For me the whole issue of the Reed Bates case is the rumble strip. Rumble strips basically say "decide now and forever hold your peace about what side of the rumble strip you are going to ride on." Reed may have decided badly but that’s the whole problem, once you decide you are stuck with it. While I have never driven the road that Mr. Bates was arrested on but I can say that the presence of a rumble strip has caused me to abandon the shoulder I normally would have normally ridden on for the travel way even though 99% of the shoulder was rideable.
Rumble strips change the decision process to a lesser of two evils based on best guess on a wide verity of criteria over a long stretch of time and distance. No mater what option you decide, too often there will be a down side to that choice. Without the rumble strip you can react to conditions then present, with a rumble strip you have to guess about conditions down the road. So essentially Reed was convicted for having too few options over a long stretch of time and distance and a defective crystal ball that did not accurately foretell future conditions.
Rumble strips are so bad even LAB ( https://www.bikeleague.org ) has an alert out on their home page about them, and I quote:
"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?"
And here we have such a case yet Andy Clark calls this road with rumble strips a "perfectly rideable shoulder"
Unbelievable.
Please join with me in asking LAB to be consistent in supporting rumble strip free (or at least with gaps ) shoulders wherever cyclists are allowed. email: bikeleague@bikeleague.org
Ben Sollee “Ditch the Van” Bike Tour
By bicycles and bike trailers, rising star pop/folk musician Ben Sollee will deliver his genre-bending cello and vocal act and community message from San Diego to hometown Kentucky. Two shows are booked at Biller’s Bikes SUN Stage in Havre de Grace, MD. The tour includes intimate club venues, as well as large halls and festivals, in MD, PA and Washington, DC.
See https://www.bensollee.com/tour.html for Ben Sollee Ditch the Van bike tour dates. See https://www.billersbikes.com/events.html for Havre de Grace ticket info.
Continue reading “Ben Sollee “Ditch the Van” Bike Tour”
Clearly unhelpful – Response to LAB’s post
The shoulder of Texas Highway 287.
Reed Bates’ trials (and travails) got some wider coverage this week (Streetsblog, among others). People began asking why the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) wasn’t helping. Trying to get ahead of the issue, LAB President Andy Clarke widely posted a response, which I reproduce below with factual corrections.
Picking Your Battles: The League & The Reed Bates CaseWe have been following the Reed Bates’ case since pretty much the day the saga began. At the very outset, I called a couple of the people closely involved with Mr. Bates and offered the League’s help;
Neither Andy Clarke nor LAB ever spoke with Reed Bates. Reed at one point called Preston Tyree (LAB employee), but no offer of help was made. Clarke did speak with Rich Wharton ONCE, but never again, and no offers to help were forthcoming. Rich Wharton asked Tyree to serve as an expert witness, but Preston could only offer his personal, paid services, not LAB’s assistance.
I did see a single voice-mail from Andy Clarke on my Caller ID, but being as it was probably a robo appeal for money (like the letters and emails I get from Andy), I deleted it unheard. Perhaps he was calling me when he should have been calling Reed. No follow-up calls, emails or other attempts were made to me… and none to Reed Bates.
…it did appear that the charges were inappropriate, that Bates had a legal right to ride where he was riding, and that the jury that Bates chose to be heard by was incorrectly instructed by the first judge involved. On that basis, we would have been happy to help defend his right to ride on the road.
Bates did not choose a Jury Trial. The judge urged him to choose it, and then chose it for him. An unemployed man with no resources had few options. No offers of help came from LAB, no letters of support, calls to action, no Amicus Brief. Nada, only a behind the scenes campaign to discredit Reed Bates.
Our offer to assist was not accepted; instead, he and his advisers chose to assert that not only was Bates legally allowed to ride where he was riding, but that’s where he and everyone else should be riding, even in the presence of a perfectly rideable shoulder.
Again, to the best of my knowledge, there was never any offer from LAB to help Reed Bates. Period.
No one on Reed’s side has ever said “everyone should be riding (in the travel lane)”, not Reed, or his friends. That’s simply an anti-VC smear that says more about Clarke’s motivation than it does Bates’. Also, Reed does not have “advisors” or “managers” or “handlers” or “custodians”, he has friends. That’s another Clarke smoke-screen, to make Bates appear to be a puppet of others, as if he is somehow incompetent, irresponsible, and incapable of reason.
Please remember that Reed’s first citation was for riding in the travel lane of a 30 mph city roadway, 4 lanes with a center continuous left turn lane.
BTW: here’s that “perfectly rideable” shoulder Andy Clarke thinks Reed should ride on. Here too.
That approach took the issue beyond a strict legal argument as to where one is legally allowed to ride to where one should ride, and a rural Texas courtroom may not be the best place to have that call made on our behalf. As the situation has developed, Bates (and the people advising him) has unfortunately chosen to follow a strategy that our board and legal advisers did not think was in the best interests of all cyclists – from the initial trial by jury preference to a failure to show up for court dates and hearings
It’s hard to show up for a court appearance when neither you or your attorney receives a summons. Reed has admitted he was not aggressive enough in this instance, but this mail never got forwarded to him. Remember, being under virtual ‘house arrest’ in Ennis, Reed had to move out of town to find work (to the far more ‘bicycle friendly’ area of Dallas County).
…to the pursuit of a position that is simply not reasonable and could easily backfire. We have remained in touch with the issue with local Dallas-area advocates, Bike Texas and our board of directors.
It’s not reasonable to control your lane so trucks don’t pass within 2-3′ of you at 70 mph? Andy Clarke has actively warned people to not support Reed by describing him as an extremist, and by saying he was under the influence of “angry, discredited” cyclists. Clarke has consistently been obstructive. I would not have been surprised to see the prosecution enter a letter from LAB supporting the State’s case.
It is instructive that none of us have chosen to get involved. I think we all regret that the way the case has been played by Bates and his advisers has precluded us from constructively intervening to help him and defend our collective rights to the road.Andy Clarke
President, League of American BicyclistsJOIN today; help us promote and protect the rights of cyclists!
The irony of the tag line below Clarke’s name is very instructive as to LAB’s understanding of bicyclists’ rights. Send us money, and we will defend your right to ride on shoulders, bike paths, and in mandatory bike lanes. Try to assert your right to operate your bicycle as a legal vehicle in a safe manner, and we will launch a campaign of innuendo to discredit you among other cyclists.
Again, no offer of help from LAB was ever made to Reed Bates. He was never contacted by LAB. To the best of my knowledge, no offer of help was made to any of Reed’s friends, who do not act in loco parentis for Mr. Bates.
And yes, it is indeed VERY instructive that LAB and TBC have not gotten involved. Had Reed Bates been demanding a bike lane, perhaps they would have felt differently.
Continue reading “Clearly unhelpful – Response to LAB’s post”
APTA Report Prescribes Public Transport to Improve Public Health
Dawne Lindsey in bicycle accident
Cumberland Times-News
— MIDLAND — Frostburg area resident Dawne Lindsey was listed in stable condition at the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center on Tuesday following a bicycle accident Monday evening in Midland.
Lindsey, who is the Allegany County Circuit Court clerk, was riding north on state Route 36 and attempted to stop her bicycle to avoid a car that had pulled out of Big Lane when she lost control and was ejected from the bike, the Allegany County Bureau of Police said.
She was taken to the hospital around 7:10 p.m. by Georges Creek Ambulance.
[B’ Spokes: For those of you who may not know how to do an emergency stop:
]
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Neighborhood Watch: Southeast
Eastern Avenue, 2200 block, August 10, 3:20 a.m. A man told police that a group of teenagers had knocked him off his bicycle and had taken his wallet and keys. The man sustained orbital and facial fractures and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Continue reading “Neighborhood Watch: Southeast”
Child Struck By Vehicle Dies Of Injuries
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― A child is struck and run over by a vehicle in Baltimore City.
Captain Mike Perry reports the accident happened around 4 p.m. on Windsor Mill Rd.
Police say a 12-year-old boy was riding a bike when he was struck.
They say the boy was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Windsor Mill Rd. was temporarily closed to traffic.
Continue reading “Child Struck By Vehicle Dies Of Injuries”
The League & The Reed Bates Case
We have been following the Reed Bates’ case since pretty much the day the saga began. At the very outset, I called a couple of the people closely involved with Mr. Bates and offered the League’s help; it did appear that the charges were inappropriate, that Bates had a legal right to ride where he was riding, and that the jury that Bates chose to be heard by was incorrectly instructed by the first judge involved. On that basis, we would have been happy to help defend his right to ride on the road.
Our offer to assist was not accepted; instead, he and his advisers chose to assert that not only was Bates legally allowed to ride where he was riding, but that’s where he and everyone else should be riding, even in the presence of a perfectly rideable shoulder. That approach took the issue beyond a strict legal argument as to where one is legally allowed to ride to where one should ride, and a rural Texas courtroom may not be the best place to have that call made on our behalf. As the situation has developed, Bates (and the people advising him) has unfortunately chosen to follow a strategy that our board and legal advisers did not think was in the best interests of all cyclists – from the initial trial by jury preference to a failure to show up for court dates and hearings to the pursuit of a position that is simply not reasonable and could easily backfire.
We have remained in touch with the issue with local Dallas-area advocates, Bike Texas and our board of directors. It is instructive that none of us have chosen to get involved. I think we all regret that the way the case has been played by Bates and his advisers has precluded us from constructively intervening to help him and defend our collective rights to the road.
Andy Clarke
President, League of American Bicyclists
Continue reading “The League & The Reed Bates Case”
Police probe bike attacks in Charles Village
By Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun
The city’s bicycle and pedestrian planner wants a "bike boulevard" to run up Guilford Avenue through Charles Village, an area already filled with commuters using pedal power. But a series of attacks on cyclists and several bike-jackings are creating concern.
Police had arrested three people in two bike robberies this month and thought they had a handle on the situation until three young men pushed Michael Byrne off his Blue Falcon bike Wednesday night at North Charles and 20th streets.
Police said one of the men rode the bike away, and a new search for suspects has commenced.
"We knew the arrests couldn’t completely quell the problem," said Maj. Ross Buzzuro, the commander of the Northern District. "We have increased deployment."
The attacks — which include several instances of harassment and rock-throwing, many that were not reported to police — generated discussion on Facebook among bike commuters and the city’s pedestrian planner, Nate Evans.
Evans said in an interview that he’s picked up on "a pattern of attacks on cyclists" in recent weeks in blocks bordered by North and Guilford avenues and Charles and 25th streets. He’s heard many of the stories at meetings as he plans a bike route on Guilford.
"It sounds like in a couple of the attacks, the victims were overcome by a number of assailants," he said. Most occurred on the evening commute, between 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
The area essentially divides neighborhoods north of downtown and upper Charles Village, and is almost unavoidable for anyone commuting from downtown to points north. It’s six blocks south from where Johns Hopkins researcher Stephen Pitcairn was robbed and fatally stabbed last month as he walked home from the train station.
"That area of Lower Charles Village has always been a dangerous area to ride around in at night," said one bicyclist who didn’t want his name used. He was a victim two years ago at nearly the same spot where Byrne was attacked. "It’s very dark and just kind of a no-man’s land," the young man said.
"Unfortunately, it’s not like a lot of people can avoid these routes," said Evans, who when designing bike routes charts potholes, road conditions, congestion and crime.
He noted that Guilford and Charles "are some of the safest streets going through that area" and he recommended that "if you see someone coming after you, if you have to go through a red light or a stop sign to avoid being attacked, then keeping safe needs to be the priority."
Byrne said he was riding home to Charles Village from work as music editor for the City Paper and was going "at a pretty good clip" when three kids stepped off a corner and knocked him down. "It was like a combination of getting punched and tackled," the 30-year-old said.
He said one youngster "screamed at me not to get up and somebody else took off on the bike." He said he suffered a bruised rib but otherwise wasn’t hurt. He said the bike is old and might be worth $300 or $400.
Police said the description of the attackers is vague. Byrne said he regularly commutes through the area and said he’s never before been attacked there. "I don’t think it’s a bad area," he said of the heavily trafficked streets. "It’s not a place where think, oh, something bad is going to happen here."
Continue reading “Police probe bike attacks in Charles Village”
Have You Seen This Bike?
Our friend Michael Byrne got tackled at 20th and Charles last night and had his bike stolen. Please keep an eye out for:
Blue Falcon, Fixed, Silver riser bars w/ red oury grips (pictured here)
If you see it on Craigslist, in pawnshops, or around town, call Michael at 503.715.7148 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 503.715.7148 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
BE CAREFUL IN THIS AREA – I have now heard 3 stories of cyclists getting jumped here