This morning, League President Andy Clarke is addressing the Bike Safety Summit in Minneapolis, convened by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the U.S. Department of Transportation. In his remarks, he lauds a new course for transportation in the U.S. — and outlines clear steps to making biking safer nationwide.
(From left) League president, Andy Clarke, prepares to introduce Secretary Ray LaHood at the 2013 National Bike Summit (Photo by Brian Palmer)
On behalf of the entire bicycling movement, let me say a heartfelt thank you to [US Transportation] Secretary [Ray] LaHood for his remarkable and inspiring leadership of the US DOT these past four years — not the least of which has been his hosting of these two regional bike safety summits. The Secretary has set us on a new course for transportation policy in this country: a course that is built on a foundation of smart local decision-making and investment that results in solutions that serve everyone in our communities; a foundation of safety that demands responsibility from all those who use our roads; and a fundamental belief that transportation isn’t an end in itself – it is a tool to improve the lives of people across our nation.
I also want to thank administrators Strickland, Rogoff and Mendez for their leadership of NHTSA, FTA and FHWA respectively – and, as we are in Minnesota, it would also be remiss of me not to acknowledge the huge debt of gratitude we have to three Minnesotan members of Congress who have had a profound and beneficial role in improving conditions for cyclists over the last 25 years – Representatives Vento, Sabo and Oberstar.
Mr. Oberstar complained a few years back that I had lost some credibility and authority by virtue of having lost my native English accent. To redress that, I want to draw this audience’s attention to a document released last week in the UK Parliament called “Get Britain Cycling.” The result of a lengthy parliamentary enquiry into cycling, the document has some critical lessons that are extremely relevant in the US context.
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
If you want to confront the issue of bicycle safety, Florida, unfortunately, is the right place to go.
The Sunshine State has had 534 cyclist fatalities between 2006 and 2010, and since 1998, Hillsborough County has averaged 8 bike-related deaths every year.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced USDOT would host two Bike Safety Summits at our 2013 National Bike Summit in March. He hosted the first of those bike safety summits in Tampa, Fla., last week. The summit connected engineers, safety experts and law enforcement from state and local levels to find ways to improve cycling safety.
But that wasn’t all. The call for better biking came from beyond the traditional fold, too. It was so great to hear Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn — not someone who would identify as an avid cyclist — say the revitalization power of bikes is evident, and active mobility is essential to creating quality of life.
Bicycle Friendly Communities come in all shapes and sizes – there are currently 242 BFCs in 47 states. These cities show that through bicycling, communities can become destinations for people who want to work, live and retire. Having grown up in Florida myself, I never considered riding a bike for transportation until I moved to Washington, D.C. It was exciting to be surrounded by so many bike enthusiasts whose goal for the state is the same as the League’s – get more people on bikes.
While there were many suggestions on how to get more people riding, one thing was common in every discussion – education. Everyone agreed that it’s not just the people who are riding that need it: motorists need education on how to share the road and law enforcement need to know how to implement bike laws. Here at the League, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to get everyone involved.
We help cyclists become confident and safe on the roads through our education program. We’re working with city officials — and law enforcement — to improve conditions for bicyclists and make sure our rights are respected. And, yes, the National Bike Summit plays a role, too. Just a day after Secretary LaHood announced the Bike Safety Summits, AAA presented its new PSA, highlighting the need for all road users to safely share the road.
As for me, it made me even MORE excited about our new library of free education videos that we’ll be debuting during National Bike Month. Stay tuned!
(Photo: LaHood speaks with Buckhorn at the Florida Safety Summit).
Alissa Simcox League Director of Education
Simcox joined the League in July 2011. For the 5 years prior, she worked with the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and the National Association of Home Builders. She holds a BA in Education and Recreation and Leisure Administration from Florida State University.
“We are going to address bike safety head on… and we are going to pull from all our resources to do it.”
At the National Bike Summit earlier this month, Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation would focus on bike safety by holding two Bike Safety Summits — and today DOT announced the dates and locations:
April 11: Tampa, Florida
April 29: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Safety Summits will feature an expo in the morning with resources on bike safety, education, Safe Routes to School, and creating Bicycle Friendly Communities, Universities and Businesses, as well as hands-on safety training. The afternoons will include policy discussions on the built environment and planning, enforcement and education.
In announcing these Summits, Secretary LaHood said DOT would bring to bear all of its resources — including policy experts from DOT, research experts from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and engineering experts from Federal Highway Administration.
Research: Better data overall bicycling data- including data on the what, where, why, when and who of bicycling crashes and best practices on buidling safe, accessbile bike friendly infrastructure.
Beyond that, though, we hope the Summit in Tampa shines the national spotlight on the spate of tragic fatal crashes involving bicyclists in the area over the past several months and helps to identify some solid, practical suggestions to improve traffic safety for all road users in the region. In Minneapolis, we expect the leading efforts of local officials, advocates and Mayor R.T. Rybak to turn their city into a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community will clearly showcase the many benefits of making biking a safe and enjoyable means of transportation and recreation.
We thank Secretary LaHood for his continued leadership on biking and on safety — and we look forward to seeing what the Bike Safety Summit brings. Learn more, including how to register, on the Fast Lane Blog.
Photo: Secretary Ray LaHood at the 2013 National Bike Summit, credit Brian Palmer
Caron Whitaker Vice President of Government Relations
Prior to joining the League of American Bicyclists in 2012, Ms. Whitaker served as the Campaign Director for America Bikes where she coordinated and implemented America Bikes federal policy agenda. Before that, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation on smart growth, international policy, and community engagement. In addition, Caron served as a Community Land Use Planner for the State of North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, providing technical assistance to local governments and staffing a stakeholders’ council responsible for revising state planning regulations. She has a Masters in Environmental Management for Duke University, Nicolas School of the Environment and a Bachelors of Arts from Williams College.
For example, the 650 cyclists killed on our nation’s roads every year hasn’t been enough to make bicyclists’ safety a priority for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — it’s only about 2% of all traffic fatalities, after all.
Similarly, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and State Departments of Transportation have done little to alter the fact that less 0.5% of highway safety funds is being spent to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian crashes — despite the fact that people who bike and walk account for almost 16% of all traffic deaths.
So why now, and why ask for a “performance measure”?
Here’s why:
MAP-21, the new federal transportation law, requires USDOT to establish safety performance measures for states to meet – but, once again, no performance measure related to the safety of people who bike and walk is currently being considered.
The number of bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities has risen for the past two years (2010 and 2011) while overall traffic deaths have gone down quite dramatically — that means the percentage of fatalities that are bike/ped has risen from 12% to nearly 16%.
MAP-21 almost doubled the amount of funding available for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a program run by state Departments of Transportation. Unfortunately, that program has woefully small investments in bike/ped safety projects: Only seven states have spent any of these funds on bike/ped projects, and combined they’ve spent less than 0.5% of the funds annually.
These HSIP funds specifically can be used to fix more than just high crash locations (which are naturally dominated by cars); they also can be used to reduce crash potential and to address systemic design issues that cause common crash types.
So to recap… The good news is that bicycling and walking are on the rise nationwide. The bad news is that bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities are also rising. Fortunately, more funds are available to fix traffic safety. But, unfortunately, there is no sign of any increase in spending on bike/ped safety. Absent any real target, focus, incentive, leadership, or guidance from the top, states are unlikely to change that unforgivable oversight.
We think it’s essential to hold states accountable to meaningful performance measures that are flexible and focused on outcomes. We know that four states (FL, CA, TX and NY) routinely account for more than 40% of all bicyclist fatalities every year, while several states have none. A good performance measure can be flexible enough to ensure responsibility for bringing down the overall number is appropriately distributed.
Andy Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director. Before joining the League in February 2003, Clarke was on contract to provide technical assistance to the highly regarded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center on site at the Federal Highway Administration. He is on the Board of Directors for America Bikes, and a member of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.
Well, it’s 12/21/12 and, despite the Mayan prediction, we’re all still here. But, proving that winter isn’t the end of the world for bicycling, Anchorage residents got a preview of the apocalypse thanks to a parade of cycling zombies this past weekend.
Photo by Andre Camara
The inaugural Zombie Apocalypse Winter Bike Ride, hosted by the non-profit Green Star, drew more than 60 costumed cyclists for a five-mile ride on road, trails, and even across a frozen lagoon.
“In recent years, an increasing number of people have been riding their bikes in winter, whether in bike races on single-track trails or to commute to work, creating a new snow-sport sub-culture in Anchorage,” Christina Grande, Green Star’s Community Outreach and Communications Coordinator, explained. “Seeing this trend, staff at Green Star thought it would be fun to organize a winter bike ride to celebrate and generate additional enthusiasm for winter bike commuting with an emphasis on safety.”
“The zombies met at a local Anchorage cafe for coffee and treats in the morning,” Grande continued. “Then the group took to the streets and trails decked out in true zombie fashion…blood, detached limbs, ripped clothes (with a puff jacket underneath most costumes). Halfway through the bike ride, the group rode across a frozen lagoon popular with ice skaters, racing around the rink with one very surprised ice skater! The ride wrapped up at a local restaurant and pub where bike valet parking for zombie bike riders was available thanks to Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA).”
Happy apocalypse to all!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
A few weeks ago, I finally saw something I’ve been hearing about for a long while. Heading back to the office from a doctor’s appointment, I wasn’t fighting for space on the road. Instead, I was flying down bustling L Street Northwest on the new L Street cycletrack, a protected bike lane that takes up a whole lane of traffic and is protected by bollards, with green paint near intersections.
Yesterday, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) hosted a formal ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Vincent Gray, WABA Executive Director Shane Farthing, and the Downtown DC Business Improvement District‘s Director of Infrastructure & Sustainability, Ellen Jones.
There was quite the crowd for the press conference and ribbon cutting
“We aren’t just paying lip service to alternative modes of transportation — we want to reduce the number of vehicles in the District of Columbia,” Mayor Gray said to the assembled bicyclists and media.
“These [cycletracks] are an economic asset to our city; it will make our city more resilient,” Jones added. “The business community isn’t done making this the most bicycle-friendly downtown in the world.” While D.C. has a lot of work to do before that, the opening of this 1.1-mile cycletrack in the heart of downtown is a great step forward for advocates in D.C.
Sometimes it takes a village: the ribbon is cut by many, including Ellen Jones of DC BID (far left), DC Mayor Vincent Gray (middle, with “WABA” pocket square) and WABA’s Shane Farthing (far right)
After the ribbon cutting, I called Shane Farthing to get some background on the cycletrack, a project seven years in the making. In 2005, the L Street cycletrack made it into the 2005 Bicycle Master Plan for the District, the first significant bicycle plan for the city. This plan intended to create key thoroughfares for bicyclists through downtown D.C., both North-South (with the 15th Street cycletrack) and East-West (with the eastbound L Street cycletrack). “We’re three-quarters of the way done,” Farthing said, reminding me that the westbound M Street cycletrack is still on the horizon.
After years on the agenda, the L Street cycletrack hit a major speed bump last year. In a budget hearing with the District Department of Transportation in June 2011, DDOT Director Terry Bellamy said that funding for the L Street cycletrack was off the administration’s agenda. WABA responded by activating its member base. In a just a few weeks — after thousands of phone calls, e-mails, and a bike ride with Council member Jack Evans (Ward 2)— the cycletrack was back on the agenda.
What can local advocates learn from this great success story, transforming a project from scrapped to striped in 16 months? “The grassroots effort of e-mails and phone calls, coupled with exposure to council members through rides, made it happen,” Farthing says. His advice to local advocates fighting a similar battle? “Get your supportive council members to experience [the road on a bike where the infrastructure is proposed], then get them to talk their less supportive colleagues into riding with you, as well,” he says. “The experience is a new one to them, and it’s a really helpful way to get someone supportive of transportation issues, but not seen as a top bicycling voice, to support cycletracks.”
Detail from http://1.usa.gov/VfwSUS
Hopefully, I’ll see a lot of bicyclists on that lane next time I’m taking it across town. As Mayor Gray so rightly said: “The safer you make cycling, the more people will choose to bike.” Thanks to advocates like WABA, that’s happening every day here in the nation’s capital!
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC) has responded to an incident of road rage by focusing attention on bicyclist harassment and working to pass an ordinance to protect harassed bicyclists.
On August 16, bicyclist Toraj Soltani was chased onto a golf course by a motorist with a history of moving violations. The motorist was found thanks, in part, to a harassment reporting system created by the group in 2006 and currently faces criminal charges. As a result, the group launched its “Protect Us All” campaign to preserve and protect Sonoma County as a great place to ride a bike.
Building upon laws passed in Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Sunnyvale, California; as well as Washington D.C., the SCBC drafted an ordinance and is campaigning for its adoption by cities within Sonoma County and by the County. Since beginning the campaign the group has received the endorsement of the editorial staff of the local newspaper; secured $5,000 for a study of the ordinance by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors; and won a public hearing from the Sebastopol City Council in December. In addition, several other cities are looking at the ordinance and may take steps to adopt it, including Windsor and Sonoma, two bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Communities.
The ordinance proposed by SCBC differs significantly from the League’s model vulnerable road user law in that it provides for civil, rather than criminal, action. Sandra Lupien, SCBC’s Outreach Director, says that the ordinance will work because “you don’t even have to file a police report” and will not create additional work for local law enforcement. It supplements other civil laws that might allow a bicyclist to recover for injuries by providing for damages at three times the rate of actual damages, if there’s been a violation based on the behavior listed in the ordinance. This gives an extra incentive for attorneys to represent bicyclists in civil actions.
A bicycle is much cheaper than a car, so collisions tend to result in lower actual damages and attorneys, who usually receive a portion of the damages recovered in a civil suit, are unlikely to represent bicyclists because of the low total of damages from a typical bicycle collision. Bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users, currently lack access to our civil justice system because they are not surrounded by an expensive motor vehicle, laws such as the SCBC’s proposed ordinance address this disparity to access by putting a value on harassing and injuring behavior.
Ken joined the League in 2012 after graduating from William & Mary School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia. During law school he worked for a private law firm in Cambodia and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Prior to that, Ken worked at a law firm in Orange County and a legal services provider in Seattle. He graduated from Pomona College in 2007 with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He began using his bike regularly after college and has been car-free since February 2012.
Before returning to D.C. this fall, I lived — and became a bike advocate — in Atlanta. Late last month, I Megabus-ed 12 hours south to help the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Red, Bike and Green-Atlanta (a chapter I helped to co-found) gather support for dedicated bike lanes in one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the country: Sweet Auburn Avenue.
Atlanta recently broke ground on a Street Car Project that will increase connectivity between downtown and the King National Historic site, a top tourist attraction. While city officials are pushing the project forward, there remains some concern that shuttling tourists from downtown to the historic site would preclude those tourist from spending their dollars with local businesses along the route. Also, as a city crippled by subpar transit, the Street Car provides little benefit to local citizens. So, in order to garner more support for the project the city initially promised to put in bike lanes along the street car route.
After this proposal won the support of local residents and cycling groups the city came back with another proposal that would maintain full bike lanes on one street and leave the other with interrupted bike lanes that are less safe. Well, the street that would be shortchanged is Auburn Avenue.
The mostly black neighborhood has struggled in recent years, while seeing a parallel street become a major bike thoroughfare that has blossomed economically — proving yet again that bikes mean business. Red, Bike and Green — a group focused on encouraging more blacks to bike in their communities — partnered with ABC and SOPO Bicycle Co-Op to host a bicycle tour of Sweet Auburn showcasing this incredible historical gem and gather the support of the community to advocate for complete bike lanes along the street.
Before the tour though, it was time to get some signatures on our Letter of Support from local businesses and residents. Red, Bike and Green- Atlanta Co-Founder, Zahra Alabanza and I set out walking up and down Auburn Ave for the rest of the afternoon. Auburn Ave is lined with some of the oldest black businesses and buildings in the nation but is in the top 10 most endangered historic places in the country, as well.
The street is no stranger to bike activism either, after a 1890 ordinance segregated the original Street Cars in Atlanta, a group of black citizens and Auburn Ave business owners led a boycott to appeal the law. What was their preferred mode of travel? Bicycles.
The tour took us to several major historical spots along Auburn Ave. including Dr. Martin Luther King’s birth home; the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition (group founded in part by Dr. King); the oldest black barbershop in America; the Peacock nightclub, which, at one point, was the sole venue where black acts could perform; and some major black historical churches Big Bethel, Old Wheat Street and Ebenezer. Zahra provided some history about the area while Atlanta Bicycle Coalition ED Rebecca Serna pointed out the parts of Auburn that would have gotten bike lanes in the original proposal and explained the importance of connectivity to the rest of the city.
RBG-ATL Co-Founder Zahra Alabanza
ABC ED Rebecca Serna
An old ad using stereotypical depictions of black children still on the walls
Street art honoring Civil Rights Hero John Lewis
Community activist Mtamanika Youngblood, CEO at Historic District Development Corporation educating riders about keeping the community affordable for its original residents
After all that riding and learning it was time to refuel and talk about what we’d seen. As part of our outreach efforts a local restaurant welcomed us to dine with them at a nice discount. Oh and DINE we did at Mangoes Caribbean Restaurant! After devouring a delicious dinner it was off to more merriment at the historic Pal’s Lounge. The owner at Pal’s not only committed to having a bike rack installed when he saw all the bikers swarming into his spot, but he also had a drink ready for us in anticipation. If you visit Atlanta and end up at Pal’s make sure you order “The Spoke” and tell them RBG sent you.
Of course, the Sweet Auburn Ride was just my first stop back in Atlanta. Stay tuned for my next post about the Georgia-lina Bike Summit!
Hamzat Sani Equity and Outreach Fellow
Hamzat joined the League in September 2012 after working with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Before working in biking, Hamzat worked with Martin Luther King Jr.’s son as a Program Associate at The King Center in Atlanta. A founder of the Red, Bike and Green chapter in Atlanta, Hamzat sees biking as a hub for change on the communal level.
Last week two of the more important events for advocates took place: the Alliance for Biking & Walking Leadership Retreat and the Pro Walk Pro Bike: Pro Place conference. It was a great opportunity to learn about all the exciting things happening across the country. We also had the opportunity to enjoy Long Beach, a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community, aiming to become the most bike-friendly city in the nation.
One of the key themes of the week was how to reclaim our streets for everyone, not just motorists. State advocates stressed the need to for innovative approaches. Many are embracing legislation that addresses safety as a whole, not just as it relates to bicyclists. Along with comprehensive legislation comes new partnerships that create the momentum needed to get legislators to pass the laws.
Slower Speeds on Neighborhood Streets
Speeding and its negative impacts on community safety came up in multiple sessions at both events. Research shows that at 20 miles per hour, a person has a 95 percent chance of surviving a crash. As the speed increases, the chance for survival decreases. Many communities already have slower speed limits near schools for this reason.
In 2011, the Oregon State Legislature passed a law allowing transportation agencies greater control of speed limits on neighborhood greenways. Under certain conditions, a 20mph speed limit can be posted on these streets, five miles per hour less than the normal state-mandated limit.
The law was championed by the Portland Bureau of Transportation as a way to make its neighborhood greenway network safer, more enjoyable streets for walking and biking. PBOT released a map of streets that will receive the 20mph speed limit and has already started posting the new signs.
Removing the Incentive for DUI Hit and Runs
This is an issue that the media has been reporting on for years. Many states have harsher penalties for hit and run fatalities resulting from a drunk driver than a sober driver. This creates a legal incentive for a drunk (or even buzzed) driver to flee the scene of a collision. Victims cannot receive immediate aid, and no one can be held accountable.
Several states recently undertook efforts to close this legal loophole.
In Colorado, the legislature approved a bill that treated both a drunk and sober hit and run as a Class 5 felony. Attendees at the Colorado Bike Summit gave a big boost as they met with legislators and spoke of the law’s importance. Bicycle Colorado also made this bill a legislative priority.
Pennsylvania passed similar legislation in 2011, though political compromise created an imperfect solution. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia sought the change in response to a fatality, giving their members a positive way to respond to the tragedy.
These types of legislation are another tool for advocates to create safer streets. Talk to your neighbors tonight and ask them – do you want lower speeds on our street? Chances are they’ll say yes, and that you’ll have a new advocate (even if they don’t ride a bike). Expect to see these types of innovative approaches on the 2013 Bicycle Friendly States survey!
Elsewhere in cycling advocacy…
Kudos to the Colorado State Patrol for ticketing a driver who followed two cyclists down a road, honking at them and impeding vehicle traffic. Meaningful enforcement like this is a necessary part of upholding laws that protect cyclists. The video has been uploaded to YouTube and the riders say they’ll be donating any money raised through the footage to Bicycle Colorado.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has just adopted a statewide Complete Streets policy. It’s the first in the country to reference the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide as a prominent reference for engineers. The policy was born when at the 2012 Ride to the Capitol, where a GDOT official wondered why advocates were chanting “Complete the Streets!” Georgia Bikes! and and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition pointed out it was because GDOT didn’t have a policy, and the rest is history.
The Kansas Department of Transportation is asking communities about their transportation priorities. This is a great opportunity to speak up for safe biking! The state just opted out of the Recreational Trails program, but committed to spending $2 million for trails. Head over to KanBikeWalk to learn more.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The new federal transportation law (MAP-21) presents plenty of challenges, but here’s some good news: The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) could turn out to be one of the brighter spots for bicycling.
The program is used to address a wide variety of safety concerns, like seat belt use, drunk driving, and high-collision locations (often fixing bad roadway design). Safety was such a central theme in the federal transportation debate that Congress allocated $2.4 billion annually to HSIP — an increase from $1 billion under the previous law. And that’s not all: There will be improvements in data collection and cost-effectiveness analysis of safety projects that will benefit bicycles, too.
We’ve already blogged and written reports about the importance of including bicycle safety in the state Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Based on the 2012 Bicycle Friendly States survey, 29 states currently include bicycle safety in their SHSP. Now that’s more important than ever, what can advocates do if your state isn’t on this list?
Under MAP-21 states have to consult with a “non-motorized” representative when writing the SHSP. The language isn’t clear whether this means a state employee (bicycle and pedestrian coordinators would be a good fit) or an advocate. Senator Udall from New Mexico, who offered the amendment, intends for the representative to be an advocate. The MAP-21 guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to provide an answer.
Fortunately, there is plenty of precedent for bicycle advocates helping to craft the state SHSP and increase HSIP bike safety spending. These examples are especially important if your state Department of Transportation is hesitant or resistant to adding a bicycle safety advocate. The League reviewed the 29 SHSPs that currently include bicycle safety as an emphasis area. The majority consult with state and local advocates. Several states to highlight include:
Click here for the full listing of bicycle safety stakeholders in SHSPs
Having advocates actively involved in the program will help improve the abysmal track record of HSIP spending on bicycle safety. In California, bicycle advocates made sure to have representatives on each of the topic area committees drafting the state SHSP. This directly resulted in the state beginning to prioritize and spend HSIP funds on bicycle safety.
Check out the Advocacy Advance Highway Safety Improvement Program report to learn how to get involved and create safer streets for bicycles.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
It’s been more than six months since the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated its guidance for rumble stripes. While the original draft didn’t even mention bicyclists, the new guidance was helpful for addressing our needs. The League and Adventure Cycling are currently preparing an update to our rumble strip policy report, including a matrix of state policies and how they compare to the FHWA guidance. In the meantime, one Ohio advocate is making progress with the state Department of Transportation.
For bicyclists in Ohio, riding along the scenic Scioto River truly is a pleasure. Getting across the river is a bit more of a challenge, as there are only a few bridges in this area north of Columbus. Tricia Kovacs, with the Ohio Bicycle Federation, has been riding in this area for years and was dismayed when the State Route 42 bridge had rumble stripes installed. Luckily, some emails and a meeting later, she is hopeful that state engineers are starting to understand her and other cyclists’ concerns.
Credit: Ohio Bicycle Federation
Why is the bridge important for bicyclists?
Tricia Kovacs: I lead the Woodstock Bicycle Tour, hosted by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, and we’ve been using this bridge and road for a long time. This is the only way for bicyclists to cross the river unless you’re looking to go pretty far out of your way. Even then the next available road is a state route, so you could end up in the same situation with rumble stripes on a bridge. Besides every road being open for bicyclists, a lot of us like to ride in this area because it’s really beautiful.
What was the message you took to the ODOT traffic engineering administrator?
We had been corresponding via email up until this week, when we had our first in-person meeting. He told me that ODOT has been reaching out to motorcyclists on other road issues, and wanted to ensure they are working with bicyclists as well.
We came prepared to discuss the differences between the FHWA guidance and Ohio’s current policy. This included a lot of photos we’ve taken in Ohio of rumble stripes on roads with narrow shoulders, which really seemed to make an impression. We also discussed different types of bicycles (e.g. tandem, trike) and how the current rumble stripe gaps may not be long enough for these users. Lastly, we expressed our disappointment that every state road meeting their criteria of shoulder width and speed limit is going to be rumble striped when they are repaved.
What was his response?
I think we’ll find some positive ground on the exclusion of bridges from rumble striping in Ohio. He did commit to looking further at requiring a four-foot shoulder (instead of the current two feet). Given the positive conversation, I’m hopeful on that issue. We also got a commitment that he’ll share road resurfacing plans with us in the future so we’re not playing “catch up” and can provide input before a project begins. This will be a great opportunity for OBF to create more relationships at the state DOT on this and other issues.
What are some lessons you learned that are helpful for other advocates?
Our group still has a position of “no rumble stripes”, but we’re starting to learn when and how to work with ODOT to ensure the best possible accommodation for bicyclists (e.g. wider shoulders, gaps in the stripes, narrower and shallower stripes). ODOT also needs to ensure its policy is complying with the new FHWA guidance, which is there for a reason, and as a tool for advocates.
The devil is in the details. Bicycling advocates need to get involved in the application of a state’s rumble stripe policy. We first started working on the issue in 2010, when we lobbied to be sure that the TOSRV bike route (in its 51st year), the cross state bike routes and the Adventure Cycling routes were not rumble striped. Since then, we have had to continuously contact our MPOs, district engineers, and others to represent the needs of bicyclists (especially in rural areas). It’s also a good idea to let the upper management know when their district engineers are receptive to cyclists’ needs and to thank them for their efforts.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
For the past 20 years, local elected officials have been given rare access to state transportation funds through a handful of programs administered by state Departments of Transportation as grant programs. These also happen to be the primary sources of funding for bicycling and walking initiatives: Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements and Recreational Trails. They account for just 1.5 percent of the overall federal transportation bill and have all been heavily over-subscribed since their creation.
Despite the overwhelming success and popularity of these programs, House Republican leadership and a handful of influential Senators have waged an unexplained and inexplicable vendetta against these programs — not to save the government any money, just to prevent state or local governments spending their money on these specific programs and activities, removing any vestige of local control over transportation investments into the bargain.
The threat of elimination provoked a rare display of bipartisanship in both the House and Senate — a bi-partisan effort to preserve these programs was narrowly defeated in a heavily-whipped House committee vote by just two votes (29-27) and the equally bi-partisan Cardin-Cochran amendment to the Senate transportation bill was successfully adopted.
Remarkably, the single-minded attacks on even the bi-partisan Cardin-Cochran compromise continue. House leadership entered the conference committee process to hammer out a transportation bill (something they couldn’t even get passed in the House itself) with the elimination of funding for bicycling and walking as a top priority. Senate conferees are struggling to hold the line against these attacks, desperate as they are to get a transportation bill — a jobs bill — completed before the summer.
Here are our top ten reasons why Senator Boxer must hang tough, keep her word, and lead the transportation committee conferees to reject these small-minded and vindictive attacks:
There is overwhelming bi-partisan support among the American public for continued or increased federal funding for bicycling and walking programs. At least, we think 83 percent is overwhelming, across party lines, and all geographic, demographic, and ethnic divides.
This is so much more than just a bicycling and walking issue. Transportation stakeholders in support of Cardin-Cochran include mayors, AARP, the American Heart Association, Transportation for America, Sierra Club, The National Council of La Raza, NAACP are just a handful of the dozens of groups from the health, environmental, equity, local government and transportation sectors that signed a letter of support to conferees.
If this is about jobs, we’ve made the jobs case. Transportation investment in bicycling, pedestrian and trail projects are more effective in creating jobs, per million dollars spent, than traditional road projects.
Reducing congestion and easing the morning commute: We’re doing it. Even small reductions in vehicle miles of travel in recent years have resulted in 30%-plus reductions in congestion in our major metro areas. We can do even more with a very small investment.
Replacing short car trips with bike or walk trips improves air quality and saves energy: It’s self evident. A 77% increase in bicycle commuting since 2000 in cities that have invested in bicycling programs shows that these voluntary behavior changes are actually happening.
Worried about efficient project delivery? Small-scale projects to improve the safety, functionality and operation of highway system for all users — those projects funded by the TE, SRTS and RT programs — are popular, successful, and get done quickly. Unpopular, 1950′s-era mega-highway projects with dubious actual benefits will still take years to get built even through a streamlined process… because they are still unpopular, ineffective, and unnecessary.
There are so many benefits beyond transportation to investing in more walkable, bike-friendly communities. Highway agencies may not care about health or livability but the American public does.
Military readiness? Yes, we can even play that card. The U.S. military is so concerned about the general lack of physical fitness among kids that they are big supporters of the Safe Routes to School program as one way to get our children moving again. Really, who wouldn’t be in favor of Safe Routes to School?
Last but not least, there is still an underlying fairness and equity argument underpinning this whole issue. Bicycling and walking make up 12% of all the trips that are made by Americans; 14% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians; but only 1.5% of federal transportation funds address these issues.
Now even that tiny investment is under serious threat. I really don’t get it: What else do we have to do or say to make the case for continued investment in bicycling and walking; for preserving some minimal level of local involvement and control in major investment decisions? Senator Boxer, Chairman Mica…what do we have to do?
(Photo by Allan Crawford)
Andy Clarke League President
Andy Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director. Before joining the League in February 2003, Clarke was on contract to provide technical assistance to the highly regarded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center on site at the Federal Highway Administration. He is on the Board of Directors for America Bikes, and a member of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.
There’s no question that John Pucher (Rutgers) and Ralph Buehler (Virginia Tech) are two of the most prominent researchers on bicycle issues here in the U.S. So it’s no surprise the bike world is all abuzz with the fall publication of their new book City Cycling. The 365-page resource is billed as “a guide to [the] urban cycling renaissance” and, being in touch with the pulse of the movement, Pucher and Buehler included a chapter on “Women and Cycling.”
Heels on Wheels ride in Atlanta (Credit: Cameron Adams)
This week, Pucher himself gave a preview of the chapter over on European Cyclists’ Federation blog. Being a friend of the League, Pucher gave me a sneak-peak of the chapter, too. Written by leading researchers Jan Garrard, Susan Handy and Jennifer Dill, the chapter discusses the benefits of cycling for women, patterns of participation and strategies for increasing ridership in countries like the U.S. where female cyclists make up a mere 25 percent of bike transportation trips.
It’s a wealth of insight packed into 23 pages, to say the least. Here’s just three items that stood out to me…
Better bicycling can liberate women from disproportionate time spent driving other passengers. “In two worker households, [U.S.] women were twice as likely as men to pick up or drop off children during their commute… Consequently, when cycling-friendly conditions support independent bicycle trips by children and other dependents, women are the principal beneficiaries of a reduction in these particular household responsibilities.”
Getting more women to bike starts with getting more girls to ride. “Women in low-cycling countries tend to move in and out of cycling at various stages of their lives. In contrast, women in high cycling countries, such as the Netherlands, move seamlessly between cycling as a child, adolescent, young adult, and older adult.”
Women may be less likely than men to get injured while cycling, but more likely to perceive biking as unsafe. “An analysis of cycling injuries in the United Kingdom found that after adjusting for distance cycled, men were more likely to be injured than women… [However] Data from the UK National Travel Survey indicate that women are more likely to express concerns about safety (85%) than men (61%)… In a random telephone survey of adults in Portland, Oregon, 52 percent of women cited “too much traffic” as a barrier to cycling more, compared to 34 percent of men… In the survey of cyclists in Victoria, Australia, women were more likely than men to report “aggression from motorists” as a constraint on cycling, even though men were more likely to have actually experienced harassment from motor vehicle occupants… Overall, these findings serve as a reminder that perceptions of risk may be as important as actual risks, particularly for women, and that “traffic risks” extend beyond risk of fatality or serious injury to include risk of “near misses” and harassment.”
Intrigued? Pre-order your copy from Amazon now and get a $10 discount. Click here to get City Cycling for just $18!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
With the release of the 2012 Bicycle Friendly State rankings, it’s great to see states and advocates continuing to improve conditions for bicyclists.
With that in mind, here’s this week’s advocacy roundup:
West Virginia is updating its 1997 State Bicycle Connectivity Plan. WVDOT held a series of public meetings in May to gather input from bicyclists throughout the state. “The meetings have been well attended and folks are providing good comments and input into the process,” says Perry Keller, WVDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator. This input will be used to create draft plan recommendations on necessary bicycle connections. Residents can review the recommendations during another series of public meetings in August/September.
Credit: NYBC
New York Senator Charles Schumer has come out in favor of building the new Livingston Avenue Railroad bridge (connecting Albany and Rensselaer) with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. “Senator Schumer’s involvement at this early point in the project design is very timely,” said Brian Kehoe, executive director of the New York Bicycling Coalition. “The [Livingston Avenue RR Bridge] Coalition anticipates productive engagement with all projects stakeholders as this critical project moves forward. We deeply appreciate the Senator’s support for bicycling.” NYBC received an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response grant to help ensure this opportunity results in a multi-modal connection between the two cities.
California’s three-foot passing bill, SB 1464, faces a vote by the full state Senate soon. The bill will require drivers give bicyclists at least three feet of clearance when overtaking them from behind in the same lane. This bill is a response to Gov. Jerry Brown’s veto last October of SB 910, the previous attempt to enact a three-foot passing law in California. In his veto message, Brown expressed support for the concept but objected to an exception to the three-foot requirement meant to accommodate drivers in dense urban traffic. SB 1464 contains largely the same language as SB 910, but the exception is slightly less restrictive. We’re confident this version of the bill is one that Gov. Brown will sign. Check out the California Bicycle Coalition’s website for more info.
Massachusetts advocates are pushing for a series of bills, including a vulnerable road user law, to address bicycling and walking safety in the Bay State. The vulnerable road user bill provides law enforcement with more flexible tools to encourage motorists to exercise caution when operating around vulnerable road users, including increased fines, traffic safety classes, and community service.
Georgia Bikes! and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety have awarded their 2012 seed grants for local advocacy organizations across the state. Several projects are already off the ground as a result of the grants.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
We have been gratified by the reception of our new website, Every Bicyclist Counts. The site is a memorial to cyclists who have been killed in the saddle. It is also a data-gathering tool that will help us learn more about the nature of fatal crashes — and hopefully prevent them. The project is meant to demonstrate the need for better reporting on these tragedies. We have already seen a lot of interest in this project from League members and cyclists in response to our latest appeal. If you would like to contribute, please donate here.
On Monday, we provided an early look at our very preliminary data. We are just beginning to track fatal crashes, but we are already re-examining some of our assumptions, based on the first 150 records.
We haven’t yet reported on all of the data we are collecting. Today, we want to share a little bit more about the information we’re collecting to give you a sense of what is to come.
Currently, we are collecting information in the following categories:
Date of incident
Age of cyclist
Gender of cyclist
Obituary
Location (street, city, state, closest intersection)
Driver age
Crash time
Photo
Land Use
Road Type
Where on Road the Collision Occurred
Collision Type
Vehicle Type
Driver at Crash Time
Cyclist at Crash Time
Wearing helmet
Sources
Legal Status
The purpose of these particular questions is to build upon the data captured by the federal Fatalities Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and add richness and detail that can’t be found there. This allows us to check our data against the official federal database, while gaining a more complete picture of why these deaths occurred. What type of collision was it? What were the contributing factors? What were the features of the road? Was the driver distracted? If so, by what?
Members of the public are invited to email Elizabeth Kiker at Elizabeth[at]bikeleague.org to notify us of cyclist fatalities as they occur or to add details about existing profiles. We want the most complete and up-to-date information possible.
We initially entered the deaths that we knew about in 2011. Please note that, going forward, we will only be able to track events that take place in 2012 and later. While we want to honor every cyclist, we are constrained in our ability to record past events. If we have missed any cyclists who were killed since January 1, 2012, please do let us know.
This practical constraint also explains why we are limiting the project to fatalities. We know that examining all crashes would be very instructive. Unfortunately, capturing those data would be a mammoth task, fraught with logistical complexity.
Thanks to the member contributions we’ve received so far, we’ve already added a new feature to Every Bicyclist Counts – a map. This custom, Google-powered map shows where the fatal crashes are occurring. Click here to see the map.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Earlier this year, the League of American Bicyclists quietly launched a new website called Every Bicyclist Counts. The site tracks bicyclist fatalities, and, it does this for several reasons.
First, it serves as a memorial for fallen cyclists. Every bicyclist matters and we want to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives bicycling, while also providing a place for grieving friends and family to pay tribute in the comments, if they wish.
Second, we recognize that we all have a lot to learn about the circumstances of fatal crashes. To improve safety on our roads, we need to better understand what leads to fatal crashes and other bicyclist deaths (they’re not all crashes).
Third, we want to try to improve the response to, coverage of, and follow-up to every one of these fatal crashes. We believe that if we can hold a spotlight to the police, justice system, and media response to these incidents, we may be able to improve the quality of such responses over time.
This month, we sent out an appeal to League members describing Every Bicyclist Counts and asking for support for this important memorial, data-gathering, and awareness-raising tool. We immediately heard from members who were appreciative of the project – and eager to find out more about what we’ve learned so far.
In recognition of the interest in new data on bicycling fatalities, we decided to share some of what we know up to this point. However, please treat these data as highlypreliminary. Imagine a big “Draft – Data not final” watermark on the page behind all that follows.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Adding more excitement to Bike to Work Week, AAA has partnered with the League to produce a series of bicycle safety videos, designed to educate both motorists and bicyclists on the importance of sharing the road.
AAA’s newly redesigned ShareTheRoad.AAA.com offers bicycle and helmet fit guides, safety tips and riding skills advice.
“This year’s theme for Bike Month — One Ride, Many Reasons — recognizes that cycling enhances our lives in countless ways, from keeping us fit to giving us a fun way to get to work,” said League president Andy Clarke. “We’re excited about AAA’s strong support of Bike Month and commitment to educate motorists, so every ride is safe and comfortable for drivers and bicyclists alike.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
It may seem like I’m blogging about Georgia a lot lately, and it’s for good reason. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is one of two Advocacy Advance model grant recipients. ABC’s grant is focused on doubling federal spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs, as well as tripling the mode share to 3 percent. While in town for an Action 2020 workshop, I had the pleasure of meeting Neil Walker, a cycling instructor who wears many hats.
It’s hard to get involved in bicycle education in Atlanta without running into Neil. As a League Cycling Instructor and educator, Neil has made a mission of working with low-income and minority kids and adults in the metro region. “I grew up in a lower income area and was pretty much confined to a few square blocks,” notes Walker. “Once I got a bike, suddenly I was able to go all over the place. That bike got me my first jobs delivering groceries and newspapers.”
Credit: Neil Walker
Today Neil is working with a number of organizations and neighborhoods:
Dream Team Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG): The program starts with teaching Traffic Skills 101 to middle and high school students. The main goal is to get kids on bikes. For the 2012 ride, 20 kids are signed up to participate, with the course set to travel through the mountains of northern Georgia.
East Atlanta Neighborhoods: Neil’s work is focused mainly on health and nutrition. Among other things, he has led local rides to the farmers market (55 participants on the last trip) to highlight local, healthy food options. Atlanta City Councilmember Aaron Watson (himself a huge bike proponent) liked the program so much he formally adopted it as his Living Smart Initiative.
At the national level, Neil has been working with the National Brotherhood of Cyclists to expand their educational offerings. The goal is to go from the current four LCIs nationally to at least five in each of the 35 local clubs.
Credit: Neil Walker
There are definitely hurdles for working in low-income and minority neighborhoods. A lack of local bicycle shops and infrastructure makes it hard to establish the necessary culture. Working with the Atlanta Police Athletic League, Neil and others have been bringing bike shops to the neighborhoods. “We showed up at a public housing development with no warning and ended up fixing 22 bikes,” Neil says. “Kids just kept coming up to us.” Neil also works with his old employer REI to do neighborhood bike repair days.
A huge myth is that only poor people ride bicycles. “It really creates a bicycling stigma in the minds of low income people,” says Walker. “Adults are difficult. They may be self conscious on a bike or just not know where to start.” School bicycle clubs are one way to address the issue, as kids are usually eager to ride and share that freedom with their family. Adults also start to come on board once they expand their definition of a cyclist beyond the lycra. “With cut-backs in local bus service, showing someone how to ride to the closest MARTA [Atlanta’s light rail system] station can be huge,” Walker says.
There’s also the challenge that some people just don’t think of bicycling as an option. The Dream Team has expanded throughout Georgia, mainly due to people asking about it as BRAG passes through town. This type of event can be the spark that gets folks thinking “maybe I should be riding a bike.”
If you’d like to learn more about these programs, email Neil at neil@atlantabike.org.
Elsewhere in cycling advocacy…
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has signed the state’s three foot safe passing legislation into law. Sponsored by state Sen. Tom Hansen, the law provides a safe passing distance for bicyclists, pedestrians, and electric personal assistance mobility devices. Nebraska becomes the 24th state to adopt a safe passing law. Who’s going to get us to the halfway point?
Virginia is for bicycle touring, and it’s getting easier thanks to the Virginia Bicycle Federation. VBF worked with Joe Elton, Virginia’s State Parks Director to create designated areas for cyclists to camp even when campgrounds are full. Ride-in touring cyclists will always have a place to stay.
The Florida legislature recently passed a series of bicycling bills. The bills cover topics from additional exemptions to the state’s mandatory bike lane law (which could stand to be repealed) to allowing cyclists cited for riding without lights at night to avoid fines by installing lights on their bicycles.
Do you have news from your advocacy organization? Let me know: matt@bikeleague.org
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
We blogged about Pennsylvania’s four-foot safe passing law that went into effect last Monday. Already the law is having an impact in Bethlehem, PA where an attempted hit and run collision was caught on tape. Thanks to the quick thinking of city bus driver Richard Gubish, Jr. and another motorist, the offender was blocked from leaving the scene. Police arrested and charged the driver with multiple offenses, including violating Pennsylvania’s safe passing law.
Hat tip to the Bethlehem Police Department for posting this video and press release.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
UPDATE: Due to anticipated high turnout, the SCCRTC Bicycle Committee is looking for an alternative meeting location. Please contact the RTC at info@sccrtc.org for the meeting location.
Nothing can quite compare to rumble strips when it comes to ruining a beautiful bicycle ride. Adventure Cycling and the League have previously written about rumble strips and the difficulties they pose to cyclists. We were very happy to see the Federal Highway Administration revise their May 2011 guidance that would have promoted rumble strip installation on many rural roads and even some urban roads across America.
Touring Cyclists on Highway 1
So, it was a bit of a shock when we heard from Adventure Cycling and League members that the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) is planning to install rumble strips on a portion of the Highway 1 between Davenport and Santa Cruz. Highway 1 – also known as the Pacific Coast Highway – is part of one of the most active bicycle touring routes in the country and a major draw for international tourism.
To its credit, CalTrans has one of the best rumble strip policies when it comes to accommodating bicyclists. So we did some research and found out the following:
This 11-mile section has been identified as a high collision area, including at least one bicycle fatality. Rumble strips are the proposed safety improvement to address run-off-the-road and head-on crash incidents.
CalTrans policy only allows rumble strips where there will be more than five feet of shoulder clearance for cyclists. CalTrans data indicate that the shoulder width in this area is approximately eight feet, though this has been disputed by local cyclists and regional transportation planners.
This is a “candidate project” that will not go to construction for another 18-24 months and includes both center-line and shoulder rumbles. CalTrans has committed to working with local cyclists, and presumably following their policy, as project planning progresses.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has received over 70 contacts on this issue. The SCCRTC is working with CalTrans to ensure accurate shoulder width data and has requested the collision data justifying the need for rumble strips. The SCCRTC Bicycle Committee will be discussing the project at their April 9 meeting.
While we recognize the safety benefits for motorists under certain conditions, we are concerned about their use on Highway 1. The League and Adventure Cycling will be submitting letters to CalTrans respectfully requesting that:
CalTrans not install rumble strips on Highway 1 at this time.
CalTrans work to provide a five-foot wide road shoulder on Highway 1 clear of sand and other debris while still accommodating parked vehicles and ocean access for residents and visitors.
CalTrans continue to work with cyclists to ensure that Highway 1 remains one of the country’s premier bicycling routes.
We encourage local cyclists to speak out on this issue (reference the three points above as a start). Here are some ways you can make sure CalTrans hears your voice:
Contact CalTrans District 5
Jim Shivers
District 5 Public Information Officer
Phone: 805.549.3237
Email: Jim.Shivers@dot.ca.gov
Monday, April 9 at 6:30pm
Regional Transportation Commission Conference Room
1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (above Chef Works)
As we learn more, look for updates to this blog.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
In January, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety placed Road Diets on the official list of Proven Safety Countermeasures. States are actively encouraged to use the listed safety countermeasures and FHWA provides guidance on their application. Road Diets slow traffic by reducing car travel lanes and replacing them with things like bike lanes and center turn lanes.
Before and after photo of Philo Road in Urbana, IL, from www.vtpi.org, provided by the City of Urbana.
To learn more about how Road Diets came to be added to the list and the practical implications of this move, we had some questions for FHWA Associate Administrator for Safety Tony Furst. Mr Furst was kind enough to take some time to talk about the safety benefits of Road Diets for all road users.
League: What is the process by which a safety measure is added to the list?
Administrator Furst: FHWA assembled experts from across the agency to research
effective countermeasures in three primary areas – intersections, roadway departure, and pedestrian safety. In its evaluation, the team assessed the implementation of countermeasures
Tony Furst, FHWA Associate Administrator for Safety
across the country, what we know about the countermeasures from the Crash Modifications Factors Clearinghouse – a comprehensive repository of research and evaluations
for safety countermeasures, and peer reviews by researchers and professional engineers from across the road safety field. Ultimately, the nine were chosen based on the quality of the research that shows that they are proven safety countermeasures and are ready to be widely implemented.
A Road Diet is an increasingly popular countermeasure that is very compatible with a Complete Streets application and one that FHWA promotes in the “Designing for Pedestrian Safety” courses – it is an excellent safety countermeasure and works well on many levels.
League:What are the safety benefits for drivers? What are the safety benefits for bicyclists and people on foot?
Administrator Furst: Road Diets reduce vehicle speed which makes the roadway environment safer for all road users. For bicyclists in particular, road diets often include bike lanes, a plus for the cycling community. For pedestrians, this countermeasure slows vehicles in the midblock area. Since 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur at midblock crossings, road diets can definitely help save pedestrian lives.
League:What can advocates do to encourage their state DOTs to undertake Road Diets?
Administrator Furst: When a State or municipality identifies a safety issue that can be improved by the application of a road diet, safety advocates can support its implementation. When safety advocates bring their issues to a State DOT or municipality, it helps if they can bring potential solutions, and if road diets improve the issue being brought forward, it could be that solution.
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Yesterday we heard about the great news of the Pennsylvania Senate passing HB 170, the Safe Passing Act and sending it to Governor Corbett’s desk for his signature. Just in time for the 2012 Bicycle Friendly State survey no less! To learn what happens next, we have a story from Nancy Schulz with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition.
Three feet (or more) – it’s the law, it’s safe, and it raises awareness about sharing the streets. But as cyclists often find out, safe passing isn’t always enforced. Since the passage of Vermont’s safe passing law in 2010, Nancy has encouraged reporting violations to law enforcement. Riding on a dirt road in Berlin, VT, Nancy heard a car approaching rapidly from behind. She pulled off to the side of the road, afraid the car may hit her from behind, only in time to see the car leave the road and tear off its bumper. Over the next 15 minutes, the driver would pull over, let Nancy pass, then buzz her honking his horn while the passenger screamed at her. Then they mooned her and sped off.
Nancy reported this harassment, including the unsafe passing, to the Berlin Police Department. It turns out the same driver on the same evening hit a mailbox and almost a little girl on a bicycle. The driver was caught and charged with driving under the influence. Through Nancy’s diligent work and the willingness of the Berlin Police Department to listen to her, the driver was also found guilty of violating the state’s safe passing law. The driver’s license has since been suspended and substantial fines were levied by the court.
Source: http://shiftinggearsbemidji.com/
As of the 2011 Bicycle Friendly States survey, 20 states throughout the country have a safe passing law. Cyclists in Nebraska and Indiana are working right now to ensure safe passing distances in their states. The work doesn’t end with the adoption of safe passing legislation. The awareness such laws raise is a major benefit for cyclists and motorists who share the road. But in instances like Nancy’s, there has to be meaningful enforcement of laws that protect cyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable users. Kudos to Nancy and the Berlin Police Department for working together for safe passing in Vermont.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Big news today out of Pennsylvania. The PA Senate passed House Bill 170, the Safe Passing Act by a vote of 45 to 5. The bill will now go to Governor Corbett’s desk for his signature.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Three of America’s largest cycling organizations — Adventure Cycling Association, Alliance for Biking & Walking, and the League of American Bicyclists – wish to thank the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the significant improvements the agency made last week in an important technical advisory (TA) regarding the application of rumble strips on U.S. roadways.
The FHWA issued a revised TA on rumble strips in May 2011, the first such revision in ten years. The TA is important because it provides official national guidance on the use of rumbles and influences state and local agency action in their use of rumbles on roadways of all types. FHWA had indicated that this new advisory would substantially improve the TA’s guidance on the application of rumble strips and how they affected bicyclists. As we previously noted the May 2011 TA went backwards from the 2001 TA in its lack of inclusion of cyclists’ safety issues.
The newly revised TA, released on November 16, 2011, is a substantial improvement. It includes a new section about the accommodation of all roadway users (Section 9), with a special emphasis on the needs of cyclists, and lays out “a number of measures that should be considered to accommodate bicyclists,” including wide shoulders, bicycle gaps (intervals without rumble strips that allow cyclists to safety cross back or forth), and customized rumble treatments to allow more space for cyclists. The new TA also includes a significantly improved section on public outreach and involvement.
There are still sections of the new TA that raise concerns for cyclists, including Section 7b, which identifies the optimal “length” (or width) of rumble strips as 16 inches, a dimension which can make it more likely that these strips will cut into useable road shoulder space for cyclists.
It will be important for local citizens and organizations to pay close attention to the proposed addition of rumble strips on existing roadways and when roads are being built, reconstructed or repaved.
In addition to FHWA’s new advisory, further background and guidance can be found in the League’s Bicycling and Rumble Strips report and information on state-by-state use of of rumbles prepared by Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling has also developed a Flickr page where people can share photos of well-designed and poorly-designed rumble strips.
For more on this, please see the joint press release.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
On October 1, 2010, 15 cyclists left Outspokin’ bike shop in Augusta, Ga. on their weekly ride across the state border into Aiken, S.C. A truck, driven by Daniel Johnson, collided with the group and injured four cyclists and tragically left one other, Dr. Matthew Burke, critically injured with severe head trauma. After 128 days in a coma on life support, Dr. Burke passed away on February 6, 2011. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition and South Carolina cycling attorney Peter Wilborn worked on the case, and Johnson was charged with reckless homicide on February 8, 2011. After eight months of investigation and legal wrangling, Johnson admitted to his crime yesterday, October 17 and pled guilty to felony manslaughter. Johnson was taken immediately into custody and will be sentenced today, Tuesday, October 18th.
“Matt Burke’s legacy is that drivers can and should be treated as criminals for killing cyclists. Throughout the country, cycling deaths are regularly dismissed by law enforcement as mere traffic ‘accidents.’ But often they are not accidental, the needless fatalities are tragic consequences of reckless driving and lawless drivers,” Wilborn writes on his BikeLaw.com blog. “The driver’s felony conviction here proves to police, policymakers and drivers to take cycling safety seriously. This case from South Carolina is an example of how to do it right.”
Johnson claimed to have been distracted while reaching for something. Dr. Burke, a U.S. Army major and orthopedic surgeon, had been home from Iraq for about a year. “The police originally said it was just an accident,” says Wilborn. “We asked the police to just consider the data, and you know what? They listened. They did their job … and charged the driver with reckless homicide — the most serious thing that a driver could be charged with.” The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Aiken County Solicitor’s office performed the investigation.
Dr. Burke is survived by his wife Bonnie and 1-year-old daughter, Anna. Dr. Burke was only 38. Paul Burke, the cyclist’s brother, stated on Wilborn’s blog: “Today’s felony conviction establishes the criminal responsibility of Daniel Johnson for the senseless death of Matthew P. Burke. Dr. Burke was riding legally in a group of fifteen cyclists when he and four other riders were struck from behind by Mr. Johnson on a long, flat straight road in broad daylight.”
To learn more about improving cycling safety and police enforcement, read “Enforcement: The Final Frontier” in the July/August issue of American Bicyclist magazine.
Meghan Cahill League Director of Communications
Cahill joined the League in December 2008 and has a BA in Media Communications with a concentration in Italian Studies from the College of Charleston.
More people are commuting by bicycle every year, thanks to Bicycle Friendly Communities and other motivators like high gas prices. To ensure that motorists and bicyclists are sharing the road safely and learning about the Rules of the Road, AAA and the League of American Bicyclists have partnered to promote safe cycling. We hope to make the roads safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Andy Clarke, president of the League, joins Rhonda Markos, AAA traffic safety specialist, on AAA Talk Radio to chat about our partnership, bike safety facts and tips for motorists and cyclists alike, and why bicycling is moving up the ranks as one of the most popular modes of transportation. Listen to Clarke and Markos’ interview below.
The Advocacy Advance Team, a partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, has released a new report on the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a core federal-aid funding program. The report, called Getting a Fair Share for Safety from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP): Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy Case Studies, examines the states that have successfully dedicated federal safety funds to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and crashes. In a number of cases, advocates have taken a leading role in ensuring the transportation agency prioritized road safety projects for non‐motorists. These case studies can help advocates and officials in other states access this untapped resource for badly needed bicycle and pedestrian safety projects.
To date, bicycle and pedestrian projects have not received a fair share of HSIP funds. Fourteen percent of traffic fatalities nationwide in 2009 were non‐motorists. Yet, according to the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), only 6 states (CA, FL, NJ, OH, VA, WA) had HSIP funds coded as bicycle and/or pedestrian projects in 2010. Six states (AL, CA, FL, MN, NC, VA) coded HSIP funds on bicycle/pedestrian projects in 2009.
The Report contains the following recommendations to access safety funding for bicycling and walking safety projects:
Understand the HSIP planning process. Get acquainted with the program criteria, requirements, schedule and personnel. The following suggestions will help you do it.
Cultivate internal advocates. Get to know your state’s HSIP staff. Find out who else influences the relevant policies, processes and project selection. They can include local agency staff, State Highway Safety Engineers, District Safety Engineers and others. These folks understand the system. They are important sources of information and can be your best allies – many of them care deeply about bicyclist and pedestrian safety.
Cultivate elected officials. Elected officials wield influence over programs and priorities; when they show interest, it matters. They can also be more heavy‐handed. When agencies need a nudge, state legislation (or the threat of it) can produce results. The first step can be to highlight the need for safety interventions in your community. Find elected officials who care about this issue at the state and local levels. (Hint: they will care if they know their constituents care.)
Influence the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). In order for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects to be eligible for HSIP funds, the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan must identify them as priorities. Find out if bicyclist, pedestrian, and/or vulnerable road user safety is a plan priority area and get involved with revising the plan for bike/ped improvements and data collection. (See the matrix of SHSP priorities.) Plans have to be revised periodically. Find out when and recommend like‐minded officials and advocates for the relevant committees.
Learn the project selection criteria. How does the state select and prioritize safety projects? What are the performance outcomes being measured? Figure out how bicycle and pedestrian projects can compete, before the selections are finalized, to influence the project selection and prioritization process.
Collect crash and fatality data. The HSIP project selection process is data driven. For projects to be funded, they need to be shown to address to proven and quantifiable safety need. Gather this data and encourage the state to develop a better statewide reporting system and GIS mapping to make this data more available to local agencies.
Announce the funding opportunity. If your HSIP proposal deadlines are public, share them with state and local advocates, your constituents and the public, and provide tips for what to emphasize in the application to make for a successful project. If not, find out and share other key deadlines, like for the Transportation Improvement Plans (TIP) and Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP).
Follow up. Meet with the department and elected officials after safety projects have been selected. Thank them for funded bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, and remind them of the continued need. Follow‐up with local communities that were funded for bicycle and pedestrian projects to ensure that they do a good job with the funding and that they evaluate the results. That way you can publicize how they got the funding and made the improvements to inspire other agencies to apply for HSIP funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the next round.
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Whether bicycling to work, to improve their health, save money, or to reduce their overall carbon footprint, bicycling is on the rise and the League of American Bicyclists and AAA want motorists and bicyclists to make safety on our shared roadways a priority.
“As more cyclists hit the road and trail, we welcome the opportunity to work with AAA to reinforce the safety messages that both cyclists and motorists really need to take to heart,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We have a shared responsibility to share the road – and the reality is that most cyclists are also motorists at some point.”
“Education–on both sides—is key for all road users, of all ages,” said AAA’s Traffic Safety Specialist Rhonda Markos. “Despite conventional wisdom, children are not the primary victims of bicycle crashes.” Of the 630 bicyclist deaths in 2009, eight out of ten were adults over 21, so the League of American Bicyclists and AAA have partnered on a campaign to encourage adult bicyclists to take five easy steps to safer riding:
Follow the Rules of the Road:
Always ride with traffic, using the rightmost lane, obeying the same laws as motorists.
Use hand and arm signals to indicate your intention to stop, merge or turn.
Be Visible:
Ride where drivers can see you. Do not ride on the sidewalk.
Wear brightly colored clothing at all times. At night, use a white front light and red rear light or reflector, and wear reflective clothing.
Be Predicable:
Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars.
Make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there.
Anticipate Conflicts:
Always be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to take evasive action, exercising additional caution at intersections.
Learn braking and turning techniques to avoid crashes.
Wear a Helmet:
Helmets, when worn properly, are up to 85 percent effective in protecting the head and brain in the event of a crash. Should you crash, or have an impact that affects your helmet, replace it immediately.
Fit matters: Wear your helmet level on your head, low on your forehead, with no more than two finger widths above your eyebrow.
“AAA is pleased to work with the League of American Bicyclists to remind adults about safe bicycling practices and to encourage motorists and bicyclists alike to share the road,” Markos said.
Motorists should also make an effort to reduce bicyclist injuries and fatalities.
AAA is encourages it’s members to take the following precautions when sharing the road with bicyclists:
Stay alert, avoiding all distractions while driving.
Yield to bicyclists when turning.
In bad weather, give bicyclists extra passing room.
Check mirrors and blind spots for bicyclists before entering or leaving a lane of traffic.
Slow down and give at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.
Reduce your speed when passing bicyclists, especially when the road is narrow.
NEVER honk your horn at a bicyclist just to let them know you are there; it could cause them to swerve into traffic or off the roadway and crash. Save your horn for emergencies.
Always check for bicyclists before opening your car door.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
On Monday April 11, the Maryland State Senate passed HB 363, which gives Maryland law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to see that traffic justice is served. The new law creates a new misdemeanor level offence: vehicular negligent homicide. This closes a loophole that had let negligent drivers off with mere traffic fines for killing other road users, while still allowing for felony level charges to be brought in instances of gross negligence such as drunk driving. Guilty drivers will face up to 3 years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
Thanks to Bike Maryland, the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA), AAA Mid-Atlantic, bill author Delegate Luiz Simmons, Senate Judiciary Proceedings Committee Chair Brian Frosh and the hundreds of Maryland cyclists who took action in support of the bill, the governor is expected to sign the bill soon. Laws like this have been long sought by advocates in many states, so congratulations to Maryland for their success.
As Maryland advocates welcomed their good news, cyclists in New Mexico faced a setback. Despite passing both the state House and Senate with relative ease, Governor Martinez vetoed what would have been the country’s first statewide five-foot passing law. Such a law already exists within two cities in the state: Albuquerque and Los Alamos. Making it statewide would make for consistent application as cyclists and motorists travel throughout the state.
The League is disappointed the Governor chose to veto the bill that would have served as an good opportunity to educate motorists and cyclists about shared roadway safety, and would have provided another opportunity for state law enforcement to help protect cyclists.
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
A few updates to campaigns and legislation that the League has been assisting with:
New Mexico legislators recently passed the nation’s first 5 foot passing bill, however Governor Martinez must sign this by Friday for the bill to become law. Cyclists in New Mexico are urged totake action and let the Governor know how important it is for her to sign this into law. For those who have already sent an email, please follow-up with a phone call by calling her office at (505)476-2200.
Maryland HB 363 “Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel“ seeks to provide a misdemeanor option for those who cause fatalities by driving in a criminally negligent manner. After Bike Maryland’s 7 years of work on this legislation, the bill passed the Maryland state House only to be caught up in committee. The League helped generate hundreds of emails in support of the bill. Despite support from all area bicycling organizations, area media editorial boards, environmental groups and AAA Mid-Atlantic, the fate of the bill lies with Judicial Proceedings Chair (and Bike/Ped Caucus member) Senator Brian Frosh who has not been supportive. The Committee is meeting on the bill at this very second.
Georgia’s HB101 “The Better Bicycling Bill” has progressed through the Georgia House, Senate Public Safety Committee and is expected to pass the Senate Rules Committee early next week. The bill will clean up and clarify outdated Georgia laws related to bicycling safety. This legislation specifies that cyclists have the right-of-way in bike lanes and establishes minimum guidelines for safe bicycle facilities. It will also modernize Georgia’s code to better accommodate current bicycling equipment. Georgia cyclists can help with the last minute push by taking action here.
Recently we alerted you to a campaign to protect critical funding in the Houston-Galveston region. While falling short of the full amount that active transportation advocates had sought, $12.8 million was preserved to fund biking, walking and transit improvements for the next three years. Our friends at Streetsblog Capitol Hill have a full write-up. Congratulations to Bike Houston, Houston Tomorrow and all other groups and individuals who waged a smart and energized campaign.
Offroad cycling advocates in Boulder, CO took a bit of a hit last week in mountain bike access in the West TSA. The long sought after connection would provide better access to trails currently open to offroad cyclists. Despite insufficient mountain bike access called out in Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Plan and after a long campaign of the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance (supported by IMBA, Bikes Belong and the League of American Bicyclists), Boulder City Council still failed to provide the access advocates were after. Read a write-up of the City Council vote, as well as the long history of the fight for access in the West TSA here.
Do you have a state or local campaign you need assistance with or want to share your story? Let us know!
Jeff Peel State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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“We are going to address bike safety head on… and we are going to pull from all our resources to do it.”
Yesterday, we asked League members and supporters to 
Aiken, S.C. A truck, driven by Daniel Johnson, collided with the group and injured four cyclists and tragically left one other, Dr. Matthew Burke, critically injured with severe head trauma. After 128 days in a coma on life support, Dr. Burke passed away on February 6, 2011. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition and South Carolina cycling attorney Peter Wilborn worked on the case, and Johnson was 
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