Police will not charge a Christchurch businessman who made online threats against cyclists.
Sign of the Takahe owner Richard Freeman claimed he had put two cyclists "into the curb" [sic] with his Hummer and would "nail" cyclists.
His comments prompted a complaint to police.
However, Canterbury road policing manager Inspector Al Stewart yesterday said there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Freeman under the present legislation.
Freeman told The Press yesterday common sense had prevailed.
"The police have investigated and have seen it for what it [the complaint] is." He said his comments had been edited and "twisted" to make him look like a monster.
Stewart said Freeman had denied any intent to frighten, threaten or intimidate cyclists through the media after the high-profile coverage his comments received.
Stewart said the situation did not represent the overall relationship between the city’s cyclists and motorists.
"Although there will always be people on both sides who want to vent their frustrations, the majority of road users, both cyclists and motorists, are reasonably tolerant of each other."
Freeman apologised for his comments last month.
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Continue reading “Police decide against charges”
"Ya we take bikes but we don’t have any racks."
NYC recently passed bike parking regulations which seem pretty cool till you run across garages that do double speak in order to pass inspection but still deny parking for cyclists.
Continue reading “"Ya we take bikes but we don’t have any racks."”
Something better then nothing is not making the grade for our 3′ safe passing bill
I decided to ask on a national bike forum what others involved in advocacy thought of our 3′ bill and so far this is what I got:
This is just really sad.
What should have been a clarification of § 21-309. Driving on laned roadways.
(1) While overtaking and passing another vehicle going in the same direction and while the center lane is clear of traffic within a safe distance; [no exceptions]
to specify that cyclists need at least 3 feet for safe passing has gotten all mucked up in trying to get it to apply only to cyclists riding legally, the only road user singled out for limited due care I might add. While I have some empathy that motorists should be exempt from gross errors by cyclists such as wrong way riding or suddenly swerving into the motorists path by more then 3′ but no where else in the legal code for safety does it apply only if the other road user is operating in strict accordance of the law. I will also assert gross errors by the other party are already part of the legal system. As I noted previously pedestrians have § 21-504. Drivers to exercise due care.
(a) In general.- Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian.
But if a pedestrian suddenly runs in front of a car the driver is not charged with this violation, the same should hold true with cyclists.
The sad fact is this bill will most likely have the most adverse impact on kids (and MD and especially Baltimore are far worst then the national averages for kids on bikes crashes) as drivers are now exempt from passing with due care if they feel the kids are not riding per the strict rules of the road for bicyclists.
Damned if you, Damned if you don’t
I was thinking of all the times police (but mostly motorists) want me to ride in the gaps between parked cars. To the police I usually respond with “Do you want me to weave in and out of parked cars?” and they just give me a disgusted look and move on. But now with this law it might be legal for cars to intimidate a cyclist into the gap and if a cyclist rides the gap then upon leaving they are failing to maintain a straight course so once again no requirement on motorists for a safe passing distance. [Note if you do the latter always signal and yield to traffic before moving laterally.]
Additionally in a side conversation one advocate said “But this rule seems to repeal the duty to pass with care.” Hmmm…
Continue reading “Something better then nothing is not making the grade for our 3′ safe passing bill”
Basic Live On Bike Setup
By Ginger Ninjas
Between bicycle music festival venues, the crowd and bands pedal around town on a big social ride. Two things that make these rides unusually cool beyond how cool it already is to pedal with hundreds of other revelers: recorded music and live music. In either case, it’s a bonus to have the music signal broadcast so that any rider with a receiver and a speaker can be part of creating the rolling soundscape. If the music is recorded, we call it Soul Cycling; if it’s a real-time musician or group, we call it Live On Bike.
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And there is this marching band on bikes!!!
Continue reading “Basic Live On Bike Setup”
Ladies Bicycling Information Event Sunday, February 28, 2010
For a ladies evening of fun, hands on learning and networking.
Be more comfortable on your bike by learning fitting tips, proper riding wear & gear, flat tire repair, regular bike maintenance, and best safe riding practices.
Meet other women who love to ride or who want to love to ride.
We look forward to spending a fun and informative evening with you.
Raffle prizes and refreshments!!
Continue reading “Ladies Bicycling Information Event Sunday, February 28, 2010”
Hope for the Baltimore Area
by Richard Layman
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Now that I am working in the Baltimore area (at least on one particular project), it happens that there are a bunch of things happening in Maryland (safe routes to school programs, planning for the Red Line light rail, state trail planning, transit planning generally) or the county (updating the master plan, universities doing campus planning) that I end up dealing with because of my work leading the development of a pedestrian and bicycle master plan for a portion of the county.
And unlike in DC, they actually listen.
E.g., the State Highway Administration is Maryland is looking to pilot test a cycle track somewhere in the state, because my paper on “Making Cycling Irresistible in DC” has been distributed throughout the agency. (Note that it’s time to update the paper. OTOH, you could argue I am updating it, in the context of a pedestrian and bicycle plan for a goodly section of a large county.)
Or, because four of the proposed Baltimore red line light rail stations will be located in my plan’s study area, and because the project is still in the pre-engineering phase, we have an opportunity to develop national best practice for integrating bicycling as a mode of transportation into planning for the stations and the line. (Although I hear that MTA is doing good things in this regard for the Purple Line, that Toole Design is working on that part of their planning there.)
Again, they are considering the various recommendations that “we” are making, ranging from incorporating a parallel bicycle trail into the line, at least in the Baltimore County section–which is planned to “emanate” from one of the major entry points to the Gwynn Falls Trail, bicycle sharing, and at least one bike station at the station serving the highest density employment center.
Could Barcelona provide the integrated transportation vision for the red line light rail in Baltimore County? Photo by John Norquist.
Or the points I am making about how to best change school district transportation planning and operations to a more balanced and sustainable paradigm will likely (although getting new legislation takes time) change the state policy (hopefully sooner rather than later), thereby changing practices in every one of the state’s 24 school districts.
Or I am shaping two particular policies for the Transportation Element of the county master plan, requiring “complete streets” policies and setting up an overall paradigm of “sustainable transportation” which supports transit, walking, bicycling, and transportation demand management.
(Plus all the things that can touch pedestrian and bicycle planning, from green infrastructure to bicycle sharing to laying down a master network of trails and bicycle routes, etc., well, I get to cram them into the plan… at least before the inter-agency review period.)
It’s the absolute craziest thing.
Contrast that to DC where I feel like I am talking into gale force winds.
But I can’t say I enjoy the commute. …
Continue reading “Hope for the Baltimore Area”
Street Networks: Traffic and Travel Mode Choice
If you missed the Symposium there is some cool stuff on-line
Transportation for Maryland
Maryland’s transportation system needs clear and bold goals to ensure our prosperity, access to good jobs, and environmental sustainability for all Marylanders. This means improving the way we plan our transportation systems and developments to ensure that there are convenient and affordable travel options available to everyone. Speaker will discuss legislation before the General Assembly concerning reforms to our transportation system in order to ensure that every dollar invested in transportation results in a system that works better for all Marylanders.
-Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, 1000 Friends of Maryland Deputy Director.
https://onelesscar.org/files/public/documents/Transportation4Maryland%20Presentation_2010.pdf
Bicycling Advocates of Howard County (BAHC) [They are doing some real cool stuff!]
BAHC’s accomplishments since it was established in Feb 2008; identification of issues in dealing with Howard County Government, Columbia Association, and SHA; and plans for future activities
-Jack Guarneri, BAHC President.
https://onelesscar.org/files/public/documents/BAHC%20Presentation%203%20Feb%202010%20FINAL.pdf
Maryland’s Interactive Trail Map
Hands-on navigation of the various features of the MD Department of Transportation interactive trail map. New data and its effectiveness as a planning tool will be discussed.
-Sylvia Ramsey, Manager, Community Enhancement Programs.
[I’ve seen the demo, it’s really cool but I can’t find a link for it. :(]
Presentation by Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley on Maryland Trails: A Greener Way To Go.
https://onelesscar.org/files/public/documents/Secretary%27s%20presentation.pdf
[Ahhh, Dear Ms. Secretary as much as I love trails and it would be cool to use them as bicycle transportation routes if they were accessible from home and work but even dealing with what we have numerous issues have surfaced such as failing to clear commuter trails of snow. If trails are indeed transportation please treat them as such. Thank you.]
Continue reading “If you missed the Symposium there is some cool stuff on-line”
Philadelphia and Camden win stimulus funds for bike trails
A $23 million award of stimulus funds Wednesday will make commuting by bike easier in Philadelphia and getting from Cooper River Park in Camden to the City of Brotherly Love by foot or bike a reality in 2012.
The grants — $17.2 million for Philadelphia and $5.8 million for Camden — are part of $1.5 billion awarded from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program on Wednesday.
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Do we need a name for anti-bike-ism?
The Virginia Bicycling Federation discussing problems with their 3′ law:
…Here are some of the objections raised, with my response to each:
“Bicyclists are often law breakers, unworthy of any added protection under the law.”
Don’t many drivers fit this category too? Yet they receive protection.
“Bicyclists are inconsiderate when they delay drivers from getting to their destinations, especially in narrow lanes or roads.”
Drivers delay other drivers too. To get on a major arterial near my house in a car, I am often am the only vehicle tripping the traffic signal. This stops upwards of 20-30 cars for 30 seconds or longer. Everyone waits patiently while I get on the highway, then we all travel together about a half mile or so down the road where the process repeats itself. No one honks, screams obscenities, or throws things at me. Yet bicyclists often receive harsh treatment for allegedly impeding a single motorist by far less. This same heat and intimidation was evident in each of the hearings I attended.
The public roads are just that — public, available on a first come, first served principle.
“A 3 ft. passing rule would inconvenience and hazard motorists by requiring them to move into the adjacent or oncoming travel lanes.”
As any experienced cyclist will tell you, this is already a frequent case under the existing law. The new law would have had little to no impact on the vast majority of drivers who pass us safely already. It’s the ones who don’t understand what a safe passing distance is that we are most concerned with. In addition 3 feet accounts for the typical wobble of many cyclists and children, and helps to prevent crashes where a cyclist gets startled and loses control. In short, the changes were not totally about the spandex mafia, though that’s how the legislation was portrayed by opponents.
“Bicyclists should police themselves before coming in asking for added legal protections.”
“Policing ourselves” clean before any headway can be made in bike safety legislation is an impossible standard to meet. It’s unfair too — we don’t ask drivers to police other drivers. Can you imagine AAA warning and cajoling red light runners and speeders? Yet that is what we are being asked. If people are breaking the law to the extent that it is a concern, it should be up to the police to enforce those laws.
Those were the main arguments against. If you are thinking, “Where’s the beef?” you are not alone.