Category: Biking Elsewhere

Our dysfunctional love affair with cars is actually an abusive relationship:
o They keep us from being healthy by locking us up inside, unable to move around, and preventing us from directly communicating with other humans outside – we suffer in silence..
o Every day, they threaten to hurt, maim or kill us unless we behave the way they want us to….
o They take our money using all kinds of excuses and never give it back
o They are loud and obnoxious, making lots of aggressive noises and movements while also annoying the neighbors.
o They act out their bullying behaviors such as sneaking up and dangerously following their intended victims or use threatening motions such as closely passing by or cutting you off suddenly.
o They block you in, preventing you from moving about freely, sometimes even being forced to just sit there – staring you down….
o They’re alcoholics, incessantly drinking ethanol laced gas while forcing others to breath their resulting car farts …..yuck…
– GC

Continue reading “Which bike would you like to win”

…

Here at DOT we support the First Lady’s efforts wholeheartedly, and we’re particularly interested in the report’s Chapter V: Increasing Physical Activity, which includes a section on “The Built Environment.”

We know that our “all-digital-all-the-time world” doesn’t always encourage us to live the healthiest lives we can. That’s why we’re working hard to make it easier for Americans to walk or bike safely in their communities. And when kids see that more adults are choosing to walk or bike, they are more likely to exercise healthier transportation options.

And walking and biking aren’t just good for our health; they’re good
for our environment, and they’re ways of getting around that Americans have said they want.

• That’s why, in March, we announced our new bicycle and pedestrian policy initiative.
• That’s why, last year, we established our Livability Principles.
• That’s why we support Safe Routes to School programs.
• That’s why we support Complete Streets .
• That’s why we’ve used TIGER discretionary funds to support projects that benefit their communities.

…
Continue reading “Look what US DOT considers transportation users”

Bike to fight Climate Change
40% of urban travel is 2 miles or less
90% of those trips are by car.

You can help by logging in your bike miles for your favorite team, You can help the Gold team, the Alliance for Biking and Walking (my personal pick) or the Red team, Trips for Kids that helps youth at risk or the Blue team, Alliance for Climate Education that educates millions of high school students and helps kick start climate projects.

Some great causes and a great way to help out.
Continue reading “Clif Bar 2 mile chalange”

TheNewYorkTimes — July 20, 2009 — Most people are aware of the dangers of trying to multitask while driving, but most continue to do it anyway. …

[B’ Spokes: I LOVE this! Let’s put dangerous where dangerous is.]

Continue reading “Driving without dying”

From the March 2010 issue of The Driver magazine;
https://thedrivermagazine.com/vol8_pg58_news.html
Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? I was so thrilled that I could get rid of my training wheels and ride my bike like my friends could. It gave me that early feeling of mobility. As a driving instructor, it made perfect sense for me to have taught each of my kids how to ride their bikes and they’ve felt the same way I did when I was their age. Once you’ve learned how to ride a bike, you have to learn how to blend into traffic in a safe manner. Drivers also need to blend smoothly with cyclists. How well do you drive with cyclists near you?
The first thing to remember as a driver is to keep your eyes moving from side to side to help spot cyclists that may enter your traffic flow. That, combined with looking well ahead, will help you see the cyclists sooner to give you time to adjust. As drivers, we must remember that most cyclists will be riding their bicycles at a speed much slower than our speed. We have to recognize this fact early and adjust speed early enough so we can avoid sharing the same lane as cyclists.
Look for cyclists that may be coming out of driveways, from between parked vehicles or scooting across crosswalks when they shouldn’t. Being prepared for them is a very proactive way to drive; but we must also know what to do when we come across a cyclist.
A cyclist may move around a sewer grate at any time, so as a driver, we must give a cyclist as much room as possible when passing them. When doing a lane change around a cyclist, change lanes early enough that the drivers behind have time to see the cyclist so they can change lanes early as well. A sudden lane change may jeopardize the safety of a cyclist.
If you have to move around a cyclist on a two-lane road, move across the center line when it’s safe to do so. Make sure there is no oncoming traffic and that your visibility is good. After you’ve passed the cyclist, drift back into your lane when the cyclist is visible in your mirrors. This ensures they are far enough behind you to remain safe. Earlier this summer while I was out with my family, I came across an oncoming driver who had drifted across the center line to avoid a cyclist. The only problem was that I was directly in the path of this oncoming van. I had to use the shoulder to avoid the head on collision. This oncoming driver used poor judgment to pass the cyclist, but luckily I saw them in time to respond. Let’s hope that more drivers use better judgment when passing cyclists.
There have been times in the past when I had the chance to ride my bike to my office when I knew I was in my office all day. The 45 minute bike ride was quite a challenge. Drivers coming from behind me didn’t give me much room. It was a good thing I had a mirror on my bike that allowed me to see what was approaching me from behind. I remember a few times that I had to escape up a driveway ramp or parking lot ramp to avoid a close call with a driver.
Experiencing that has allowed me to improve my driving instruction to allow cyclists more space. I have a better understanding of what cyclists need in order to ride their bikes safely along public roads. Maybe that’s what all drivers need; to ride their bikes in traffic from time to time. I think it would help appreciate how difficult it can be at times.
Making right turns can also be a problem for both drivers and cyclists. The next time you’re moving slowing before turning or are stopped in traffic before turning and are approaching the intersection; check your blind spot to the right before starting the turn. The cyclist may have snuck between your vehicle and the curb. Anticipating that the cyclist may be approaching is always a good thing, so constantly checking your side mirror is a good thing.
Since our communities have added many bicycle lanes, be sure you check your mirrors and blind spots before entering them; especially when driving slowly enough for cyclists to be there. You are allowed to enter the last portion of the cyclist lane before turning. Like any lane change, you’ll need to check for other vehicles. Having good short term memory is important since you’ll have to remember if you’ve just passed a cyclist before entering the bicycle lane.
Cyclist can also have a difficult time when they are driving through residential areas. If you need to park your vehicle on the street, open the door with your right hand. It allows you to glance in your side mirror and blind spot before the door opens. This will help you see if any cyclists are coming up the side of your vehicle.
I hope these tips will make some sense to you as a driver; and also as a cyclist. We need to share the roads with all road users, so let’s do it safely.
Posted in Driving in traffic, Proactive driving, collision free driving, cooperative driving, driver responsibility, driving articles, driving near cyclists, responsible driving, risk taking, safe driving
Continue reading “Can you share the road with cyclists? A safe driver’s perspective”

Cool performance, check out the video: https://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/mediatheek/redactietips/redactietips_2eNiveau/1.777944

Credit: Alexandra Pais/New Jersey Local News Service

By Tiffani N. Garlic/For The Star-Ledger

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP (Somerset County) — It was a sea of bicycles and blue as about 150 officers from across the country gathered in Franklin Township to join thousands more on the national Police Unity Tour to Washington D.C. honoring those killed in the line of duty.

…
The officers, each raising $1,700, pedal from all over the country and arrive on Wednesday at the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial and Museum in Washington D.C. where the names of fallen officers are engraved on a memorial wall.
Michael Martin, 42, of the Howell Township Police Department in Monmouth County, has participated in two other rides and said the show of ssolidarity inspires him.

“It’s one place I want to visit, but God forbid that I have my name on that wall, but if it does I know that all these folks are coming each year to pay their respects,” he said.
Bob Himes, 36, of the Baltimore City police department in Maryland, said he was riding for a friend who was fatally shot while serving a warrant in 2008.

…
Continue reading “Police unity bike tour stops in Franklin in honor of fallen officers”

Written by Boston Biker on May 06

Today on the way to work I was threatened by not one, but TWO idiots in trucks. I can say with some assurance that I was in full compliance with the law, did nothing to provoke or enrage them. They simply felt the need to threaten my life. I feel like in the last couple hours I have gone through all the stages of rage, from “KILL!” to “why?” (In case you were wondering the full stages of rage are KILL KILL KILL KILL AHHHH! KILL KILL KILL Kill Kill kill why?). So in the interest of letting the world know about these goons here are my stories.

1. White dodge dualy (the kind of truck with two back wheels on each side) Maryland plates licence number 220-260 lives/works in JP (followed him to his home). Drives up next to me, rolls down his window and says “get out of the road or I will run you over.” Older portly moron, with gray hair. The kind of person you can tell solves problems with violence. Bad breath.

Continue reading “Driving In Boston Makes You Mean And Stupid”