the South Grand business district.

Great Streets St. Louis is an initiative by the East-West Council of Governments, a region planning agency that serves the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, to "trigger economic and social benefits by centering communities around interesting, lively and attractive streets that serve all modes of transportation."

Autopia reported that about $2.7 million in federal stimulus funds have been earmarked for the project. The new design reduces four traffic lanes to three, changes the timing of traffic lights, adds curb “bulb-outs” to reduce the amount of yardage pedestrians need to cross from 56 to 40 feet, and increases lighting and landscaping.

South Grand, the test site, is a busy street lined with restaurants and shops. But traffic, signage, and aging infrastructure have been a problem. Drivers routinely speed, and the street saw 80 accidents and one pedestrian death in the first eight months of 2009, according to The Architect's Newspaper

Although the city's Bike St. Louis routes do not use South Grand between Arsenal and Utah streets, where the work is taking place, it goes nearby. The changes especially are intended to help pedestrians in the business district, but I'm sure it will benefit cyclists as well.

After a test run of the new street configuration this year, Alderman Steve Conway says the feedback he's received has been running 10-to-1 in favor of the changes.

“I was concerned about getting 25,000 cars a day through at Grand and Arsenal,” Conway told The Architect's Newspaper.. “And now, we’re getting the cars through, and we’ve slowed the traffic.”

Labels: advocacy, safety, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:35 PM

Friday, August 21, 2009

Bicycles can run some red lights in Missouri

Starting next Friday, Aug. 28, bicyclists and motorcyclists can legally run -- well, sort of run -- some red lights in Missouri.

The so-called "Dead Red" law (PDF file) signed last month by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon allows bicyclists and motorcyclists to proceed through red lights under these conditions:

• They come to a complete stop first.

• The signal continues to show a red light for an “unreasonable time.”

• The signal is malfunctioning or failed to detect a bicycle or motorcycle.

• Traffic on the cross street doesn’t pose a hazard.

The Kansas City Star says Missouri will be one of eight states that have similar laws, which are intended to address occasions when motorcycles or bikes aren’t detected by traffic signal sensors in the road.

I live in one of the 42 states -- Illinois to be precise -- that doesn't have the law. It seems like a commonsense approach to me. There are simply a lot of intersections where there's no way my aluminum bicycle with only a small number of steel parts is going to trigger magnetic traffic sensors.

I proceed through those intersections following the steps described above. It sure would be nice to be able to do so legally.

Labels: advocacy, Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:39 PM

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Speeding cyclists, beware!

If you're a cyclist who likes to ride fast on the 8-mile trail in Creve Coeur County Park in west St. Louis County near Maryland Heights, Mo., you may be facing a ticket and a fine.

KSDK-TV, Channel 5, in St. Louis reported today that starting next week, speeding cyclists could get a ticket, be fined up to $1,000 and may get time in the county jail.

"If I see you traveling at a high rate of speed and you're passing people, not being considerate of others and causing almost collisions, you can get a ticket and possibly go to jail for it," Park Ranger Keith Kaiser told KSDK.

A series of complaints and accidents have led to the crackdown, Kaiser said. This week, bicylists are receiving citizen complaint alerts about the fines for speeding.

Some bike trails have speed limits, but the KSDK report doesn't say whether the Creve Coeur trail has a speed limit.

One bicyclist, Ruth Marner, says there has been increasing resentment.

"People don't want us on the roads. They swear at us when we're on the roads and then they don't like us on the trails so I think we need to compromise and be courteous," she told KSDK.

Labels: advocacy, safety, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:29 PM

Iowa group pushes bicycle ban

The Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa has started a petition drive that asks the Iowa legislature to create a ballot initiative for the November 2010 election that would ban bicycles on "farm-to-market" roads.

This is how Iowa law defines "farm-to-market" roads: "Farm-to-market roads" or "farm-to-market road system" means those county jurisdiction intracounty and intercounty roads which serve principal traffic generating areas and connect such areas to other farm-to-market roads and primary roads. The farm-to-market road system includes those county jurisdiction roads providing service for short-distance intracounty and intercounty traffic or providing connections between farm-to-market roads and area service roads, and includes those secondary roads which are federal aid eligible.

Here's what the group's petition has to say:

We the undersigned are Iowa residents who urge our Legislature to support a ballot initiative for the November 2010 election which will prohibit bicyclists from using state and county defined farm-to-market roads.

A farm-to-market road is a state or county road which serves to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns.

Over the past ten years the number of bicyclists using these farm-to-market roads for recreational purposes has increased dramatically as have the number of preventable accidents and fatalities.

Rural commerce and citizens are significantly impacted when forced to share the farm-to-market roadways with bicyclists. Because of the growth of today's commerce and agricultural business, shared roadways are no longer safe or practical in today's society.

So please if you are a resident of Iowa join us and lets make our roadways safe. Thanks for your time and your support.

All questions and comments can be sent to cfscofiowa1@yahoo.com.

A spokesman for the group, Dan Jones, told Radio Iowa that bicyclists create problems on the roads. He says some of the smaller highways or rural roads don't have shoulders, and don't have a place for motorists or cyclists to get out of the way to avoid a problem.

"We're tired of it, we think that the bicyclists should be held to the same laws that motorists are. They should have to have their license and insurance, anything that I've ever known that's been on these highways has to have insurance on it," Jones told Radio Iowa.

Needless to say, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition is opposed to it. The Coalition opposes the ban, but shares the concern about safety on Iowa highways. Here's what that group has to say:

Iowa governments have tools to address roadway safety for motorists and bicyclists. Safety improvements are accomplished with roadway design changes, improved signage, better enforcement, education programs and awareness building. Bike bans are not the answer.

Existing traffic laws provide a framework for different modes of traffic to share the road. State traffic laws provide consistent expectations for safe behavior on public roadways throughout the state for all roadway users.

Bike bans would have an extreme economic impact. A recent economic impact study of RAGBRAI showed $24 million during the week-long bike ride. Bicycle tourism, including charity fundraisers, are estimated to generate as much or more than RAGBRAI during the other weeks of the year.

Bicycle bans would have an extreme impact on the health of Iowans. Recent studies by the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking have shown relationships between states with high rates of bicycling have a healthier population including lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Supporters of the bicycle ban petition drive, in comments on the petition drive page, have one legitimate argument" that sometimes we cyclists don't obey the rules of the road. Other arguments -- such as cyclists should be relegated to bicycle paths, that cyclists don't pay registration fee and taxes and that cyclists aren't required to have insurance -- are the same tired arguments the anti-bicycle crowd loves to use and don't hold water.

This is the second effort in recent weeks to ban bicycles from some roads. Recently, commissioners in Jefferson County decided to ask Colorado lawmakers to approve a laws that would give counties the right to ban bicycles from country roads. You can read more about that effort at the Biking Bis and Cyclelicious blogs as well as Bicycle Colorado and the Columbine Courier.

Labels: advocacy, Iowa, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:52 AM

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Tour de Belleville, Tour de Donut safety tips

Two of the St. Louis area's largest group rides are coming up -- the Tour de Belleville on Friday night and the Tour de Donut on Saturday morning -- and it's time to offer these tips to make your ride a fun and safe experience.

These same tips can be used for rides such as the St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride on Aug. 15 and the Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 29-30 in St. Louis, as well as other similar rides throughout the country

Tips for newbies:

• If you're a slower rider, try to ride as far to the right as safely possible so faster riders can pass you. If you have to walk up a hill, walk your bike as far to the right as safely possible.
  
• Groups of cyclists should not take up the entire lane, again so other people can pass.
• If you plan to stop, be sure to give some type of warning. At a minimum, give a verbal warning such as "braking" or "stopping." It's also a good idea to give a hand signal by extending your left hand toward the ground. For a good illustration of that, download the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road (pdf file).
• If you're stopping for an extended period of time, pull off the road so other cyclists can pass safely.
• Use your gears. Most new cyclists tend to use a gear that's too big for them. Find a gear where you feel comfortable riding 60 to 90 pedal strokes a minute. When you approach a hill, you probably want to shift to a lower gear before you start climbing.
  
• Above all, ride at a pace that's comfortable for you. The Tour de Belleville is not a race, so don't get tempted to ride at a faster speed than you're used to just because you want to keep up with other people.

Tips for experienced riders:

• Be patient with the less experienced riders. Remember that you once were an inexperienced rider yourself.
• Ride defensively. When approaching a family with young children, give yourself plenty of room to get around them because you never know when someone will suddenly veer to the left or right.
• Use caution on hills. There's a good chance someone will try to climb a hill only to run out of gas and suddenly stop. Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver around them.
• Slow down. This is not the time for a 20-25 mph training ride and long pacelines. Events like the Tour de Belleville are meant for fun, so slow down and smell the roses. The exception here, of course, is Tour de Donut, which is a race.
  
• Be a good ambassador. The way you behave will influence whether a newcomer will stick with the sport.

After riding last year's Tour de Donut, I have to say I'm concerned with some of the riding I saw last year. Way too many people were riding three or more abreast on portions of the course that are open to motorized traffic -- which is most of the course -- and too many people were crossing the yellow line to pass them.

Too many people think that because the first part of the course through Staunton is closed to traffic that the entire course is. That's not the case. Once cyclists make the turn off Illinois Route 4 on the southern edge of Staunton on Renken Road toward Prairietown, the rest of the course is open to motorists. This year, please use common sense and obey the rules of the road.

I hope all of you have a safe and fun experience on whatever big ride you choose to do.

Labels: bicycling, safety, Tour de Belleville, Tour de Donut

Roger 2 comments links to this post 11:37 AM

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Gutless wonder in Colorado

It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to say stupid things when you're hiding behind the cloak on anonymity.

The latest example of this is in the Boulder, Colo., area. An anonymously written flier is calling upon residents of rural mountain communities in Boulder County to stage a blockade of the return leg of the Sunrise Century ride on July 25. Here's what the flier says, according to the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder:

“On July 25, in celebration of driver’s rights, many cars will use the Left Hand Canyon Road, drive slowly and many may break down unexpectedly, blocking areas to the cyclists on the return leg of the ‘Sunrise Century.' Many cars and safe drivers all working together can send a message to the Statehouse to restrict cycling on our roads which are our only alternatives during family emergencies, commuting and required duties.”

The Daily Camera reported the the fliers started being distributed days after a Boulder driver was ticketed on suspicion of endangering a cyclist on Lee Hill Road.

Officials in Boulder County say conflicts between cyclists and motorists have been increasing in recent years, but have intensified this year. On Aug. 5, a new law goes in effect in Colorado that increases cyclists' rights. Based upon information from Bicycle Colorado, here's a summary of the law:

• Requires motorists to give at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicyclists. (A similar law went into effect last year in Illinois.)
• Allows cyclists to ride side by side as long as they don't impede the normal flow of traffic.
• Makes throwing items at cyclists and intentionally driving toward a cyclists offenses.
• Allows cyclists to ride as far to the right as safely possible.
  

Bikerpelli Sports, the organizer of the Sunrise Century, has this response to the controversy:

"A special thanks to all our supporters during this interesting time. ... And remember we will do whatever it takes to create a safe, fun & enjoyable ride for all our dedicated athletes regardless of the obstacles that others may try to create. We don't shy away from a challenge any more than you would!"

I've always contended problems would be minimized if motorists -- and cyclists -- simply follow the rules of the road. In this case, I hope common sense prevails and that cyclists and motorists will share the road in Boulder County.

Labels: advocacy, Colorado, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:11 AM

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Columbia, Mo., passes bicycle harassment ordinance

Fresh off its designation as a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, Columbia, Mo., has adopted an ordinance that makes harassment of bicyclists — including throwing objects, verbal assault and other offenses — a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $1,000 fine or one year of jail time.

On Monday, the Columbia City Council approved the new ordinance unanimously.

The Columbia Missourian reported that residents cited a number of reasons for their support and shared horror stories from bike riding. The tales ranged from waking up face down in ditches to having ashtrays dumped on their heads. The consensus among supporters was that the ordinance would help protect them on the streets.

“Unfortunately, there are people in our community who believe that roads are for automobiles and bicyclists who dare ride on the road should be honked at, yelled at or even have something thrown at them,” PedNet Education Coordinator Robert Johnson was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

Columbia's ordinance is modeled on similar ordinances in South Carolina and Colorado. Next month, the City Council will decide whether to expand the ordinance to include pedestrians.

Labels: advocacy, Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:41 AM

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Ride of Silence

Tonight is the Ride of Silence, a slow-paced bike ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

The Ride of Silence will take place at 7 p.m. at numerous locations nationwide, and St. Louis is no exception. The St. Louis edition of the ride begins at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park and is slated to go 10 to 12 miles, according to the Ride of Silence Web site.

Other Missouri communities hosting a Ride of Silence are Kansas City, Springfield, Sedalia and St. Joseph. Illinois communities hosting a Ride of Silence are Arlington Heights, Champaign-Urbana, Charleston, Chicago, Downers Grove, Evanston, Joliet and Peoria. To find out more details about those rides or about Ride of Silence in other states, visit the Ride of Silence schedule.

I won't be able to attend tonight's Ride of Silence in St. Louis because I'm riding with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society tonight in Mascoutah, Ill. However, I do plan to ride in honor of Gerry "Chief" Frierdich tonight. Gerry continues to make great strides in his recovery from an August 2007 accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:47 AM

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

In defense of bicyclists

Last week, I wrote about Zack Colman's anti-bicyclist column in The State News, the student newspaper of Michigan State University. Today, I point out a rebuttal column by State News copy editor Scott Myers that was published Monday.

Myers' column is written in the same style as Colman's original column. For example, here's the opening salvo:

White 2009 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno.

That’s the bike I ride — and if you’re a motorist on the road and plan on running me over, I hope you have a good lawyer, because I might sue you.

Intentionally.

Because you see, with all these dangerously inattentive motorists on the road nowadays, doing things like changing songs on their iPods, sending text messages while driving or falling asleep because they can’t get enough sleep to function on the same schedule as 90 percent of the rest of the world, I’m tired of getting run over.

And, considering I’m exactly where I should be, I’ll win the case.

Not surprisingly, Myers' column got a lot of praise from the cycling community, at least judging by the comments. It also got a lot of comments from the anti-cyclist crowd, complete with the stereotype that all cyclists disobey traffic laws because a few do. While some cyclists do disobey traffic laws, so do some motorists.

As for the original Colman column, word about the column has spread far and wide. The League of American Bicyclists even has included Colman's column in its Trash Talk feature. "In what we can only hope is a sorry attempt at satire, the author says that bicyclists should get off the road. If they’re not in bike lanes or on sidewalks, Colman promotes distracted drivers running over bicyclists with “big, people-killing cars” to show who rules the road," LAB pointed out.

Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:38 AM

Monday, April 13, 2009

St. Louis County helmet law: Who knew?

In December, St. Louis County enacted a law effective countywide that requires children 16 and under wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, a scooter, roller skates, roller blades or a skateboard.

But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that only two citations have been given out since the law went in effect. A reporter's survey of the St. Louis County communities of Kirkwood, Maplewood and Maryland Heights indicates that many police departments are unaware that the law applies to their communities.

A couple of departments questioned the practically of enforcing the ordinance. Here's one example:

"Is it practical to enforce if you come across three or four kids out riding bikes without helmets?" Maryland Heights Police Chief Tom O'Connor told the Post-Dispatch. "What the hell do you do, confiscate their bikes and then drive them all home to tell their parents? It ought to be the parents' responsibility in the first place."

The helmet law does not affect the city of St. Louis because the city is a separate entity from St. Louis County.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 6:37 PM

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Bicyclists need to stay on sidewalk

I'll give Zack Colman credit for one thing. At least he has the courage to put his name and photo to asinine comments about bicycling.

Unlike most of the clowns who post comments anonymously or under fake names on newspaper articles about bicycling, Colman didn't hide his identity in a recent column that appears in the State News, the student newspaper for Michigan State University. Here's what he said about bicyclists:

Black 2001 Saturn SC2. That’s the car I drive — and if you’re a bicyclist on the road but not in a bike path and you see my car, I hope you’re wearing a helmet, because I might run you over.

Maybe not intentionally.

But you see, with all these things I can do in my car nowadays, such as choose a different song on my iPod, send a text message while driving or fall asleep at the wheel because I had to wake up for a worthless 8 a.m. biology lab, I might not notice you.

And, considering you are where you should not be, I might hit you.

Not surprisingly, the column has drawn a lot of comments. Mary Dougherty of the League of Michigan Bicyclists is urging people to e-mail Colman and set him straight.

In the column, Colman is under the mistaken idea that bicyclists should ride on sidewalks rather than streets, where they have a legal right to be in Michigan. In many Michigan communities, it's illegal to ride a bike on sidewalks. It's even illegal to ride bikes on sidewalks on Michigan State's East Lansing campus!

Here's another choice nugget from Colman's attempt at writing a column:

Bicyclists on the road are a driving hazard to people in automobiles, since many bicyclists make turns without using hand signals and ride too close to other vehicles when there is no designated bike path.

For example, I was driving to work Tuesday when a bicyclist pulled up in front of my car in the right lane on Farm Lane going northbound where it intersects with Shaw Lane. There is no bike path at this portion of the road, and I needed to be in the right lane to avoid the left turn only lane, but the bicyclist was in the way.

Some will say I could be more patient on the road.

But roads are for cars, not bicyclists. The bicyclist should not have been in the car lane.

Some people have come to Colman's defense, saying that it was intended to be satire. If it was, it was a pretty poor attempt. I speak from experience. I once attempted satire while I was still a college student writing for the Southwestern Journal, a weekly in Brighton, Ill. I failed miserably. Satire is a difficult form of writing to master, and satire clearly isn't one of Colman's strong suits.

I hope Colman learns from his mistake and grows up to be a responsible columnist.

Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety

Roger 3 comments links to this post 2:18 AM

Thursday, March 05, 2009

It's time to Share the Road

We're going to get a sneak peak of spring here in the metro-east in the next few days. That, along with the switch to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday morning, means there should be more cyclists out on the road.

I'm passing along some tips from the League of Illinois Bicyclists, with commentary from me in italics:

For those who want to ride their bicycles on the road, it’s good to be reminded of the rules of the road. Bicyclists are legal vehicles on the road and have all the rights and responsibilities of motorists. They should observe traffic signs and traffic laws, signal turns, ride with the traffic and ride in a straight line, except when making turns. Bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated like motorists. That’s because road safety for everyone depends on all vehicles, cars and bikes, behaving predictably, obeying traffic laws and sharing the road.

Typical traffic no-no’s for bicyclists are: riding against the traffic instead of with the traffic, failure to observe red lights and stop signs, blocking traffic on a busy road by not riding in a single file with other cyclists, failure to use hand signals when turning or slowing, no headlights, taillights or reflectors for night riding and riding with earphones.

As a cyclist and motorist here in Belleville, I see way too many instances of people riding against traffic. The main offenders here are children and people who ride bikes because of DUI convictions or other unfortunate circumstances. Parents, police and educators need to teach children the rules of the road when in comes to cycling. People convicted of DUI should be given a copy of the state's "Safe Bicycling in Illinois" booklet.

I plead guilty to occasionally rolling through a stop sign, but I always stop at intersections where there's a strong likelihood there will be traffic. As a whole, the cycling community needs to do a much better job of paying attention to stop signs and traffic signals.

Riding two abreast is legal in Illinois as long as the reasonable and normal movement of traffic is not impeded. Otherwise, you must ride single file. Riding more than two abreast is illegal on most Illinois roads. Cyclists on group rides sometimes lose sight of the law and create problems for themselves and motorists.

Remember that one bicyclist’s bad behavior on the road affects the public’s opinion of all bicyclists. Amen to that.

Typical motorists’ mistakes are: failure to pass bicyclists safely by giving them at least three feet of space, passing a bicyclist then making an immediate right turn in front of the bicyclist, failure to yield when making a left turn in front of an oncoming bicyclist, opening a car door into a bicyclist’s path, failure to scan for bicyclists at intersections and crosswalks, parking in bike lanes and speeding.

True, motorists often don't pay attention to cyclists, and they need more education about the rights of bicyclists to be on the road.

Let's hope cyclists and motorists alike have safe travels during the 2009 cycling season.

Labels: advocacy, League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:14 AM

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Train the Trainer

The League of Illinois Bicyclists says bike rodeos are a commonly recognized event for kids, often serving as the only bicycle safety education they receive. It's only fitting that the people who lead those event know the basics on how to ride a bike safely and legally.

That's why LIB has scheduled a series of Train the Trainer sessions throughout the state. Here's a schedule of those in or near the metro-east:

• April 8, 3 p.m., Litchfield City Hall
• April 8, 7:30 p.m., Alton (location to be determined)
• April 9, 4 p.m., Collinsville Area Recreation District offices
• April 9, 7:30 p.m., Belleville City Hall

You can see the full list of locations here.

Labels: League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:55 PM

Friday, November 28, 2008

St. Louis County wants to require helmets for kids

St. Louis County wants to require children ages 1-16 who ride bicycles, scooters and skateboards to wear helmets.

Earlier this week, a bill was introduced before the St. Louis County Council that would require helmets throughout the county. The county already has a law requiring helmets, but that covers only unincorporated portions of the county.

(The proposal does not cover the city of St. Louis, which is not part of St. Louis County. The city of St. Louis does not have a similar ordinance.)

Under the proposal, children and their parents would receive warning for first and second offenses. For third and subsequent offenses within a 12-month period, the fine would be $10.

While the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the proposal has wide support within the council, not everyone else backs it.

Patty Vinyard, executive director of the the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, told the Post-Dispatch the county should focus on educating people how to ride a bicycle in traffic and ensure that streets are designed with pedestrians, wheelchairs and cyclists in mind.

"Those are two things that would do more to save lives than enacting a helmet law," Vinyard said. "Many places in the county are very scary for most people who are walking or biking to their destinations."

Shirley Scatcherd, a county health coordinator who is pushing the bill, said the main purpose of the law is to educate parents of the need to have their children wear helmets while cycling or taking part in another activity.

Labels: advocacy, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 7:17 PM

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Two fatal accidents, two different results

Randy Rasa, the author of the Kansas Cyclist blog, yesterday lamented a Kansas prosecutor's decision not to file felony charges against the driver of a car that struck and killed a lieutenant in the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

Lt. David Dillon, of Eudora, a deputy for the jail operations division of the sheriff’s office, died in the June 28 accident. Dillon, 44, was off-duty and riding his bike between Lawrence and Eudora when he was struck from behind by a 2003 Oldsmobile driven by Kyle Van Meter, 21, the Kansas Highway Patrol told the Lawrence Journal-World.

Van Meter was distracted both by his car radio and a cell phone, authorities determined.

Jackson County District Attorney Charles Branson did not offer an explanation to the Journal-World about why he did not pursue felony charges, but he recommended the Kansas Highway Patrol issue citations for unsafe overtaking/passing, following too closely and failure to wear a seat belt.

Here's what Randy had to say in his blog post:

Just incredible.

As long as the District Attorney has taken to make his decision, I’d begun to fear the worst, but now that it’s come to pass, I’m simply stunned.

Negligence, readily admitted, and yet no charges. How can this be seen as anything other than a gross miscarriage of justice?

In a Twitter post today, Randy referred to a story in The Coloradoan about Daniel Price, who hit and killed Fort Collins, Colo., cyclist Rebecca Allen with his car in July and pleaded guilty Friday to vehicular homicide under a plea agreement.

On the morning of July 22, Price's car hit Allen, 32, and cycling partner Jennifer Garvey, 36, near the intersection of West Drake Road and Moore Lane. Garvey was injured in the crash.

Price likely will receive eight years in prison, five years mandatory parole and two years of supervised probation under the stipulated sentence. Blood tests showed Price’s blood-alcohol limit was above the legal level for someone old enough to drink, which Price was not at the time of the accident.

By no means am I an expert on Kansas or Colorado traffic law, but I suspect the difference in the two cases was that Price was legally drunk, which frequently leads to a felony charge in fatal accidents.

Unfortunately, the Kansas accident sounds too familiar to the 2006 accident near Urbana, Ill., that killed cyclist Matt Wilhelm. The woman driving the car that killed him had been downloading a cell-phone ring tone at the time of the accident.

The woman wound up only being charged with a traffic offense, but Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz had the guts to explain her reasons for not filing a felony charge of reckless homicide in that case. She said current Illinois state statutes and current case law would not back up a stronger charge in that particular case.

To her credit, Rietz has attmpted to change the law in Illinois. She served on a task force led by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White that recommended the creation of a charge of negligent vehiclular homicide. Under the proposal, the offense would be classified as a Class 4 felony and will subject the individual to a jail sentence of 1 to 3 years, up to a $25,000 fine and revocation of driving privileges for no less than one year.

As cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, we in Illinois need to remind our legislators and Gov. Rod Blagojevich of the task force's findings and urge them to take action on them.

Labels: advocacy, fatal accidents, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:24 AM

Friday, October 10, 2008

SIUC hashes out bicycle safety

Bicycling safety's a concern at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the surrounding community, and a group is trying to address the issue.

Carbondale Conversations for Community Action coordinator Sarah Heyer hosted an hour-and-a-half long dialogue between local cyclists and police on Thursday at the SIUC campus. The goals is to make Carbondale streets safe for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, according to the Daily Egyptian, SIUC's student newspaper.

Three cyclists have been involved in motor vehicle accidents on the SIUC campus since January, An accident between a motor vehicle and cyclist also led to the death of an SIUC student in September 2001.

Most of the 30 participants agreed that using courtesy and common sense would go a long way to solve many of the safety concerns -- a position I've always held.

One of the participants said bike lanes in the Carbondale area often are unsafe for cyclists.Tire-flattening debris often settles in bike lanes, making them a hazard to cyclists, said Sandy Semrow, a member of the SIUC Triathlon Club who commutes from Murphysboro to Carbondale on her bicycle daily.

Several of the cyclists said they choose to ride in the road to encourage motorists to show them the same respect as another motor vehicle instead of crowding them into a hazardous bike lane.

SIUC Police Lt. Harold Tucker told the panel he distinguishes serious cyclists from casual, and oftentimes careless, ones by whether they wear helmets. Those who don't wear helmets are less likely to follow the rules of the road, he said.

"They're kind of compromising all the rules," Tucker said. "Basically they're saying, 'I just disregard all of that and I make up my own.'"

Generally, the tips in a graphic that accompany the story are sound, but not completely accurate. For example, a new Illinois law that went in effect Jan. 1 allows cyclists to extend their right hands outward to signal a right turn as well as raising the left hand.

The graphic also says 3 feet is a safe distance for passing a cyclist. That's true, but it's also the law in Illinois. That law also went into effect Jan. 1.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Illinois, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:13 AM

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Distracted Drivers Task Force Report

Earlier this month, the Illinois Distracted Drivers Task Force made its recommendations (PDF file) to curb accidents causes by distracted drivers, including cell phone users.

The task force was created, at least in part, because of the 2006 death of Urbana cyclist Matt Wilhelm, who was killed when he was struck by a car driven by a woman downloading a cell phone ring tone.

Legislators have been attempting to toughen distracted driving laws after Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz was unable to charge the driver with anything more than a traffic offense. Rietz had considered reckless homicide charges against the driver, but she determined that the offense did not fit the "willful and wanton" definition of reckless homicide as now defined by state law.

Here's a summary of the task force's recommendations:

• Making it unlawful for a driver to operate a motor vehicle while engaging in either creating, sending or reading a text message. The only exception to this law would be in the case of an emergency situation.
• Establishment of the offense of Negligent Vehicular Operation. This law would provide that a person commits the offense if the person’s negligent operation of a motor vehicle is the proximate cause of a crash (without inflicting bodily harm). A person acts negligently within the meaning of the provision if he or she fails to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or injury to others, and that failure constitutes a substantial deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise under the circumstances. First-time offenders would receive a standard, points assigned, moving violation ticket.
• Establishment of the offense of Aggravated Negligent Vehicular Operation. This law would provide that a person commits the offense if the person’s negligent operation of a motor vehicle is the proximate cause of a personal injury to an individual or property damage exceeds $500. A person acts negligently within the meaning of the provision if he fails to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or injury to others, and that failure constitutes a substantial deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise under the circumstances. This offense will be classified as a Class A misdemeanor and may be subject to a jail sentence of 0-12 months, up to a $2,500 fine and a one-year revocation of driving privileges.
• Establishment of the offense of Negligent Vehicular Homicide. This law would provide that a person commits the offense if the person’s negligent operation of a motor vehicle is the proximate cause of the death of another person. A person acts negligently within the meaning of the provision if he fails to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or injury to others, and that failure constitutes a substantial deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise under the circumstances. This offense will be classified as a Class 4 felony and will subject the individual to a jail sentence of 1 to 3 years, up to a $25,000 fine and revocation of driving privileges for no less than one year.
• House Joint Resolution 10 (HJR 10), currently under consideration by the Illinois General Assembly, requires that police reports include an indication as to whether an automobile crash involved the use of a cellular phone and directs the Illinois Department of Transportation to compile statistics from state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies related to cellular phone use and automobile crashes. The Distracted Drivers Task Force recommends the passage of HJR 10 and that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) publish crash statistics regarding the relationship between the use of cell phones and other methods of distracted driving and motor vehicle crashes for two calendar years (rather than one) based on the statistical analysis of this report. The Distracted Drivers Task Force further recommends that the statistics be compiled and reported by IDOT to the members of the Illinois General Assembly, the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Secretary of State within three months of the completion of the study. The study would be reviewed by the above entities in order to identify any trends, positive or negative, in consideration of further legislation regarding the use of cellular phones and the operation of a motor vehicle.

The recommendation of the new offenses did get some opposition from one member of the task force. Ed Maloney, representing the Illinois State Bar Association, was concerned about the definition of negligence being used by the task force. He simply wants the current Illinois reckless driving statute to be updated to include specific wording about the use of electronic devices, a stand the Chicago Tribune agreed with in a recent editorial.

I know there are some folks out there who think laws like these would be creating a "nanny state", but I'm of the mindset that people need to punished when they engage in careless driving that kills or injures another user of the roads, whether it be a cyclist, motorist or pedestrian.

Labels: advocacy, Illinois, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:44 AM

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Bicycle-motorist showdown in Colorado

The Belleville News-Democrat subscribes to the Washington Post-Los Angeles Times news service, and I happened to come across this Los Angeles Times article tonight about problems between cyclists and motorists in Larimer County, Colo.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

A lawman stopped two visitors on a quiet county road and warned them that their behavior wouldn't be tolerated in these parts.

Their transgression: riding their two-wheeled steeds side-by-side instead of falling into single file when an automobile approached.

"Don't let the sun set on your behind in my county" is how the cyclists heard the deputy's warning.

Or maybe he said, "If you stay in Dodge, be prepared to follow the rules or suffer the consequences," as the sheriff would later say.

Either way, they were fighting words that shook a fragile truce between Colorado motorists and bicyclists and raised anew the question of whether the two groups can coexist on the state's roads.

Some residents have grown weary of cyclists who fill the roads every weekend, said Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden.

"Don't you just love this time of year, when the birds, boats and cyclists come out? Well, two out of three ain't bad," Alderden said in his May 20 column on the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Web site.

As in most states -- including Illinois and Missouri -- Colorado law allows cyclists to ride two abreast, as long as they don't impede the normal flow of traffic.

In the May 20 column, Alderden wrote: "We have been receiving complaints about cyclists hogging the road in the southern part of the county so we have stepped up our presence. Not surprisingly, many of these cyclists cop an attitude when stopped. Also not surprising, many of the cyclists with attitudes are part of the Boulder cycling community."

Alderden's department interprets the law as saying cyclists should ride single file when a vehicle approaches. Bicycle advocates disagree.

It's OK for a car to drive around two cyclists, just as they might for a slow-moving farm vehicle, state Sen. Greg Brophy, the author of the Colorado law, told the Times. "I don't believe it's unreasonable for a car to come off cruise control," he said.

Given recent problems with jury verdicts, the attitudes of some motorists and vandalism that flattened tires in Iowa and Missouri, it looks like those of us who are bicycle advocates have a lot of work to do.

Labels: advocacy, Colorado, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 12:07 AM

Friday, July 25, 2008

More tackiness in bicycling

While the tacks that flattened hundreds of tires Wednesday on RAGBRAI got lots of ink because of the massive nature of the Iowa ride, a bicycle race near Columbia, Mo., also fell victim to vandals last week .

The Columbia Tribune reported this week that a dozen of the 50 participants in the Missouri Show-Me State Games bicycle race last Saturday. The flat tires took place on Route DD near Hatton in Callaway County.

"These are people in the state who want to go out and improve their health and get more into exercise," race organizer Raymond Sapp told the Tribune. "And then somebody comes out and tries to hurt them by throwing tacks in the road. It’s sad."

Unfortunately, these punks who threw the tacks in Missouri probably have no idea their actions could seriously injure someone. Let's hope these knuckleheads are stupid enough to brag about their tacky feat and someone reports it to law enforcement.

Labels: Missouri, racing, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:18 AM

Monday, July 21, 2008

Rules of the Road

Over the couple of weeks, I've been doing a lot of thinking about cyclists and their obligations to follow the rules of the road. One of the reasons why I do a lot of thinking about things like that is my role in leading one of the St. Louis area's largest group rides, the Tour de Stooges, and other smaller rides for the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society.

Here's what got me thinking:

• A post over on Gene Bisbee's BikingBis blog about the Cascade Bicycle Club issuing "traffic tickets" to participants on the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic on July 12-13.
• The riding habits of some cyclists on Tour de Donut in Staunton, Ill., on July 12.
• An article by Dean Schott of the League of Illinois Bicyclists about the recent rise in bicycle fatalities in the state.
• And, finally, an article at MSNBC titled "Deadly Tension on the Roads: Cars vs. Bikes."

Gene reported a while back that Cascade Bicycle Club Executive Director Chuck Ayers said one of the biggest complaints from motorists, staff and other cyclists during STP has been about participants who don't follow the rules of the road. To curb the problems, the club had patrols looking for cyclists disobeying the rules of the road and issuing $25 "tickets" with the money going to the group's education foundation.

"Those tickets don't carry the force of law, of course," Gene wrote. "They do imply, however, that your peers on the bike ride think you're riding like a jerk and you need to pay attention."

The Cascade Bicycle Club also has been pushing a "Single File Is Safer" program this year. The club contends riding single file ultimately is better for cyclists and motorists because it means cyclists don't have to go three or more abreast to pass slower riders and motorists can more easily pass a single-file line of cyclists than groups of two or more abreast.

That leads to what I saw on the Tour de Donut. The Tour de Donut is a unique situation because of the mass start. Cyclists receive a police escort through Staunton at the start of the race, but the problems become evident when they turn off Illinois Route 4 onto Renken Road toward Prairietown, the first donut stop.

Groups of three to five cyclists often take up the entire lane, forcing faster cyclists to cross the yellow line to get around them. Even when a slower cyclist is riding alone, he or she often takes the middle of the lane, making it difficult for people to pass him or her.

Before the start, I heard Boeing Employee's Bicycle Club President Dave Sweeney try to tell riders before the start of the ride that the roads beyond Staunton were not closed to motorists, but I don't know how many people actually heard him.

Most of the local motorists know about the Tour de Donut and adjust their driving with the realization there are going to be lots of cyclists on the road that day. Also, the club and its volunteers from the Staunton area do a great job of monitoring the key intersections. Still, I wonder if we can make things a bit safer for everyone by following the rules of the road and keeping in mind it is illegal to ride more than two abreast on nearly all Illinois roads.

That leads us to the recent League of Illinois Bicyclists article. Here how it starts out:

The headlines have not been good for bicyclists this spring in Illinois. The recent rash of bicycle fatalities has us all alarmed about our safety on the roads.

My words of advice for bicyclists are twofold: Obey the traffic laws and expect the unexpected from motorists.

Some of us consider stop signs and traffic lights nuisances which can be ignored. Besides it being the law, bicyclists should stop at signs so that they can see oncoming traffic and the traffic can see us before proceeding safely through an intersection. ...

When riding in groups, bicyclists should not ride three or more abreast, blocking traffic, which can fuel the road rage of motorists. In heavy traffic, cyclists should ride in single file to let motorists pass safely and avoid bottlenecks.

Finally, the MSNBC story talks about how bicycling has become a more popular mode of transportation because of high gasoline prices. Here's a brief excerpt from that story:

Experts welcome the trend for all of the reasons you might expect: Transportation planners like that fewer cars clog the nation’s highways. Environmental activists like that fewer tons of greenhouse emissions are pumped into the atmosphere every rush hour. Doctors like to see more people pedaling off more pounds. But in the months since motorists began pedaling in droves, it has become clear that all those cyclists on the streets pose a significant problem: all those cyclists on the streets.

“I believe it’s definitely going to cause some problems, because people don’t know how to share the road with cyclists,” said Kirk Hendricks, director of advocacy for the group Idaho Cycling Enthusiasts. “[Drivers] need to know that we have as much right as an automobile even though we’re not as big.”

But the article goes on to say that bicycle accidents are on the rise. For example, New Jersey reported 12 bicycle fatalities in all of 2007. So far this year, that state has had 11 bicycle deaths.

Pam Fischer, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, told MSNBC "in almost every case, the bicycle was doing something that put them at significant risk.”

As I've said before, and I'll say it again, cyclists and motorists share equal responsibility for knowing the rules of the road. Although I try to educate cyclists of the rules of the road on the Tour de Stooges map, I often wonder how I and the rest of the cycling community can do a better job of getting the word out.

For those of you who live in Illinois and Missouri, here's a couple of resources:

• League of Illinois Bicyclists' Illinois Bicycle Laws Card (PDF file)
• St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
  

Labels: advocacy, League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety, Tour de Donut

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:37 PM

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Driver acquitted in deaths of Kansas City-area cyclists

A Jackson County, Mo., jury deliberated for five hours before finding William K. Johnson not guilty of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of cyclists Larry Gaunt, 59, and Larry's grandaughter, Sierra Gaunt, 14, the Kansas City Star reported in today's editions.

On Aug. 6, Larry Gaunt was helping Sierra prepare for an MS-150 bike ride, a long-distance ride that benefits victims of multiple sclerosis. The two were cycling on Raytown Road nearing Harry Truman Drive when Johnson’s blue 1985 Chevrolet pickup slammed into their bikes, throwing them to the pavement. Larry Gaunt died at the scene. Sierra died at a hospital.

According to the Star's story, prosecutors considered Johnson's action reckless enough to be considered at tim. They pointed to police calculations that determined that Johnson was going at least 54 mph in a 45 mph zone. They called witnesses who testified that the road was flat, straight and dry. They continually went back to evidence that showed the left lane next to Johnson was completely clear.

A portion of the Star's account is particularly interesting:

That’s what baffled assistant prosecutor Traci Stansell. When Johnson took the witness stand Wednesday, he said he often drove that stretch of road. He knew cyclists frequented it, he said.

He was 960 feet — more than three football fields — away from the Gaunts when he first saw them. And more than 12 seconds passed before he caught up to them. Yet Johnson, a handyman who was taking his son to football practice, agreed that he never moved into the open left lane and never slowed down until slamming on his brakes right before the impact.

Just because Johnson did not move over, that did not make him a criminal, defense attorney Brian Greer argued.

“There is no law requiring operators of motor vehicles to switch lanes of a roadway when there is a vehicle on the shoulder except when that vehicle is law enforcement,” he told jurors.

Greer questioned much of the state’s evidence, especially calculations by police that determined Johnson was speeding. During closing arguments, the Star reported, he said the state took wrong measurements and failed to consider the truck’s weight when computing its minimum speed.

The jury forewoman told the Star that deliberations were divided at times, and that jurors discussed a lesser charge, but came to the unanimous decision on acquittal. When asked what they relied on to reach that decision, she said: “The evidence that we had.”

The Star's story has generated 11 pages of comments as of noon. Most are supportive of the Gaunts, but there are some anti-bike comments thrown in the mix.

The KCBike.Info blog had this to say about the verdict: "Many people will be shocked and upset at the verdict, but it’s important to remember that this case was brought to justice. Unlike most cases in this area, this particular motorist was actually charged with a felony and went to trial. Regardless of the outcome, just the fact that it went to trial is huge step forward for traffic justice in Kansas City."

This afternoon, the Missouri Bicycle Federation made a statement about the verdict on its Web site. It contains interesting comments from Ken Cobb, a lawyer and avid bicyclist who is active in the Johnson County (Kan.) Bicycle Club, including this one: "We don't know if any cyclists were on the jury. We also know that a certain percentage of people don't think that cyclists should be on streets in the first place, which may have been a factor in the jury room, too."

In an earlier post on the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's message board, MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh said: " I know many of you have been following this case. The verdict shows how far we have to go in Missouri to have a justice system that can address this type of issue."

Here's links to TV coverage of the verdict:

• KSHB-TV, Channel 41
• KCTV, Channel 5
• myfoxkc.com
  

Labels: advocacy, fatal accidents, Kansas City, Missouri, safety

Roger 2 comments links to this post 12:20 PM

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Tour de Belleville safety tips

For the third straight year, I offer these tips for those of you who are planning to do the Tour de Belleville tomorrow night. These tips can be put to use on other big nighttime rides such as the L.A.T.E. Ride this weekend in Chicago or the Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 16-17 in St. Louis:

Tips for newbies:

• If you're a slower rider, try to ride as far to the right as safely possible so faster riders can pass you. If you have to walk up a hill, walk your bike as far to the right as safely possible.
  
• Groups of cyclists should not take up the entire lane, again so other people can pass.
• If you plan to stop, be sure to give some type of warning. At a minimum, give a verbal warning such as "braking" or "stopping." It's also a good idea to give a hand signal by extending your left hand toward the ground. For a good illustration of that, download the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road (pdf file).
• If you're stopping for an extended period of time, pull off the road so other cyclists can pass safely.
• Use your gears. Most new cyclists tend to use a gear that's too big for them. Find a gear where you feel comfortable riding 60 to 90 pedal strokes a minute. When you approach a hill, you probably want to shift to a lower gear before you start climbing.
  
• Above all, ride at a pace that's comfortable for you. The Tour de Belleville is not a race, so don't get tempted to ride at a faster speed than you're used to just because you want to keep up with other people.

Tips for experienced riders:

• Be patient with the less experienced riders. Remember that you once were an inexperienced rider yourself.
• Ride defensively. When approaching a family with young children, give yourself plenty of room to get around them because you never know when someone will suddenly veer to the left or right.
• Use caution on hills. There's a good chance someone will try to climb a hill only to run out of gas and suddenly stop. Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver around them.
• Slow down. This is not the time for a 20-25 mph training ride and long pacelines. Events like the Tour de Belleville are meant for fun, so slow down and smell the roses.
• Be a good ambassador. The way you behave will influence whether a newcomer will stick with the sport.

Good luck, have fun and ride safe!

Labels: safety, Tour de Belleville, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 8:33 PM

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Belleville roadwork a danger for cyclists

Cyclist Larry Luecking wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in today's edition of the Belleville News-Democrat. In it, he complains about road conditions on West Boulevard in the eastern part of the city.

(In case you're wondering why West Boulevard is in east Belleville, the road is named after a gentleman named West.)

After a recent resurfacing of West Boulevard, the surface of the road is now much higher, but the grates were left at the old street level, making them hazardous as they were before the positioning of the grates were changed. "All it would take is one moment of forgetfulness for a cyclist to be severely injured," Larry wrote.

Larry says he's sure there's other streets in Belleville with similar problems.

I don't know if there similar problems, but there are problems in or near Belleville and I know there are more in the St. Louis area. If you know of any, leave a comment. I'll get the ball rolling with four of them, two on roads and two on paths:

• The northbound lane of State Street Road near Lake Forest Drive in Belleville. Cyclists who enter the curve after a nice downhill have to be wary of a meter cover that's a bit below the road surface. If you hit that just wrong and at speed, you could be headed for a spill.
• Simmons Road north of O'Fallon. A bridge between Kyle and Bethel School roads has seams that are parallel to the flow of traffic. If you get your road tire stuck in one of those cracks, you're bound for a nasty fall.
• MetroLink Trail at North Green Mount Road in Belleville. I fear this is a major accident waiting to happen. Cyclists are forced to cross an extremely busy road to get to the other side of the trail. The concern here is that a cyclist -- especially a child -- who misjudges oncoming motorists' speed could be struck.
• Richland Creek Greenway Trail at Second Street in Belleville. Squared-off and high curbs make it somewhat difficult to safely make a turn onto the trail from Second Street.
  

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:07 PM

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Bicycle helmets: Are they sexy?

Is wearing a bicycle helmet sexy? There are at least two groups that are convinced bicycle helmets are hot, and they're trying to tell the world.

The video above is from a troupe from Vancouver, British Columbia, called the B:C:Clettes, who are trying to promote cycling with "with style, attitude, and hopefully safety somewhere in the mix." Here's more from their Web site:

We are an all lady, bike inspired, street-performance collective. Our performances are a celebration of bikes and those who like to ride them.

The B:C:Clettes are a Biker Collective, Creating Love, Equality, and Toughness Through Engaging Spectacle!

We will not be defined by words alone; instead you will find us perpetually in motion, taking back the streets for revolutionary use as bicycle ways and dance floors. We’re revolutionary, yes, like our wheels.

Hot, tough, and shiny — like the sexy steeds we tame and ride. Pedal, pump, coast and fly: we ride in all weather. Swing, shimmy, strut, and jive: we dance in all weather. We weather all storms as a collective, together.

Bikes on the Drive in Vancouver provided red, shiny helmets to the B:C:Clettes, and they hope you'll wear a helmet, too.

The second group is The Safety is Sexy Campaign. Below is a sampling of the group's wares:



What is the mission of The Safety is Sexy Campaign? "To erase the stigma that wearing a helmet is dorky or uncool and to encourage the idea that wearing a helmet is attractive, cool and smart." You can get a free "You'd look hotter in a helmet" sticker through the group's Web site.

Sex appeal always has been a major part of advertising and marketing campaigns, so I guess it's only natural that sex appeal be used to promote bicycle helmets.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Canada, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 10:42 AM

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Helmets First!

One of the organizations you'll see next Sunday (June 1) if you attend The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride is a group called Helmets First!

Helmets First, based in Columbia, Ill., is an effort led by Dr. Joseph Cangas to encourage children to wear helmets while riding bicycles. Helmets First will be giving helmets to the first 50 children ages 5-12 who sign up for the Gerry Frierdich benefit.

The mission of the group is simple: "To promote the safety of children by providing helmets and helmet education, as well as rewarding those who wear a helmet, so that they may grow to be healthy, productive members of society."

According to the group's Web site, it has given more than 2,500 helmets to children and provided bicycle helmet education to more than 4,000 children. With the help of police departments in Columbia, Waterloo and Salem, the group also rewards children who wear helmets.

Helmets First also will be giving away 250 helmets at the grand opening of the McKinley Bridge bikeway on June 1. The McKinley Bridge bikeway will connect the Riverfront Trail in St. Louis with the Confluence Trail in Madison County, Ill.

The group is willing to provide free or discounted helmets for youth organizations, and it's also seeking donations and sponsorships so it can continue to provide helmets. It sounds like a worthy cause to me, so go check it out.

Labels: bicycling, children, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:18 PM

Saturday, May 17, 2008

O'Fallon, Ill., alderwoman hit with can while bicycling

O’Fallon, Ill., Alderwoman Mary Schmidt was cycling with her husband and a friend May 8 on Witte Road north of the city, when someone in a passing truck threw an unopened beer can at Schmidt, striking her in the arm, the O'Fallon Progress newspaper reported.

“A truck came up along side of us going about 60 mph, we figure, and maybe a foot away from us, and I think they underhanded a beer can at us,” Schmidt told the Progress.

Schmidt told the Progress after the can hit her the cyclists flagged down a passing motorist who caught up to the truck and got the license plate number. Schmidt also called the police. She said she got another look at the white Dodge “king cab” when it drove by a second time as Schmidt was on the phone with police.

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department is investigating the case.

Mary Schmidt is the wife of Steve Schmidt, one of the key members of the Metro East Cycling club. MEC will be holding its first-ever O'Fallon Grand Prix on May 31. Let's hope the driver of the white truck is nowhere to be found that day -- and preferably behind bars.

Labels: bicycles, Illinois, safety

Roger 3 comments links to this post 1:14 PM

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Missouri gets a D in cycling

On Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about the Missouri Bicycle Federation's recent report, "Bicycling and Walking in Missouri -- A Report Card" (PDF file).

"The overall grade for Missouri's walking and bicycling environment for 2007 was a D," Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh said in a recent post on MoBikeFed's Web site. "We are quite frankly behind most other states in accommodating for safe walking and bicycling. With gas prices near $3.50 a gallon and rising, it's hitting us right in the pocketbook."

The Post-Dispatch quoted a St. Louis-area cyclist who thought the area deserved a grade of C+. I would have to agree that the St. Louis area has a better cycling environment than the rest of the state, but that's not saying much.

Here's a couple of areas of concern MoBikeFed cited:

• MoDOT stops meetings of Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee for over 18 months; essentially shuts down bicycle/pedestrian program for most of the year; fires bicycle/pedestrian coordinator; halts Missouri Complete Streets bill; over 95% of MoBikeFed supporters disapprove of MoDOT's handling of bicycling and walking.
• Numerous important transportation projects statewide continue to move forward without needed bicycle and/or pedestrian accommodations or with facilities that do not meet ADA requirements--including Hanley Rd in St. Louis County, Hwy 45 in Parkville, and Hwy 150 in the Kansas City area, and many others.

Having done the former Cycle Across Missouri Parks ride twice in the 1990s and having been a volunteer/rider on last year's Cycle Across Missouri, I can say that part of the problem is the quality of the roads themselves. Once you get out of the state's metropolitan areas, the roads often are barely safe for motor vehicles, let alone for cyclists.

The roads often are in poor shape with potholes, cracks and crumbling pavement. In rural areas, there often are no shoulders whatsoever, not even an extra foot or two that would make a big difference for cyclists.

Last year, I rode on Highway 116 in northwest Missouri. The road had no shoulder and plenty of fast traffic. On top of that, motorists were not particularly accommodating of me or other cyclists, and I was forced to bail onto the grass once because of that. I was happy to get off that road, except that turning onto U.S. 63 toward Lawson was even less fun. Not only was it narrower than Highway 116, the edge of the road was in extremely poor shape. I didn't have to bail off that road, but I sure was saying plenty of prayers!

Early on CAM last year, cyclists were forced to ride on U.S. 136 toward Bethany. I was glad I was supporting the ride instead of riding that day. Again, there was no shoulder on much of U.S. 136, and cyclists weren't happy about that or the refusal of some motorists to give sufficient space to pass them.

Part of the problem in rural Missouri that there are few options besides the busy roads. Many of the country roads are dirt and gravel roads totally unsuitable for cycling (unless you own a mountain bike). Illinois has its share of country roads, but at least a great number of roads have oil-and-chip surfaces, making them viable alternatives to the busier highways.

While I would agree that the Missouri Department of Transportation is behind the times when it comes to maintaining road, I also would add that they are hindered by a lack of revenue. Missourians enjoy some of the lowest gasoline taxes in the country, but I would argue that the quality of Missouri roads is a case of you get what you pay for.

I can only base this on anecdotal evidence, but many motorists in Missouri have the attitude that bicycles only belong on the Katy Trail, not on the state's highways.

Clearly, Missouri has a long ways to go to become a truly bike-friendly state, but at least MoBikeFed saw signs of hope: the successful 2007 Tour of Missouri bicycle race, the addition of more miles to the Bike St. Louis system and new connections to the Katy Trail.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Missouri, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 8:49 AM

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Driver hits bicyclist with gun

A Columbia, Mo., man was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of hitting another man in the head with a gun after an apparent traffic dispute, the Columbia Tribune reports.

Nuvan F. Brown, 25, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault and armed criminal action, police said.

A 34-year-old cyclist told police he was riding his bicycle eastbound on Walnut Street between Second and First streets when a van pulled in front of the bicycle, and the victim told police he had to brake quickly to avoid hitting the vehicle. He said he slapped the back window of the van "to let the driver know he was there," according to a Columbia police news release.

The van then drove through the parking lot and cut the man off again on Second Street near Walnut, police said. Brown got out of the van, hit the victim in the head with a handgun and threatened to kill him, police said.

Brown is back on the streets after posting bond.

Labels: Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:38 AM

Saturday, April 12, 2008

On the legislative front

Advocacy groups in Missouri and Illinois have been busy trying to push bicycle-friendly bills through their respective legislatures. Here's a rundown of the activity:

Missouri

The Missouri Bicycle Federation has been pushing a Complete Streets bill. The Missouri House passed the bill overwhelmingly, but it hit a snag in the Senate.

MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh reports that Missouri Department of Transportation Pete Rahn has voiced his opposition to the bill. Here's an excerpt from the group's blog:

"Although MoDOT's research group had returned a fiscal note indicating the impact of the bill on MoDOT's budget would be $0, Rahn apparently became concerned that the bill would require MoDOT to pay more attention to the needs and safety of bicyclists and pedestrians than it wishes to. The agency could face real consequences for failure to safely accommodate for pedestrians, bicyclists, and people with disabilities, where now it faces none."

Rahn told the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Sutherland, that MoDOT would implement what's needed so that the bill isn't needed. MoBikeFed is skeptical. "In great degree thanks to MoDOT policy, Missourians bicycle at less than half the national average," the organization contends.

Here's some other initiatives MoBikeFed is pushing:

DEAD RED FOR BICYCLES AND SAFE PASSING OF BICYCLES PROVISIONS PASS MISSOURI SENATE: SB 761, sponsored by Senator Bill Stouffer, was debated and passed the Missouri Senate on March 26.

The bill includes two important provisions for bicyclists: safe passing (allows cars to pass bicyclists safely even in solid yellow lined "no passing zones") and dead red (allows bicyclists to proceed through a red traffic signal when it is malfunctioning and will not change).

http://mobikefed.org/2008/03/dead-red-for-bicycles-and-safe-passing.php

SAFE STREETS BILL HAS HEARING IN MISSOURI HOUSE; FAMILIES TESTIFY: The "Safe Streets" bill with enhanced penalties for those who injure or kill while driving, had a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on March 26.

Brad Gaunt, son of Larry Gaunt and uncle of Sierra Gaunt, who were killed last summer while bicycling in the Kansas City area, testified about the family's response to that tragedy and the difficulties they have faced in working with the prosecutor's office to get appropriate prosecution in that case.

http://mobikefed.org/2008/03/safe-streets-bill-has-hearing-in.php

BILL INTRODUCED TO ALLOW MISSOURI COUNTIES TO FUND BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES: A bill to allow certain counties to create a county sales tax to fund bicycle and pedestrian facilities has been introduced in the Missouri legislature.

A group of parks officials has worked hard to create and advance this bill. Since it is in MoBikeFed's current Legislative Platform it allows us to come in strongly in support of the bill.

http://mobikefed.org/2008/04/bill-introduced-to-allow-missouri.php

Illinois

The League of Illinois Bicyclists and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation are pushing legislation that would create the offense of infliction of serious physical injury or death to a vulnerable user of a public way. Vulnerable users include bicyclists, pedestrians and highway workers.

Under the bill, a person convicted of operating a vehicle upon a highway in a careless or reckless manner and causing serious physical injury or death to a vulnerable user of a public way would face a minimum $12,500 fine and possible suspension of driving privileges. The offense would be a Class A misdemeanor.

The House and Senate versions of the bill are awaiting action by the full chambers. An amendment also has been proposed in the Senate bill that would add motorcyclists to the list of vulnerable members.

Meanwhile, a task force is continuing its look into creating a negligent vehicular homicide law. The task force is required to issue its report to the General Assembly by July 1. That task force was prompted by the 2006 death of Matt Wilhelm, who was killed by a car driven by a woman downloading a cell phone ring tone in Urbana.

TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS AND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL: Both LIB and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation say problematic funding practices at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) have hindered the creation of safe places for adults and children to walk and bicycle in Illinois. IDOT distributes funds to two key efforts that promote safety and active transportation: bicycle trails and Safe Routes to School, a movement to encourage and enable children to safely walk and bike to school.

The legislation would hold the state more accountable for these funds by requiring that the selection committee’s project criteria and rankings are publicly reported, funding decisions are based solely on project ranking, funding decisions are promptly announced, and public and local government representatives are added to existing selection committees. It would ensure a more predictable and more public funding process, which will encourage more communities and municipalities to take advantage of the funds available to them.

Both the House and Senate unanimously passed their versions of the legislation, and the bills await votes in the opposite chambers.

Labels: advocacy, Illinois, Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:36 AM

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Do bicycle helmets do more harm than good?

A new study to be published Friday in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia suggest that bicycle helmets are "detrimental to public health in Australia."

The Australian newspaper reported in its Friday edition that bicycle helmets may in fact increase the risk of serious injury - and laws requiring their use Australia-wide have compounded the problem by deterring people from cycling altogether.

"Experimental studies have shown that in some circumstances, wearing a helmet can increase the rotation of the head (on impact), and that increases angular acceleration of the brain - which is the most damaging factor in brain injury," suggests the study, written by Bill Curnow, president of the Canberra-based Cyclists Rights Action Group.

Curnow's study also suggests that participation in cycling dropped by 50 percent in the two years after the helmet requirement went into effect in Australian jurisdictions.

Not surprisingly, other Australian groups reject those findings. Bicycle Federation of Australia Executive Director Peter Strang said, "We don't accept the view that helmets cause more injuries than they prevent."

My two accidents that landed me in hospital emergency rooms have me convinced that my helmet prevented more serious head injuries. Also, nearly 20 years ago, I saw one of my cycling buddies crash while going down a steep downhill near Elsah, Ill. Despite hitting the rocky side of the road, my buddy escaped with only a minor brain concussion.

I don't know about you, but I'm keeping my helmet on.

Labels: cycling, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:14 PM

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Cyclists see green -- and they're furious!

In the wake of the green bike boxes in Portland, Ore., here's an item I recently ran across from Great Britain:

Cyclists furious as council paint
everything else luminous green

Cyclists in Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire, UK) have reacted angrily to a decision by town planners to make buildings, trees, street furniture and the road itself much easier to see by painting them all luminous green. The decision follows a number of near misses where pedestrians almost bumped into street furniture or large buildings and then threatened to sue the council on the grounds that they should be more clearly marked. ...

But local cyclists are furious at the plan that has made them the same colour as their immediate surroundings. "We’ve all spent a fortune on these luminous jackets, trousers and cycle clips" said local cyclist Mark Randle. "Suddenly our hi-visibility cycling gear has turned into the most effective camouflage available. Now we’re completely invisible." Read more ...

A tip of the hat to St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation forum letting me know about this development.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, safety, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:21 PM

Monday, March 31, 2008

Bike box and bike lane videos

For your viewing pleasure, here's some videos about bike lanes. The first two are about bike boxes, which are meant to provide a spot for cyclists to stop and make turns at busy intersections.

The first is a video produced for the city of Portland, Ore., in an effort to explain the recently installed bike boxes in that city:



The second shows some bike boxes in New York City:



I haven't decided what I think about bike boxes, but John S. Allen, the author of "Bicycling Street Smarts" takes a look at them here: http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/stopline.htm. Allen does have some concerns about the safety of bike boxes, and he cites some studies to back up his concerns.

The final video comes from Los Angeles, where Slate V Editor Andy Bowers describes "the stupidest bike lane in America":



I hope you enjoyed today's triple feature!

Labels: advocacy, bike boxes, bike lanes, cycling, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:29 PM

Saturday, March 22, 2008

"Russian roulette" in Indianapolis

After more than 200 accidents and four deaths involving cyclists and motorists in the Indianapolis area last year, the Indianapolis Star reports local cycling advocates are hoping education and respect will go a long way to a safer 2008.

"It's intimidating as a cyclist," said Jonathan Juillerat, general manager of Nebo Ridge Bicycles in Carmel. "Riding city streets sometimes feels like Russian roulette, so I made a conscious decision not to ride as much because of that. Eventually, I feel like my number will be up because motorists aren't paying attention."

Nancy Tibbett -- president of the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, best known for putting on the Hilly Hundred and N.I.T.E. Ride each year -- told the Star that Indiana has a long way to go before being thought of as a bicycle-friendly state. She also said most roads in the Indianapolis area aren't designed for motorists and cyclists to co-exist.

She did note that progress is being made on bike lanes and bike routes in the region. Until then, she suggest that motorists and cyclists can share the roads if they traffic laws.

The Indiana Bicycle Coalition is attempting to educate cyclists and motorists about their rights and obligations. The coalition has published brochures urging cyclists and motorists to share the road and to follow the rules of the road.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Indiana, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:46 PM