Cyclists and motorists share a desire for safer roadways. Most of us are motorists as well as cyclists and we have probably all benefited from the wake-up call provided by rumble strips on the Interstate or major state highways. However, as cyclists we also know that there is no such thing as a bicyclist-friendly rumble strip, and over the years a lot of good roads for riding have been lost to rumble strips. [Click here to go directly to send the alert.]
Almost a decade ago the cycling community worked long and hard with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and State Departments of Transportation (DOT) to develop more tolerable rumble strip designs (for example, with gaps in the rumbles so that cyclists can cross them if needed) and to agree to policies that ensured popular cycling routes and roads with shoulders less than four feet in width would not be rumbled without good cause – i.e. a documented history of run-off-the-road crashes.
Today we are faced with a renewed push by the FHWA and state DOTs to rumble strip state highways as a matter of course and without regard to their own policies on where it is appropriate. We are seeing rumble strips being proposed and implemented in more and more urban settings, rather than just rural highways. In an attempt to prevent “roadway departures” by motor vehicles, rumble strips are seen as a very effective countermeasure: they do wake people up. Unfortunately, not every road is the nail to the rumble strips hammer. To be effective, there has to be recovery room; crash history and there have to be no unintended consequences. We need transportation agencies to take closer look into their toolbox.
For example, has roadway safety been improved if cyclists are all but forced to ride in the travel lane of a high-speed rural roadway because the shoulder has been rendered useless by rumble strips? This gets to the heart of the US Secretary of Transportation’s recent policy statement that declares “Because of the benefits they provide, transportation agencies should give the same priority to walking and bicycling as is given to other transportation modes.” This is where the rubber meets the road and we see if Federal and state agencies are going to heed LaHood’s words that, “this is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”
We have researched and issued a report on best practices. We have tried to work with FHWA on this issue. In an unprecedented partnership, the League of American Bicyclists, Adventure Cycling Association, Alliance for Biking and Walking, and USA Cycling have jointly asked them to re-issue their existing rumble strip guidance to states. We’ve met with officials in FHWA’s Office of Safety to ask for their help in applying their own guidance at the state level. And yet we learned recently that 17 states are leading a “Roadway Departure Prevention” program where the indiscriminate and wholesale application of rumble strips is being encouraged. Other states are sure to follow and the hard-won policy protecting cycling routes has been thrown out of the window.
This is a real threat and it is time to act! We need your immediate support and action to try to put a stop to it, today. We are not asking to end the use of rumble strips – they are a legitimate and effective safety treatment. We ARE asking for an end to the indiscriminate and inappropriate application of rumble strips that ignores FHWA and AASHTO’s own guidance on when and where they should be used. Send a message to your State DOT TODAY and ensure you don’t wake up tomorrow and discover your favorite ride has been ruined.
Photo by Dennis Coello
Another example:
Photo from Savannahnow.com
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Washington really is an odd place to do business. Even as the City prepares for the Summer exodus to the beach or home districts (or really anywhere away from the heat and humidity), the last few days of any Congressional session are alive with possibilities and danger, and interest groups such as ours have to be prepared for almost anything, flexible, and on 24 hour alert!
As I write, the House is debating the Transportation Appropriations bill – the annual approval of the funds and programs that the Department of Transportation spends and passes on to the States for various programs. Normally, there’s not much to get worked up about in this particular bill. The major programs and funding levels are set (or “authorized”) every five or six years by the transportation bill – and the appropriators really only get to play with the discretionary parts of the USDOT’s budget, which are relatively small.
This year, things are a little different. There are a handful of Members of Congress who still want to strip every funding program for bikes out of the budget – this time Congressman Broun of Georgia tried to introduce an amendment to prevent ANY funds in the bill going to bike paths; that proposal wasn’t even considered in bounds, so we didn’t have to go through the fire drill of getting folks wound up to defend bike funding. (Don’t worry, though, it seems inevitable it will come up again…!)
There’s also a major impasse over the next transportation bill, which means there are no new programs to be funded…but there’s a new administration and a new interest in programs like livability that some legislators really want to get moving. Of course, we want those programs funded as well, because they are likely to result in additional investment in bicycling. Two of our most favorite people in Washington are supporting a $200 million livability program in the bill – Secretary LaHood and Congressman Blumenauer – and ordinarily we would be right behind it.
Unfortunately, they find themselves ranged against two more of our most favorite people in Washington – Representatives Oberstar and DeFazio. They are both supporters of livability, of course – they wrote livability into the draft transportation bill after all. They are fiercely protective of their role as leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and authorizers of the programs that USDOT and the state DOTs implement. We are grateful for this authority, as it protects programs like the transportation enhancement and Safe Routes to School from potential annual attack by appropriators. The struggle in Congress between authorizers and appropriators is age-old, deep-seated, and transcends bicycle issues: authorizers never want to cede power to appropriators. In this case they don’t want a livability program created without their say because of the precedent it might set next year and the year after; they’d much rather have a new transportation bill written!
So, we find ourselves, along with other advocates, in a challenging position! We are standing on the sidelines watching and waiting. All four of our champions want strong livability initiatives in the USDOT and Federal Highway Administration…that isn’t the issue. The issue is how it gets done, and that’s something only Congress can work out. And with these four players involved…how can we possibly take sides.
UPDATE: The DeFazio Amendment just passed.
Andy Clarke League President
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.
St. Charles, Mo. County Council decided to table the proposed bike ban after the bill’s initial reading last night. Thanks to all county residents and advocates who spoke out against the proposed ban!
If you live in St. Charles County it’s not too late to speak up! Tell your Council members to vote against this bill in our Advocacy Center.
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.
St. Charles County Council Member Joe Brazil will be introducing a bill (bill no. 3620) in an attempt to ban bicycles from 5 state owned highways at tonight’s County Council meeting. If you live in Charles County, please attend tonight’s meeting at 7:00pm at the County Council Executive Building.
* If you live, work, or own a business in St Charles County, say so.
* Strongly oppose the bicycle ban.
* The ban on bicycles is the absolutely wrong way to go about solving what is a very serious problem.
* Before taking such a drastic and controversial action, the council needs to carefully study the issue and meet with affected groups.
* No other county in Missouri, or in the U.S. for that matter, has enacted such a sweeping ban of bicyclists on the main and only connecting highways.
* Area bicycle organizations would like the chance to meet with county officials, MoDOT officials, concerned citizens groups, and others, and work out a solution that will actually solve the problem rather than simply scapegoating bicyclists.
* More study is needed–do they even know if **any** collisions on these roads are caused by bicyclists? Have they studied causes of collisions on these roads? If not, they need to stop and do so before taking drastic action.
For St. Charles County residents unable to attend the meeting, you can email your County Council member at our Advocacy Center.
See this newscast on the ban:
UPDATE:
Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator Melissa Anderson says that the roads in the proposed ban fall under the jurisdiction of Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and that “MoDOT has no intention of prohibiting cyclists from state roads. Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers according to the law. It is important that there is mutual respect and consideration between cyclists and motorists. Cyclists must obey the laws and motorists need to respect a cyclist’s right to use the road and not intentionally cause them harm. Local law enforcement may be able to assist with both of these issues.”
226.130. 1. The commission shall: (1) Have supervision of highways and bridges which are constructed, improved and maintained in whole or in part by the aid of state moneys, and of highways constructed in whole or in part by the aid of moneys appropriated by the United States government, so far as such supervision is consistent with the acts of Congress relating thereto;
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.
We want to update you on the bike ban in Black Hawk, CO. We have continued to monitor the situation and we are supporting our colleagues at Bicycle Colorado in the fight to overturn it.They offer the following update:
More than 100 bicyclists joined together at the state capitol last week to show their support to keep roads open to bikes in Colorado. State Senators Greg Brophy and Chris Romer spoke out about the bike ban.
“This is a basic freedom issue,” said Senator Brophy. Senator Romer spoke about the message a ban sends about Colorado, “Why do we want to have the only city in America to ban bicycling through the entire city?”
photo courtesy of Bicycle Colorado
Cyclists can speak out by signing Bicycle Colorado’s online petition.
We’ll continue to share updates as they are available.
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.
One of the overall themes from yesterday at Velo-City Global was that bicycling is about people. “I don’t give a sh*t about bikes. I care about people on bikes,” was how Mikael Coleville-Anderson, filmmaker, photographer and urban mobility specialist, put it. The idea that we should be planning our cities around its people rather than its cars has somehow escaped us Americans for the past decades. Where did we lose track of this idea? When presented, it sounds so obvious but in reality we have continued to take and take and take space away from people – walking people, conversing people, bike-riding people – and given it to the cars. We have given it away to single occupancy loneliness; we have separated crowds by steel and have stolen the chance for citizens to really experience their community.
Lake Sagaris, president of Ciudad Viva in Santiago, Chile, spoke a similar tone in her presentation. There are so many faces to the world, yet segregating ourselves by an automobile takes the personality out of a community. Bicycling is not only about connecting locations but it is also about connecting people in communities. It is about growing an identity and giving people faces for which to see and respond. Sagaris’s people-packed photos were a reminder that people need people. We need that chance encounter on a sidewalk or on a bike-path where we can stop, talk, and connect.
Cities need to again consider its people when planning how to move them, consider their health, consider the air they are breathing, consider their ability to connect to their neighbors, and consider their quality of life. Bicycles are a solution to all of these issues and more, and it really is about the people. Bikes would be nothing without people to propel them.
The most remarkable thing to me about the latest status report on the National Bicycling and Walking Study (www.fastlane.dot.gov) is that it’s the 15-year update. Fifteen years? I remember like it was only yesterday sitting down with Bill Wilkinson and the folks in the office of then-Congressman Martin Sabo to suggest the study, and that was way back in 1990 – then it got funded, consultants were hired, and the report was finally delivered to Congress on National Bike to Work Day 1994. Surely it can’t be that long ago…
The 15-year update is really pretty positive. It captures many of the exciting new trends and initiatives that have helped increase use and improve safety, especially in the last two or three years. The report is rightfully optimistic about where these trends will take us – and with continued leadership of the Department of Transportation and Secretary LaHood, who knows what we can achieve together.
I must say, though, that there is something missing for me. The original study came at a time of similarly high expectations. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act was really kicking into gear and spending was increasing; states had newly-hired, enthusiastic bicycle and pedestrian coordinators; the USDOT and FHWA themselves had newly appointed bicycle and pedestrian program managers; and after more than a decade of real neglect, bicycling and walking was starting to be taken seriously again at all levels of government. The case studies written as background to the overall report provided an invaluable snapshot of where bicycling and walking issues really were in the early 1990s.
The National Study itself had a very specific 69-point action plan for the Federal Government, as well as lengthy recommended action plans for state and local government. The five-year update reported on progress towards each of those 69 action items – and to be fair many of them had been completed. The 10-year update didn’t do a whole lot more than search and replace the dates and plug in some new crash and census data. So while the 15-year report references the new USDOT policy statement and documents the great success of the Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets and other programs…I’m still wondering where the action plan and leadership is for FHWA and NHTSA to capitalize on all this.
As the National Study came out in 1994 – hey, wasn’t there a World Cup going on then as well…right here in the USA? – Federal Highways and NHTSA embarked on a multi-year, multi-million dollar research program that resulted in crash analysis tools, level of service measures, training courses on the ISTEA planning process, a university-level design course for engineers, a bicycle safety research synthesis…all kinds of good stuff that helped move the ball forward. When TEA-21 was passed, FHWA came right out with detailed guidance on the new law and on what we now call complete streets.
That’s the kind of leadership we need anew at FHWA and NHTSA to really turn Secretary LaHood’s policy and support into concrete action. And in particular we need FHWA and NHTSA to demonstrate that kind of leadership to the State Department’s of Transportation because, if truth be told, a 15-year report on how state DOTs are doing in this realm would not make for such encouraging reading.
So, I am delighted to see that bicycle use and walking are up from 7.9 percent to 11.9 percent of trips and that fatalities involving the two modes are down 12 percent and 22 percent respectively since 1994 – and I am looking for the next milestone to be set; and this time with a deadline! We need to get to a 20 percent mode share by 2020 to really start to see the kinds of health, environmental, energy and traffic benefits we know we can all enjoy from getting more people out of their cars and onto their feet and their bikes. That’s the target we’re looking for now.
Andy Clarke League President
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.
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly “YouCut program”.
Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes.
This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor’s targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it.
Safe Routes to School is a critical Federal program because, like education itself and like kids’ health and nutrition needs, the safety and well-being of getting our children to and from school is a national priority and has been dramatically overlooked by state Departments of Transportation for decades. The fact that the SRTS money is massively oversubscribed in every state makes it very clear there’s a need and that it won’t happen without Federal leadership
Are we seeing a preview of more attacks to come on bicycling and walking programs? We might be if Cantor thinks he can get away with it. Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School.
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.
Black Hawk’s Board of Aldermen is making it clear that they don’t want bicyclists or bicycle events in town. The Board approved an ordinance banning bicycle riding on almost every street in Black Hawk. This includes the only paved street (Gregory Street-formerly State Highway 279) connecting the Peak to Peak Highway with the Central City Parkway.
Black Hawk police are now issuing a ticket to anyone “caught riding” through town.
This isn’t the first time a bicycling ban has come up in Colorado. We’ll be working with our friends at Bicycle Colorado to challenge this one too, but we need your help! Visit Bicycle Colorado’s to stay abreast of the situation. Colorado residents, cross-state tourists and concerned cyclists can contact Black Hawk leaders at CityClerk@CityofBlackHawk.org or the town council at 303-582-2212. Ask Mayor David D. Spellman and Aldermen Linda Armbright, Paul G. Bennett, Diane Cales, Kathleen Doles, Tom Kerr and Greg Moates to please restore bicycle access to Gregory Street and all Black Hawk streets. Let them know this ban is closing a major cross-state route to bicyclists preventing residents and tourists from biking.
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.
We don’t always get a lot of national and international media coverage for local bike events, so I have to say it was a pretty amazing sight riding up Pennsylvania Avenue Monday morning and seeing a wall of media people wielding cameras, microphones, even some notepads…apparently in the median and across the bike lanes! The combination of European royal-watchers, sports reporters, and a couple of political hacks each headed for their respective targets (the Crown Prince of Denmark, Caron Butler, and Congressmen Oberstar and Petri respectively) as we rode up to the intersection at Freedom Plaza.
The Associated Press story that followed (and was picked up in a lot of places) included a rather unnecessary jibe about a passing motorist complaining that the event was holding up traffic as people were trying to get to work. That was pretty ironic given that we deliberately started the ride at 9:30am to avoid rush hour, stayed resolutely in the bike lanes (which are still within the temporary orange traffic cones) all the way up Pennsylvania Ave., and didn’t spill over into the travel lanes even when we stopped for the wall of media at 13th Street. In fact, the only people who might have been in the way of traffic were…the media. And we had specifically asked them to gather in Freedom Plaza and not in the middle of the street!
Besides, if you are still trying to get to work and it’s already 9:45am…I think you should be blaming your alarm clock, or the traffic you got stuck in on the Beltway or the illegally parked tour buses and taxis on Penn. Ave., rather than a couple of dozen people in the wide median of a six lane roadway!
Another miserable piece of journalism from the DriveOn blog at USA Today used the ride to regurgitate misinformation about the bike lanes from AAA Mid Atlantic and the always civic-minded D.C. cab driver corps who are irritated that the bike lanes will prevent them from making illegal and dangerous u-turns – or at least make them more difficult. The facts about the bike lanes are that with the proper enforcement of cabs and tour buses who currently illegally park, double-park, pick-up and discharge passengers along Pennsylvania Ave., there is no degradation of service to motorists using the reconfigured street. Of course, that doesn’t make such good copy as an imaginary “war on drivers” that the USA Today writer so enthusiastically perpetuates.
After we left Freedom Plaza, the ride around the Monumental Core of Washington DC was a real treat – the weather was perfect, and taking in the sites by bike was an ideal way to go.
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.
The League, along with its partners in the America Bikes Coalition, would like to thank Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Lieberman (I-CT) on the introduction of the American Power Act. We are excited that they have included policy necessary to lay the foundation to make significant advances in addressing the impact of transportation on our climate, energy dependence and mobility. Riding bikes means cleaner air, and the more infrastructure available for bicyclists – the more people will ride!
We support the policy reforms included in the bill because they direct states and regions to spend federal transportation dollars received from the climate bill to build sustainable transportation solutions. The three avenues for funding – Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, (see how Tiger Grants fund bicycling ) the Transportation Efficiency grants, and the Highway Trust Fund with a green screen – give state and local governments several options to invest in low- and no-carbon transportation.
Once again, we thank you for your leadership on the American Power Act and the important policy
gains toward sustainable transportation. We urge you to increase the revenue returning to the
transportation sector, and index that investment to the price of carbon. Click here to read more.
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.
I just rode up to Capitol Hill from the office – we are near the White House and usually I am headed for the House side and choose to ride up the service road on the Mall by the Smithsonian buildings. But today I was headed for the Senate side and decided that heading straight up Pennsylvania Avenue was the best bet. Plus, I wanted to see if the promised bike lanes were in fact being implemented in time for Bike to Work Day in a couple of weeks.
Photo: Andy Clarke
They are! The bike lanes are going in – on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Of course, there are some detractors. AAA Mid-Atlantic has come out and said they’ll bring the city to a grinding halt…although a quick look at Pennsylvania Avenue today suggests that tour buses and taxis are doing an excellent job already of bunging up the travel lanes as well as the parking lanes, and that despite the construction zone extending beyond the width of the eventual bike lanes themselves, the street seems to be working just fine.
Indeed, evidence from city after city in this country and the rest of the world suggests that
a) AAA Mid-Atlantic’s favored approach of adding more and more lanes ad infinitum hasn’t worked for 50 years (all it’s done is get even more people stuck in the same traffic jams) and probably isn’t going to start working today all of sudden
b) Putting in better bike infrastructure really does generate more bike traffic and either reduce or slow the increase in car traffic – look at Portland over the last 15 years, New York City in the last two as classic examples
c) When travel lanes or capacity is reduced, traffic goes away. People find other ways or other modes; or they don’t make the trip. Happens every time a bridge goes out, or a major construction project blocks off a major artery – people adapt.
d) And by even AAA Mid-Atlantic’s survey indications, a lot of people will adapt by going by bike. That’s a good thing. That’ll reduce congestion; make more room for delivery vehicles and tourist buses and taxis.
The reaction of AAA Mid-Atlantic is unfortunate, if not utterly predictable. And maybe it’s good that after years of really not having to worry about bikes because we weren’t making much inroad (sic) into their territory…maybe now they are getting a little flustered with such an iconic and visible street as Pennsylvania Avenue having bike lanes. We are starting to succeed and make a difference.
What AAA Mid-Atlantic and others fail to see is that we’re not proposing a zero-sum game. We’re not trying to do away with cars, nor are we anti-car. Cars will have a critical role to play in our transportation system into the forseeable future…but not as the ONLY means of getting around, and not as the ONLY, exclusive user of the public realm to the detriment of almost everything else – clear air, health, climate, safety, energy etc. Great cities and great streets have choice. They enjoy and celebrate diversity. They feature PEOPLE not traffic. They have balance. Altering the balance of traffic on Pennsylvania Ave won’t choke it or bring it to a halt – it will bring it to life. And the nation’s real Main Street (not the ghastly DC Beltway, as AAA Mid-Atlantic would have you believe it is) deserves to be brought to life again.
UPDATE:
A quick update on the Pennsylvania Ave. bike lane story. We didn’t clarify that it was AAA’s mid-Atlantic chapter and spokespeople that came out in opposition to the new bike lanes on Pennsylvania Ave. (corrected above,) and evidently the National Headquarters of AAA is not too happy about taking the rap for their mid-Atlantic chapter…so sorry to the national AAA folks, who just this week issued a great story about sharing the road and are meeting with us in a few days to discuss potential things we can do together.
Another of AAA’s local chapters also came under some scrutiny this week for an article about sharing the road that was generally very good and supportive, with good quotes from AAA and cyclists…but included four bullets of advice that were totally off the mark. AAA is a big, very decentralized group – but with tens of millions of members, it is also very influential, and has a huge impact on cyclists. So, we’re looking forward to the dialog beginning later this month.
Andy Clarke League President
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.
DATE: May 19, 2010
TIME: 7:00 pm
WHERE: Hundreds of locations world wide
Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
Why ride?
* To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
* To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
* To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD
Courtesy of Ride of Silence
THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET
On May 19, 2010, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.
In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. (Read the full history here…)
The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.
Please check the resources on this site. If there is a Ride of Silence in your area, we encourage you to join them. If there is not a ride planned in your area, please consider adding your city to the ever-growing list of sites. To get information on how to organize and host a Ride of Silence, please click here; you might also want to look at our FAQ.
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.
We often receive calls and emails about cyclists being buzzed from motorists. We’ve experienced this ourselves, and it’s particularly scary and infuriating when it happens intentionally. It’s why we support 3-foot or greater passing laws and enhanced penalties for motorists and passengers who taunt or harass cyclists. Finding the perpetrators can be tough and having enough evidence for officers to bring charges is even tougher. Not so in Abigdon, VA:
J.W. Kiser was pedaling along at about 15 mph near the Emory & Henry campus when a maroon car full of teenagers pulled up right beside him. He thought they were trying – successfully – to scare him.
Then they brushed his bright green bicycle. He wobbled, but managed to stay upright as the car sped away.
Angry, Kiser trailed after them. He figured they were probably students, so he cycled around the campus parking lots. In one (loop), around 200 yards from where he’d been hit, he found it – a maroon Chrysler sedan with Florida tags and bright green paint all the way down its side. He took pictures and called the police.
When a Virginia State trooper arrived, Emory & Henry student Joseph Earle, 19, was charged with reckless driving and, later, hit and run with property damage, 1st Sgt. M.R. Willis said.
Kudos to Mr. Kiser for keeping a cool head and handling the situation properly by calling the police- and a job well done to the VA State Trooper who responded.
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.
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 March 15th, the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, announced a new policy statement that calls for the end of treating bicycling and walking as second-class modes of transportation. Read the whole statement.
LaHood’s leadership sets a great example for the states to follow. It is an important step in completing bicycle and pedestrian networks all over the country. But there is a lot of work to do to get there. Already, opponents have attacked the secretary for speaking out in favor of active transportation. We need our elected officials and state Departments of Transportation to really understand how important bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is to all of us. You can help!
Please take a moment to:
Thank Secretary LaHood for his leadership on this issue and call on him to continue to fight for safe, healthy, clean transportation options – thank him on Facebook, (also follow his blog and Twitter feed)
The League of American Bicyclists is eager to ensure that the priorities of the policy statement are realized. Help us continue our efforts.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Congressman LaTourette (OH) asked if the Department still had mandatory drug testing in place
Iowa Representative Tom Latham complained other transportation needs would be “swept aside”. (See our response)
All because we are now NOT going to ignore the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians in transportation projects! Imagine if the Secretary had said the opposite? What if he had said we should ignore the needs of all of us who walk and bike? It would have been unacceptable. And yet that has been the reality in far too many places for too long.
Far from what the naysayers claim, investing in bicycling infrastructure has been shown over and over again to benefit local economies and the nation.
The secretary rightly wants to encourage biking and walking. Addressing obesity, congestion, and high carbon emissions are national priorities and they require national leadership. This will be done by providing a safe and convenient way to replace short cars trips with clean and healthy bicycle trips for those who choose it. Forty percent of all trips in the U.S. are two miles or less – an easy biking distance. And it’s not just in cities. In rural areas, thirty percent of trips are two miles or less.
But listening to the critics you would think he wanted to replace all trucks with cargo bikes. Let’s look at what the policy actually says.
“Transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for” bicycling and walking. – “Go Beyond minimum requirements.” Not exactly a rallying cry for a war on cars. That state Departments of Transportation need this kind of nudge tells you something about their historical single-mode focus.
“Considering walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes…Walking and bicycling should not be an afterthought in roadway design.” – Equal consideration does not mean equal cost. Bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure costs a fraction of highways (and contributes an even smaller fraction of the wear and tear on the roads). Much of the time they can be incorporated in roadway plans at minimal expense – often it just requires some thinking. And the statement makes it clear that short trips are the target, not interstate freight trips.
“Ensuring that there are transportation choices for people of all ages and abilities, especially children” – Children should have a safe way to get to school and our parents and grandparents should have an alternative to driving. This is stuff we can all get behind.
“Integrating bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on new, rehabilitated, and limited-access bridges” – Bike access to bridges is critical to connecting a bicycling network. This is the key to getting the most out of them. As they say in Seattle: if you can’t get across the bridges, nothing else matters.
The USDOT statement then goes on to encourage collecting data on walking and biking trips, setting targets for walking and bicycling and tracking them over time, and maintaining existing infrastructure. The policy recommendations are common sense, equitable, and give people the chance to make their own transportation choices – without imperiling our nation’s highways.
We welcome the Secretary LaHood’s policy memo and hearty support. But he’s not drafting brand new policy here. Since ISTEA in 1991 – spanning four different presidential administrations, from both parties – many of these policy elements have been in place with little attention, fanfare or funding. Many states and municipalities have used these policies to make communities better places to live and work. Our hope is that by prioritizing these existing policies, the rest of the country can share in the improved livability of those who are already benefitting from them.
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.
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.
I’m in full agreement with the National Association of Manufacturers, who said on their Shopfloor blog last week that “treating bicycles and other non-motorized transportation as equal to motorized transportation would cause an economic catastrophe.” Such a policy will negate any effort the Administration has made to create jobs and will hinder the movement of our nation’s goods. As we work to emerge from these difficult economic times, we need policies that promote the safe, efficient movement of goods. The Administration’s major policy revision will be particularly detrimental if it diverts Highway Trust Fund dollars from critical expansion and repair projects that will help use meet national goals.
“I’ve been called many things as I ride to and from work every day in our nation’s capital, but a harbinger of economic catastrophe…now that’s a first!
As I think back to major economic catastrophes of the last 40 years, I am having a hard time finding any tell-tale trace of bicycle tire tracks. On the contrary, my recollection of significant recent economic crises is that they are invariably caused by our predeliction for foreign oil – the 1973/74 oil embargo; 1988 oil crisis; 2008 gas price increases quickly followed by the mortgage and foreclosure crisis that piled unsustainable housing costs on top of budget-busting suburban commuting costs.
In terms of economic competitiveness, I would suggest that the crippling – and rapidly rising – health care costs associated with physical inactivity and obesity among the US workforce is a crisis worth worrying about. This adds significantly to the cost of everything produced here in the United States, making us less competitive abroad. Getting people moving through daily physical activity is a national priority – enabling people to bike and walk as part of everyday routines is a remarkably cost-effective way of achieving that goal, and surely something that manufacturers and employers would be behind 100 percent. The fact that it would also reduce congestion and increase discretionary spending on goods and services seems like a pretty good deal for the business community.
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.
League President Andy Clarke has posted two comments. Here is the first:
“Secretary LaHood’s announcement related to bicycling and walking certainly didn’t go unnoticed in the nonmotorized, or active transportation, community. Unsurprisingly, the new policy and approach has been hailed as the dawn of a new era, long-overdue recognition of the value and importance of bicycling and walking to our communities and to our transportation system; and a welcome opportunity to finally play on something approaching a level playing field.
Keith and other respondents have already covered some good ground on the myriad benefits of accommodating active transportation, providing real transportation choices, and enabling more people to ride and walk for more of their everyday trips. I think everyone can agree that if more people rode and walked more often, that would be a good thing – for individuals, for communities, and for the nation; in relation to health, energy independence, congestion, climate change, and even the economy.
However, Greg Cohen provides a timely reminder of the pushback the Secretary’s new direction will inevitably face from a disgruntled few and so it’s worth addressing some of the less obvious benefits and issues. My organization, the League of American Bicyclists, is a group of cycling enthusiasts, to be sure. But it would be wrong to try and portray this new policy as being about a few bike paths and a handful of lycra-clad Lance Armstrong wannabees getting some special treatment because they caught the ear of the Secretary.
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.
The ever-busy and effective advocacy organization, BikeWalkLee (Lee County, Florida) announced that their Municipal Planning Organization (MPO) board unanimously passed a motion in support of the USDOT policy statement. They encouraged Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to support it as well.
BikeWalkLee immediately thanked the MPO for their support. “BikeWalkLee is gratified by the continued leadership and commitment demonstrated by the MPO led by Chairman Judah to complete Lee County’s streets and to integrate the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists in road projects,” said Darla Letourneau, a local community advocate and BikeWalkLee leader. “Not only is the MPO leading the county’s efforts, its quick endorsement of this policy statement puts Lee County in the forefront of communities around the country who recognize the significance of this bold action by the Secretary of Transportation. In fact, Lee County may be the first in the country to have officially endorsed the new policy.”
They may be the first – does anyone know of others? – but it is important that they are not the last to make their support public. We need to see more official statements of support for two reasons. First, the Secretary did not need to make this policy statement. He did it because he understands the benefits of non-motorized travel. But no savvy policy maker is going to stick his or her neck out repeatedly unless they see support for their efforts. Statements of the kind made by the Lee County MPO will help ensure the Secretary and others who share the vision will continue to speak out. Second, words need to be only the beginning. As bicyclists and advocates, we need to encourage the USDOT, state DOTs, and MPOs to back up their words with action. There are dozens of good bicycle and pedestrian projects in every region that need to be funded and pushed efficiently through the funding and building process.
Please encourage your MPO, county and state agencies to publicly support the DOT non-motorized transportation policy.
UPDATE: Here is the language of the motion that the Lee MPO unanimously passed:
Motion: That the MPO Board pass a motion in support of the USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations, announced by Secretary LaHood on 3/15/2010, and that FDOT be encouraged to also support this policy statement.
Here’s the story of how they got it done:
A supportive member of the Lee MPO asked Darla Letourneau of BikeWalkLee to make a public comment about the requested motion. Darla addressed some regional issues and then went through the main points of the policy statement. She told the group that the USDOT policy statement encourages states, local governments and public transportation agencies to adopt similar policy statements. She commended the leadership of the MPO for passing a Complete Streets policy in 2009, and closed with this: “To demonstrate your continued commitment and to better position Lee County/SW Florida for complete streets grant opportunities, we request that you pass a motion today stating your support of this USDOT Policy Statement and encouraging FDOT to also support this USDOT Policy Statement.”
Our thanks to Darla Letourneau.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
As reported in the Courthouse News Service article “Republicans Ridicule Bike Lanes,” Republican Congressmen derided Republican Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood for his call for a “sea change” in the Department of Transportation to treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes. At a Congressional hearing, Ohio Republican Steven LaTourette asked, “What job is going to be created by having a bike lane?” Tom Latham, the Representative from Iowa, said that a cyclist is one fewer person paying into the transportation trust fund. He claimed that other transportation needs are being “swept aside.” Representative LaTourette even got a personal dig in, asking, “Is there still mandatory drug-testing at the department?”
There are a few issues. First, the Secretary wants to provide more transportation choices for the millions of Americans who want healthy, safe, efficient, environmentally sustainable, and enjoyable ways to get around. Second, investing in bicycling and walking creates jobs and is good for the economy. Third, the problems with the transportation trust fund have little to nothing to do with bicycling.
Supporting the freedom of Americans to choose from a range of transportation options shouldn’t be partisan issue. Providing non-motorized transportation options benefits health, the environment, and the economy. Walking and bicycling are also the only options for many young, old, and low-income citizens.
Investing in bicycling and walking infrastructure creates jobs. That’s why state Departments of Transportation have committed $734 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to stimulate the economy with ready-to-go, job-creating bicycle and pedestrian projects. Building better biking and walking infrastructure requires people to pour concrete, lay asphalt, and drive bulldozers – and in fact because these projects tend to be small, labor intensive and quick to get off the drawing board, they are actually estimated to generate more jobs per million dollars spent than massive highway and bridge reconstruction projects. On top of that, the Secretary is also making the critical observation that it doesn’t cost anything more to restripe many roads with a bike lane – you are just putting the lane stripes down in a different place!
Once bicycle and pedestrian projects are completed, they boost the local economy by attracting visitors and improving shopping districts. The Outdoor Industry Foundation estimates that the bicycling industry supports 1.1 million jobs and generates $17.7 billion in tax revenue each year.
The argument that bicyclists don’t contribute to road costs doesn’t hold water. Just over half of the cost of transportation at all levels of government is paid for by fuel and vehicle taxes and tolls. The rest comes from property taxes, general fund allocations, bond issues, and transit fares. Non-drivers are already helping to pay. In addition, the majority of the 57 million American adults who bicycle also drive and so pay into the trust fund anyway. The bike riders that don’t drive reduce costly congestion and road wear.
The Congressmen should have commended the Secretary for recognizing the myriad benefits of bicycling and walking and the central part it plays in many people’s lives. We encourage all members of Congress to join the Congressional Bike Caucus and support the following legislation:
1. Active Community Transportation Act of 2010
2. Complete Streets Act of 2009
3. Safe Routes to School Program
4. Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act
5. Land and Water Reauthorization and Funding Act
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
For the umpteenth time in the last five years, a radio show host who is paid to be controversial decides that picking on cyclists would be funny. He makes all the usual comments about spandex, and cyclists being in the way, and not belonging on the road. Then he crosses the line and says that “tapping” a cyclist from behind is OK. You know the drill. Except this time, the commentator in nationally syndicated bad boy Tony Kornheiser, the radio station is ESPN, and his remarks got the attention of a certain Lance Armstrong.
Not surprisingly, Lance gets pissed off and tweets his millions of followers to share their outrage. He calls Kornheiser to put him straight. That’s what we all want to do. We are all thinking “How could anyone be so stupid and say that, even if they think they are just being funny.” We want to go on the show and put the record straight. Get an apology. Remind people we’ve got a right to the road. Ask for some respect out there. All credit to Lance for doing that and for getting the apology; I heard he did a great job (listen here). We’ve been on the phone with the station managers since it happened last Friday – Lance clearly has pull!
My anxiety is this. Kornheiser got all the attention he wanted and so did the show. That’s what he’s paid to do. He got Lance Armstrong on his show – how cool is that? With a little controversy thrown in for good measure. We’ve learned from numerous previous incidents – one as recently as two weeks ago in the Raleigh area – that the only way to deal with this kind of nonsense in the longer term is with the station managers and owners directly. Five years ago, Clear Channel instituted a strong disciplinary policy on this topic after a series of horrible incidents on their stations, and it worked. Since then we’ve done battle with Entercomm – local Boston retailers Landry’s set them straight – and others. Some of the “personalities” have been taken off the air and disciplined.
I probably would have encouraged Lance to call the ESPN owners to say he wouldn’t appear on their networks again until Kornheiser not only apologized but also was taken off the air and made to do some PSAs and public appearances (maybe even in spandex…) at local charity bike events; maybe until ESPN agreed to sponsor Bike to Work Day or a Safe Routes to School initiative… As plenty of people have said, if he gets two weeks off the air for criticizing a colleague’s fashion sense, surely exhorting people to potentially kill cyclists ought to generate some kind of meaningful punishment. More meaningful than getting to chat with one of the greatest sports personalities on the planet.
Credit to WashCycle for being all over this story.
Andy Clarke League President
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.
The League of American Bicyclists was more than thrilled to have Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood join us at the Congressional Bike Reception on the third day of the National Bike Summit on March 11, 2010. We were even more excited with his support of bicycling as a vital part of America’s transportation system. LaHood blogged, “Bicycles are a critical part of a cleaner, greener future in American transportation, so keep those wheels spinning.” Below is a clip of LaHood’s blog Fast Lane, recapping his Bike Summit experience. Read LaHood’s whole post here.
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of addressing the National Bike Summit. I was invited to speak as a member of the Obama administration, but I have been a supporter of bicycling for many years and was a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus when I was in Congress.
The Advocacy Advance Team, a partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking, has released a new report, Distracted Driving: a Bicycling Advocate’s Resource. It describes the current research into the dangers of distracted driving, says which states have texting and cellphone bans and makes recommendation for good legislation. This information is summarized in a two-pageDistracted Driving fact sheet. The full Distracted Driving report also provides advice on making the case for laws, shows evidence that the laws are needed and enforceable, and tells stories of successful campaigns.
National Bike Summit attendees can see Wednesday’s 11:15 am panel session “Traffic Justice – Don’t Be Driven to Distracted Driving,” featuring speakers from NHTSA, AAA, the New York State Police, and Chicago’s Active Transportation Alliance. (I will be moderating — if you are a regular reader, come say hello.) See the Summit program.
The back of a bus suggests that drivers send a text message to Jetta dealership. It also throws in its own (smaller) safety messages.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
The Washington Examiner’s “Daily Outrage” attacked Senator Menendez Wednesday, February 24 for supporting, along with his fellow senator from New Jersey, a $2.3 million upgrade to bicycle paths that will connect New Jersey to Pennsylvania. The editorial states that, “the grant comes from $1.5 billion in transportation funds awarded as part of the federal stimulus. Unless the new economy means we’re using rickshaws for shipping, it’s unclear how bike paths will ‘stimulate’ the economy.”
What’s the issue:
The paper fails to recognize bicycling as a legitimate form of transportation for starters, but also misses the point of theTIGER grants. According to Secretary LaHood the purpose of the TIGER funds was to:
help build high-priority innovative transportation projects that were difficult to fund through traditional programs – projects that create jobs, stimulate economic activity and help develop livable communities…From freight rail to streetcars, from roadways to waterways to bikeways, we are affirming the truly multi-modal nature of American transportation.
TIGER grants were also about sustainable, innovative designs that improve livability. Something that increases lanes on existing highways doesn’t do enough.
What they could have said:
The Washington Examiner should be promoting the new direction of the Department of Transportation in taking livability and multi-modal initiatives into consideration. It is a (literal) breathe of fresh air. Not only could they have applauded the funding award, but they should have urged Senator Menendez to join the Senate Bike Caucus to further become involved in making America bicycle-friendly.
We urge New Jersey League members to contact Senator Menendez to thank him for his support of the funding and to continue to support future pro-bike economic stimulus initiatives. Also, contact Washington Examiner editors to let them know that bicycling is important to our economy.
View the League’s response to previous Trash Talkers here. Know someone trash talking bikes? 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.
The 2010 National Bike Summit kicks off in Washington, DC on March 9-11, 2010. So why should YOU be there?
We can think of a few good reasons: Do you care about having transportation choices? Do you want more bike lanes in your neighborhood? Are you a parent who wishes your kid could ride to school? Do you want to get out of your car and have a viable alternative for your commute? Or do you dream of a more livable community?
If these didn’t get you, consider that the Summit is an opportunity for advocates, industry suppliers and dealers, transportation planners, government officials, and bicycling enthusiasts to come together and make our voices heard on Capitol Hill. In the ten years that we’ve been advocating for cycling on Capitol Hill, bicycling has come a long way. The number of people riding is growing in almost every community in the US, and the time to talk to your representatives in Congress about what you’d like to see happen in your community is now. Come celebrate ten years of progress and register for the Summit now.
Don’t miss our Early Bird Deadline – Thursday,February 4, 2010 – to receive $100 off your registration!
A Miami cyclist was killed this morning by musician Carlos Bertonatti along the Rickenbacker Causeway. Bertonatti, who was driving under the influence, sped away, dragging the cyclist’s bike underneath his car. It took 22 minutes before an ambulance arrived, and by then it was too late. Bertonatti is now being charged with vehicular homicide. (photo from the Miami Bike Scene Blog)
As a Miami native, I have found that the Rickenbacker Causeway is really the only place to ride (aside from the Everglades). Miami is a car dominated city, providing little in the way of walkable or bikeable streets. In fact, according to the Dangerous by Design report, Miami is the 3rd most dangerous city in the US for pedestrians. The roads are equally as unsafe for cyclists, with eight cyclist fatalities recorded in Miami-Dade in 2006.
And so it is especially disturbing that this man was killed while riding in a bike lane on one of the only stretches of road that is remotely safe for cyclists. Perhaps if speed limits were more diligently enforced, Bertonatti would have been stopped before the fatal crash. The Miami cycling community pulls together as they grieve the loss of a fellow cyclist.
As mentioned in the previous post, it is important to stand up against calls for harassment and violence against cyclists. Even seemingly innocuous Facebook groups help spread the incorrect notion that cyclists don’t belong on and/or have no rights to the road. Even if meant to be tongue-in-cheek, some motorists take this message to heart.
Most of you probably read or heard about one the most egregious cases of cyclist harassment in recent memory- when Dr. Christopher Thompson used his car to assault two cyclists along Mandeville Canyon Road in Brentwood, Calif. The Los Angeles Times just reported the Thompson was sentence to 5 years in prison for mayhem, assault with deadly weapon, battery with serious injury and reckless driving causing injury.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington called the case a “wake-up call” to motorists and cyclists and urged local government to provide riders with more bike lanes. He said he believed that Thompson had shown a lack of remorse during the case and that the victims were particularly vulnerable while riding their bicycles. (LA Times)
The League recognizes the courage of the L.A. County Police, District Attorney Mary Stone and Judge Scott T. Millington for doing the right thing and seeing that justice prevailed. We echo the judges sentiment in hoping this serves as a wake-up call to cyclists, motorists and law enforcement alike that this behavior is unacceptable. While we hope the notoriety of this case and its outcome helps prevent futures incidents, should they occur the precedent has been set in how police and the courts should respond.
While the police and the court got this case right, the same can not be said in all circumstances. We responded to USA Today Drive On blog after it was suggested that cyclist Curtis Andrew Leymeister was to blame when a motorist struck and killed him in while riding in St. Mary’s County, Md.
After the collision, the driver made a statement to Maryland State Police that she had just left home and had cleared a portion of the left windshield of morning dew but left the fogged up right side to be cleared by the car’s heater. The windshield had not yet cleared and she was busy searching for a cigarette lighter in her purse (the car’s lighter didn’t work) when she ran into the cyclist. “I just didn’t see him.”
The judge found her guilty of negligent driving. When the driver asked for a reduction in the amount of the fine because of lack of personal funds, the judge rolled his eyes and said, “Your negligence has caused the death of a human being. I’m going to require the maximum fine plus costs.”
While the judge’s findings were correct, and he handed down the maximum penalty, the charges brought forth by the state police and county prosecutor were woefully inadequate. Too often police don’t bring forth the most appropriate charge because they don’t understand the law as they relate to cyclists, don’t think they’ll get a conviction for a more serious charge, or there isn’t an appropriate charge for death or serious injury caused by “mere” negligence (not gross negligence). The League has long been proponents of tougher penalties for motorists who severely injure or kill cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Maryland advocates are looking to change that. One Less Car will be re-introducing their Manslaughter by Motorvehicle (was HB 97) bill this year. They’ll also be working on legislation to overturn the mandatory shoulder law that was misinterpreted in the Leymeister case and limit cyclists rights to the roads. If you live or bike in Maryland contact One Less Car to find out how to help this effort.
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.
Outcry against the Facebook Fan Page “There’s a perfectly good path right next to the road you stupid cyclist!” (which frighteningly has more than 30,000 fans) is gaining momentum. Just yesterday, efforts to end the group culminated in the response group, “Help Remove this Hate Group Against Cyclists!”. The Australian based anti-cyclists page is filled with violent comments about hitting cyclists, who the page refers to as “road hogging rats.” The profile picture is even of a car dooring a cyclist. The page claims that bicycles only belong on bike paths and should not be allowed on roads. The about me box states, “No matter how far to the left you are, you’re taking up my road. My car is hard, and i am not slowing down!”
The Facebook page is anger-fueled and misinformed. Cyclists have the legal right to be on the road in Australia and are considered vehicles, as are cyclists in all 50 US states. Endorsing violence should not be tolerated, and the ignorance endorsed on this Facebook page simply begets more ignorance towards cyclists. The page’s crass content, “The road belongs to engine driven cars,” and photos are legally incorrect – and offensive.
Read the League’s Trash Talk entry to get more information on the real facts, the issue and how to take action/report the page for being offensive.
Tensions, clearly displayed on the Facebook page, between drivers and cyclists need to be diffused and hate groups only help to add fuel to a fire that is already
out of control. Christopher Thompson the enraged LA doctor who injured two cyclists with his vehicle last summer (picture right – courtesy of VeloNews), is scheduled to be sentenced this morning, Friday, January 8th. Guilty of six felonies, prosecutes are asking for eight years in prison (VeloNews)
Also during the summer of 2009, Charles Alexander, a retired Asheville firefighter shot at a cyclist, narrowly missing his head by less than an inch. He was sentenced to a measly 120 days in prison for attempted murder (Streetsblog)
We must diffuse the mounting tension of “us and them” before another cyclist is injured or killed by an irate driver and ending the Facebook hate group is a good place to start.
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.
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