Month: August 2007

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Alert! Respond to U.S. Transportation Secretary’s comments on PBS

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters talks about infrastructure problems and travel initiatives. More Info

Peters cited “bicycle paths” as a prime example of the waste

Last night on the PBS NewsHour with Jim Leher, DOT Secretary Mary Peters was interviewed by Gwen Ifill.

Peters, when asked about a possible gas tax increase, repeated President Bush’s response – No, there can be no tax increase because Congress is wasting the money they already get. Peters cited “bicycle paths” as a prime example of the waste because bicycles are not a transportation use of the gas tax money.

It is disappointing that the administration is attacking Jim Oberstar for his efforts to get the Minneapolis bridge repaired along with raising all the funding for transportation maintenance, by using Oberstar’s support for bicycles as a weapon.

The League of American Bicyclists feels strongly that this should not go without a response and we have sent a letter to Secretary Peters voicing our view. Click here to view our response.

For those of you who feel strongly about bicycling issues, we would also urge you to contact the Secretary to share your personal viewpoints.

To view a copy of the program click here

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Bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists

By KEITH RIDLER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
BOISE, Idaho — Chris Cook liked his plan to save money on gas and be environmentally conscious by riding his bike six miles to work – until the second time the electrical engineer bounced off the grille of a vehicle.
"The first time I got hit I made the mistake of not calling the police," said Cook. "The second time I made sure that was the first thing I did after I got off the ground."
Cook, of Boise, became one of a growing number of commuter cyclists turned into hood ornaments, a trend noticed by attorneys – especially attorneys who are also cyclists – who in state after state are touting their own cycling credentials as much as their legal skills on web sites to bruised bike riders.
"I have talked to more commuters who have been in car-bicycle incidents in the last year and a half than I have in the previous 10 years," said Kurt Holzer, a Boise-based attorney and cyclist who said he’s won several cases that have exceeded the vehicle driver’s $100,000 insurance coverage.
Bob Anderton, a Seattle-based lawyer who bikes to work, said his business has climbed to 80 percent injured cyclists.
"It’s through the roof, it’s terrible," he said. "People are just getting hit all the time."
The two are among what appears to be a growing number of attorneys actively seeking cyclists injured in collisions with vehicles.
"I think a lot of states have guys who specialize in that," said Mike Colbach, an attorney based in Portland, Ore., who last year won a $550,000 settlement for an injured cyclist.
"It’s almost never the cyclist’s fault, and they tend to get pretty significantly injured," he said. "Wrist, arm, and unfortunately sometimes brain injuries from hitting their head."
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Continue reading “Bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists”

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The Roddy Road accident: May: John Isaacs

From the BBC list serve:

John Isaacs was struck by a van coming from rear back in May our near
Thurmont. He is back at work and doing OK. He hopes to be riding again next
season. (There is healing that still has to take place.)

Yesterday the case went to trial in Frederick District court. The three
witness, myself, John and Jessie the woman who lived next to where the
accident happened, testified that John was riding on the right, that the road
was straight and level, that there was no other traffic, that the driver did
not brake until after he hit John.

The driver, defending himself (I had expected him to have a lawyer) testified
that John had