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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060122/NEWS08/601220341/-1/NEWS

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Article published January 22, 2006

 

Cyclist's death spurs reflections on safety

Officials remind drivers and riders to heed rules of the road

 

By JENNIFER FEEHAN

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Like many avid bicyclists, George Haig enjoys riding on State Rt. 65 because it offers so much of what most northwest Ohio roads lack: hills and curves, a smooth surface, few stop signs, and a tree-lined view of the Maumee River.

 

Mr. Haig and fellow cyclists Dr. Stephen Snedden and Dr. Mike Blake were on Route 65 just a half-mile from Mr. Haig's Perrysburg home last Sunday when the tranquility of their well-known route was shattered by a sport utility vehicle that struck and killed Dr. Snedden, 47, and seriously injured Mr. Haig, 49.

 

More at above link:

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  • Boomerang_Brian
    Boomerang_Brian

    This is a terrible policy. The reason cars have to stop at red lights is because a driver can kill other people with their car if they don’t stop. The only person a biker is truly putting at risk by r

  • Boomerang_Brian
    Boomerang_Brian

    When people complain about cyclists not following driving laws (e.g. not stopping at stop signs), it’s very important to keep in mind that driving laws are designed for the dangers created by cars. Bi

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Ach, a great story to read right after deciding to take up cycling...

  • 2 months later...

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/NEWS11/60322055/-1/NEWS

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Article published March 22, 2006

 

Bike signs installed on Rt. 65

ODOT pushes cycling safety

 

By JENNIFER FEEHAN

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

Responding to concerns about bicycle safety along State Rt. 65, the Ohio Department of Transportation has broken with past practice and installed four “share the road” signs along the popular cycling route between Perrysburg and Grand Rapids.

 

The fluorescent yellow-green signs that depict a bicycle went up after a number of inquiries ODOT received in the wake of the Jan. 15 crash that killed Dr. Stephen Snedden. He was riding his bicycle with two other experienced cyclists when he was struck from behind by a sport utility vehicle.

 

More at above link:

  • 3 months later...

Looks like China's learning the lesson faster than we were able to....

 

China backs bikes to kick car habit

 

Jonathan Watts in Shanghai

Thursday June 15, 2006

 

Guardian

 

Having spent the past decade pursuing a transport policy of four wheels rich, two wheels poor, the Chinese government has suddenly rediscovered the environmental and health benefits of the bicycle.

The construction ministry announced on Thursday that any bike lanes that have been narrowed or destroyed to make way for cars in recent years must be returned to their original glory. This followed orders on Tuesday that all civil servants should cycle to work or take public transport to reduce the smog that chokes most city streets and urban lungs.

 

Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1798536,00.html

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

China's authoritarian government might be able to make it happen, to some degree.

 

A government chosen in a popularity contest administered by the greedy and pandering to the the short-sighted, selfish and ignorant wouldn't be inclined to try it or able to accomplish it. (I guess that applies to almost all needed social reforms  :-) )

 

As much as I love bikes and riding them, it will take more than bike lanes to get me to emigrate to China.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMUTER RAIL BIKE COACH:

 

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas today announced the first ever commuter rail coach equipped with 40 stationary bike racks. Renovated to accommodate the many bike enthusiasts who travel on the Gloucester commuter rail line throughout the summer, the new coach will debut July 2nd during the “Ride To The Races” 47th Annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. MBTA General Manager Grabauskas directed his staff to schedule an extra passenger train after organizers of the Longsjo Classic approached the MBTA. The passenger train includes a new renovated bike coach that accommodates 42 customers and 40 bicycles. “The timing is perfect. With the bike car ready to roll, it only makes sense to debut it for a cycling event,” said MBTA General Manager Grabauskas. “By giving people yet another reason to choose public transportation, we continue our efforts to attract more customers by making the system easier to use and a lot more convenient. This is what quality customer service is all about.” On Sunday, July 2nd, an extra train to accommodate cyclists participating in the South Acton to Fitchburg race will depart from North Station at 10:50 a.m. arriving in South Acton at 11:45 a.m. The train will make all stops between North Station and South Acton. The train will then continue express to Fitchburg arriving at 12:20 p.m. For customers returning to North Station, a train will depart Fitchburg at 7:15 p.m., make all stops and arrive North Station at 8:40 p.m. On Saturday, July 8th, the bike coach will be introduced on the Gloucester commuter rail line. (MBTA - posted 6/23/06)

http://railpace.com/hotnews/

That's a refreshing change of pace for commuter rail. There's been increasing support for cyclists on city transit systems, both in the addition of bike racks to transit buses and in the acceptance of a limit number of bikes on light & heavy rail during off-peak periods, but the commuter rail systems have shown entrenched resistance.

 

I suppose part of the reason has been capacity. The South Shore trains running east from Chicago tend to be packed at any time of day, because they ration equipment for maintenance purposes during off-peak periods; off-peak trains may be only one married pair, and eastbound they fill up after Van Buren or Roosevelt.

 

Another issue might be boarding congestion. Whereas many urban light and heavy rail systems have level-platform boarding, commuter rail often uses low-level platforms at suburban stations, and carrying bikes up and down the steps, around tight corners and though narrow doorways could slow boarding and detraining and create potential liability risks from boarding/detraining injuries.

 

I would love to be able to take my bike with me to Chicago on the South Shore. Unfortunately, "Bicycles are Prohibited (except if disassembled and carried on board in a bag or container expressly designed for such purposes and stowed in the overhead luggage rack)."

 

Discussion of the topic reminds me of a demonstration in New York quite a few years ago where a group of bicycle advocates boarded a subway carrying an extension ladder and large pieces of furniture, each carried by two people, and were not challenged. When one of the group tried to take a bicycle onto the platform, he was threatened with arrest if he persisted.

Discussion of the topic reminds me of a demonstration in New York quite a few years ago where a group of bicycle advocates boarded a subway carrying an extension ladder and large pieces of furniture, each carried by two people, and were not challenged. When one of the group tried to take a bicycle onto the platform, he was threatened with arrest if he persisted.

 

I love demonstrations like that. It reveals what happens when group-think, bureaucracy, unchecked momentum, and institutionalized stupidity immunizes us from rational thought.

 

An option you and others might consider for taking bikes on transit is the folding bike. Here are some examples:

 

http://www.dahon.com/

 

http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk

 

http://www.xootr.com/xootr/swift/bikes.shtml?gclid=CNySi-Cd34UCFSyVFQodwFSwVg

 

And here's a whole bunch of different bikes, including accessories such as carrying bags for your bike:

 

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/section.php?xSec=10

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

I hadn't looked at Dahon in quite some time; they've come a long way from the tiny-wheeled bikes that weren't quite big enough for me. I'm not all that tall (5'10"), but I'm long-legged for my height and I ride a 24" or 25" frame in a road bike. I couldn't feature tackling significant distances in traffic or on busy paths on one.

 

The 20-inch wheels and somewhat larger frame size, along with the backpack carrying bag, make Dahon sound like serious portable urban transportation. With the price tag ($500+) I'll have to think about it for a while, though.

  • 2 weeks later...

Delaware blazes trails for bikes

‘Visionary’ project is response to needs of growing population, city officials say

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Jane Hawes

FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

DELAWARE, Ohio — Not too long ago, oak and sycamore trees grew on a 15-foot hill along a train line.

 

Today, it’s a broad, sloping plain of clay-heavy dirt where bulldozers roam and dozens of concrete pipes rest. And by the end of the year, Delaware officials hope, the scene will have changed again, to one that is filled with bicycles and joggers.

 

Full story: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/08/20060708-B1-03.html

So what are they planning to do (concerning the old CSX track) at Henry St?  They already took out the old one lane overpass last year.  Grade it for an intersection?

Grade it for an intersection?

That's what I recall hearing at one point or other.

I tell you what.... biking across that high-iron trestle ought to be a blast.  Can't wait for this trail to be done.  Delaware and the area around it are naturals for some good bike trails. 

 

What would really be great would be if they would consider making a trail out of the old Columbus-Delaware & Marion interurban line between Delaware, Prospect and Marion.  Much of the old ROW (right-of-way) is still there and paralells the highway along the Scioto River, and it's a fairly scenic ride.

  • 1 month later...

Cyclists: Soon, uniform rules to rule the roadways in Ohio

Kaye Spector

(Cleveland) Plain Dealer

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

 

Bicycling will soon be less confusing - and, advocates say, safer - when changes to several state laws go into effect Sept. 21.

 

Ohio cycling laws will conform more closely with those governing motorists across the state ...

 

... More at http://www.cleveland.com/ohio/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/115692681699050.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

 

 

And the bikes shall inherit the Earth...

 

Yay!

  • 3 weeks later...

Article published September 20, 2006

 

Groups applaud Ohio law standardizing bicycle rules

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

An Ohio law that standardizes traffic rules for bicyclists statewide and forbids municipalities from banishing bicycles to sidewalks or trails takes effect tomorrow, ending what cycling organizations say was an often conflicting patchwork of local regulations.

 

Full story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060920/NEWS11/609200415

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

  • 4 months later...

I wish Columbus were a lot more serious about making the city more bike-friendly. There are plenty of examples right here in the states to look at for improvements.

 

How bike-friendly cities got that way

 

Sunday, May 18, 2003

 

By Tatyana Margolin

 

San Francisco

 

San Francisco has the highest quality of life in the United States, according to a survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. It also is consistently ranked by Bicycling Magazine as a top city for cycling.

 

Full Story: http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20030518bikesidelifestyle6p6.asp

I wish Columbus were a lot more serious about making the city more bike-friendly. There are plenty of examples right here in the states to look at for improvements.

 

How bike-friendly cities got that way

 

"There is less congestion [and] traffic, and there are no vast parking lots," said Jen Fox of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, who lived in Portland for a year and a half before moving back to Pittsburgh. "Portland is a role model."

 

Pittsburgh isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to being bike-friendly.

 

I may have related this story about San Francisco before; we old folks are allowed to repeat ourselves, though, so cut me some slack.

 

In the late seventies in San Francisco, I rode my bike to the parking lot at the top of Twin Peaks and then coasted all the way to the Ferry Terminal without pedaling. I had to time my approach to some stoplights to avoid stopping, but made the whole distance without turning the pedals or putting my feet on the ground. I'm not sure of the distance any more, but I think it was a few miles.

I owe you guys a link on this, but there was a story in last week's Baton Rouge paper about plans for a bicycle trail from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, on top of the Mississippi levee (providing that we still have faith in the Corp of Engineers work)

Discussion of the topic reminds me of a demonstration in New York quite a few years ago where a group of bicycle advocates boarded a subway carrying an extension ladder and large pieces of furniture, each carried by two people, and were not challenged. When one of the group tried to take a bicycle onto the platform, he was threatened with arrest if he persisted.

 

This almost sounds like something related to Critical Mass, though CM are more mass bike rides than smallish actions like that

 

Critical Mass

 

and the Bay Area CM site (the "movement" got its start in SF)

 

Critical Mass History

 

....looking at the last site one can see the alternative culture/activist impetus behind the concept.

I really don't think bike trails help at all; I mean, if you have to get off and walk your bike across the intersection at every intersection (as required by law), thats not really drawing too many riders. Mason (Cincinnati) has bike trails almost everywhere... and who uses them? joggers, if not nobody... West Chester (on Cox rd.) has a bike lane, but nobody uses it (it's not a system - its just an isolated stretch). What they really need are bike lanes on every major road; then people might start using them.

 

-They also need sidewalks... in the 4 miles from my house to my school, theres only about 1.5 miles of paved walking surfaces

^It sounds like you live in a sprawling suburb.  Sidewalks might cut car trips by 1-2%.  Almost everything is outside the .25mi radius people will actually walk, the streetscape isn't interesting enough to keep people walking, and there probably isn't any public transportation with less than a 12-15 minute headway that could act as a pedestrian accelerator.  I suggest you move.  You can't reverse engineer the suburbs to be accessable with anything else aside from cars.

1. Mason  :-(

2. I'd walk, but only because i can't drive yet

3. The nearest bus is the West Chester Express at hwy 75... about 10 miles away

4. I can't move... see #2

sorry about that.  I was once a prisoner in a sea of hundreds of quarter acre lots.  take my advice, go to college in a city, a real one. 

 

parents try to do their best for their children by shielding them from the dangers that the evening news prattles on about, but they fail to realize that the suburbs don't work for the young, old, disabled or poor. 

 

Children who grow up without diversity, art, culture, spontaneity end up unable or unwilling to question most things.  They are like fish in a suburban sea that assume the benefits of the suburbs (low crime, nice schools) are due to the physical layout of the neighborhood and not the composition or demographics of the people there.  If you put all the rich people in any type of living arangement there will be low crime and nice school, if you put an exclusively group of poor people in suburban housing, the quarter acre of mowing each week won't change the economic realities of accidition and lack of opportunity.

 

I sympathize with your situation, best of luck

I really don't think bike trails help at all;

Mason (Cincinnati) has bike trails almost everywhere... and who uses them? joggers, if not nobody... West Chester (on Cox rd.) has a bike lane, but nobody uses it (it's not a system - its just an isolated stretch). What they really need are bike lanes on every major road; then people might start using them.

I fairly agree with you.

I do not drive. I seldom ride recreationally. I am not a fan of bike lanes as they tend to give motorists (cage pilots ?) the idea that those are the only places bikes should be allowed.

Electrically-assisted bicycles are a good possibility.  Bionx has a conversion-kit for a regular bicycle.  There are electric-assist bicycles available from dealers of Giant Bicycle Co.  I rode a Bionx conversion briefly, once.  It seems like good technology.

www.bionx.ca

  • 2 weeks later...

Transportation diversity video, mostly about bikes, from Portland...

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

We should start a "what are you pedaling?" thread on UrbanOhio.  I have a project bike going in the basement that I cannot wait to talk about.

  • 2 weeks later...

We should start a "what are you pedaling?" thread on UrbanOhio.  I have a project bike going in the basement that I cannot wait to talk about.

Go for it

My bike is a piece of crap off the shelf but I can start it if you want.

Lots of links here on bike lanes.

 

Bike Lanes: Pros & Cons

 

http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/bikelanes.html

 

Yeah, there's quite a debate in the bike community over the validity of bike lanes. A lot of cyclists like are very hardcore vehicular cyclists where they want to ride in traffic like everyone else. Personally, I like bike lanes in suburban, rural areas where traffic is going fast, but I "take the lane" in more narrow, urban areas, such as on Detroit in Lakewood.

I shudder when I see people riding bikes on the street past my house. It's a one-way arterial going out of town that's posted 35mph, but where typical speeds are 40-50mph and drivers are competitive and aggressive. There's a quiet residential street that runs parallel just a block away, and that leads to a paved greenway path that continues on westward a couple of miles. 

 

The people that I see doing it usually aren't hard-core cyclists. More likely they're dorks who lost their licenses because of DUI, or beat their old junkers to death and couldn't get them fixed. Sometimes they're smoking a cigarette as they grind away with chattering misaligned derailleurs and half-flat tires. I guess it's just natural selection at work. :roll:

We should start a "what are you pedaling?" thread on UrbanOhio. 

I can start it if you want.

This sounds like a thread for the UrbanBar, doesn't it?

I Wasn't sure.

:-)

That or Transportation.

I Wasn't sure.

:-)

That or Transportation.

The mods can only move it if it's wrong.  You could put it somewhere daff and then you will be sure it will end up in the right place. 
  • 3 weeks later...

Paris Embraces Plan to Become City of Bikes

 

By John Ward Anderson

Washington Post Foreign Service

Saturday, March 24, 2007; A10

 

PARIS, March 23 -- Paris is for lovers -- lovers of food and art and wine, lovers of the romantic sort and, starting this summer, lovers of bicycles.

 

On July 15, the day after Bastille Day, Parisians will wake up to discover thousands of low-cost rental bikes at hundreds of high-tech bicycle stations scattered throughout the city, an ambitious program to cut traffic, reduce pollution, improve parking and enhance the city's image as a greener, quieter, more relaxed place.

 

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301753.html

 

I'd like to see those in more cities, especially in the U.S.

 

I seem to recall that Madison, Wisconsin had a free white bike program in the 1970s. Does the program still exist?

(begins intensive study of french)

  • 3 weeks later...

Neal Peirce / Syndicated columnist

Pedal pushers making headway

Seattle Times

 

Are we ready to go bicycling? Could these times of climate change, gas-price inflation and bulging waistlines be prepping us for new waves of weekend biking adventures? Maybe even to leave cars parked and cycle to work daily?

 

Full Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003667576_peirce16.html

Noozer, great article, very inspiring.

 

I wonder what it will take to move Cleveland in this direction?  Although Cleveland does not have the climate of Louisville, I wonder what is possible here?  I will pass this article along to Marty Cader, head of the City's Bicycle Planning initiatives and also the one responsible for getting bicycles and related infrastructure into the City's Capital Budget. 

 

I like that the article focuses on transportation cycling and that it relates cycling to petroleum displacement.

FYI - This year's EarthFest celebration at the zoo will feature a velomobile from German Manufacturer Go-One, a true answer to all season cycling > http://www.go-one.us

 

Last, I wonder if Louisville's increased emphasis on 'complete streets' has anything to do with their recent regional approach to City/County Govt, which I believe occurred around 2000.

Campus pedestrians: Be alert

N. High stretch is tops for accidents, MORPC study finds

Monday,  April 23, 2007 3:33 AM

By Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Pedestrians chat on cell phones or listen to iPods as they cross N. High Street at 15th Avenue, the gateway to Ohio State University.

 

Full story: http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/23/PEDXING.ART_ART_04-23-07_B1_RE6FE2P.html

 

******************************

 

Bicyclists, businesses finding ways to co-exist amid traffic congestion

Business First of Columbus - April 20, 2007by Kevin KemperBusiness First

Janet Adams | Business First

 

The managing partner of Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP in Columbus doesn't dislike cars, he just thinks it's ridiculous that it takes "a 3,000-pound steel box" and a tank of gasoline to get one person to and from work.

 

Full story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/23/story16.html 

 

Article published April 24, 2007

 

State Senator Fedor finishes long bike ride that peddled phys ed class

 

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

COLUMBUS - With a dark purple bruise below one knee as proof, Senate Democratic leader Teresa Fedor yesterday rode her bicycle to the steps of the Ohio Statehouse after completing a 150-mile trek from Toledo to draw attention to physical education in schools.

 

Full story: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS24/704240387/-1/NEWS

  • 2 weeks later...

Bicycle Center uses grant to connect with kids

By GISELLE GOODMAN, Portland Press Herald Writer

Thursday, May 3, 2007

 

A $3,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation is good news for the Community Bicycle Center in Biddeford. The money takes the center one step closer to becoming a viable, self-supporting organization.

 

Full story: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/0705032nd.html

SUBJECT:  Council Passes “Complete Streets” Law FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

4/30/2007  3:50:00 PM FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Krista Bunch, Drago Office, (206) 684-8801

George Howland, Jr.  (206) 684-8159

Councilmember Jan Drago

 

 

SEATTLE COUNCIL PASSES “COMPLETE STREETS” LAW

The City will have new principles for street design

 

SEATTLE- The Council, today, unanimously passed a “Complete Streets” ordinance that establishes new principals for street design. Councilmember Jan Drago, chair of the Transportation Committee, said, “‘Complete Streets’ support and encourage walking, bicycling, and transit use while promoting safe operations for all users.” Components of the “Complete Streets” design include street and sidewalk lighting, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements, public transit facilities accommodation, street trees, and more. With the passage of “Bridging the Gap,” a 9-year, $365 million, transportation levy in November 2006, the City will be undertaking numerous street improvements for Seattle’s citizens over the coming years. The “Complete Streets” policy will guide those investments and result in a transportation network that is more in line with the Council’s focus on effectively moving people and goods rather than primarily concentrating on vehicles. Councilmember Richard Conlin said, “‘Complete Streets’ will foster sustainability and give Seattleites better choices for mobility.”

 

Seattle joins two dozen jurisdictions nationwide that have already enacted “Complete Streets” and found great benefit from doing so. “Complete-Streets” principles advance Seattle’s Climate Action Plan. In the Puget Sound area, over 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are from cars and trucks. At the same time, the majority of Seattle’s car trips are just a few miles in length. Polls show that a majority of Americans want to walk and bicycle more, while health experts are increasingly able to link obesity and health problems to the lack of walkable neighborhoods. “Complete Streets” will provide real choices for people to walk, bike, and take transit for more trips resulting in healthier lifestyles and a healthier Seattle.

 

Since each street has unique needs and characteristics, the application of “Complete Streets” principles to each road will be different each time. The ordinance also recognizes the unique needs of freight mobility especially along streets designated as “major truck streets.”

 

Councilmember Drago said, “With a “Complete-Streets” policy firmly in place, the City will be able to balance the needs of all users of our streets and truly offer options for getting around the city without a car.”

 

-30-

 

Ordinance is available here: http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?d=CBOR&s1=115861.cbn.&Sect6=HITOFF&l=20&p=1&u=/~public/cbor2.htm&r=1&f=G

 

  • 2 weeks later...

Power to pedalers: Save gas, save climate, save health

Maine bicyclists say their numbers are growing, and legislation to make their ride easier is in the works.

By JOHN RICHARDSON, Staff Writer

May 18, 2007

 

Rising gas prices don't concern Deb Moulton ... Moulton, an emergency room nurse from South Portland, pedals her bicycle almost everywhere she needs to go. She commutes by bike year-round across the Casco Bay Bridge. She doesn't even own a car.

 

Full story: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=106531&ac=PHnws

 

 

 

Pretty cool story on biking to work from a friend of mine who is a TV news videographer for Channel 5 in San Francisco.  Check out his story at this link:

 

http://cbs5.com/video/[email protected]

There's a need for a lot of education for both motorists and cyclists. Portland is probably more bike-friendly than 90 percent of US cities, but according to the article it still has its dangers.

 

For some drivers, I don't know what it will take to get through to them, short of a smack upside the head, and so far the laws don't permit that.

 

Cyclists, even the more accomplished ones, sometimes have things to learn, too. Experienced cyclists on good road bikes can keep up with traffic speeds in much of the city, and have a lot more maneuverability than car drivers. Unless they have the agility and alertness of bike messengers, though, they can get in trouble doing so. Drivers don't expect them to be moving that fast, and they can pop up out of nowhere before drivers have time to react.

 

Bike riders don't stand out in traffic; in fact, their small mass makes them easily obscured, and even when they see bikers, drivers aren't conditioned to expect them to be moving at traffic speeds. Bikers need to be aware of that, and allow time and space for drivers to make stupid, inconsiderate moves. I've seen riders traveling between the right lane of traffic and parked cars, passing a line that's stopped waiting for a light, and when the light changes as they approach the intersection, get knocked down or at least cut off and get mad as hell because somebody turned right in front of them. It shouldn't have happened, but they set themselves up.

 

Of course, there are the nincompoops who ride against traffic or careen down a busy sidewalk in a pedestrian area, blow through stoplights and stop signs with abandon, and generally show no awareness or consideration for anyone else. They need to be subject to the same laws that apply to drivers. Their bad behavior contributes to a climate of hostility toward all cyclists.

Pretty cool story on biking to work from a friend of mine who is a TV news videographer for Channel 5 in San Francisco.  Check out his story at this link:

http://cbs5.com/video/[email protected]

"You're so much more happy and alive when you get to work"

amen !

 

The City of Columbus & the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) are jointly undertaking a Bicycle Master Plan.  They will be seeking input both on-line and in public meetings:

 

You can get info on-line at the following website....

 

www.altaplanning.com/columbus/

 

Some suggestions you may want to give them:

 

1. More bike racks / bike lockers downtown and in the immediate neighborhoods adjacent to downtown.

 

2. Bike Stations: a place where you can securly lock up your bike, have locker for your clothes and a place to shower/shave after your commute to work.

 

3. Bike lanes....bike lanes....bike lanes..... and with better, more visible markings for motorists to see them clearly.

 

4. Better maintenance of bike trails:  like power-washing the Canada Goose guano off the paths near North Bank Park and cutting back brush to make the paths safer or at least improve the view.

 

Just a few randon thoughts.  Let's hear yours.

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