Share the road – http://www.argusleader.com/article/20091114/NEWS/911140302/1001/news

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An effort to improve bicycle safety in South Dakota probably will land in Pierre for lawmakers to decide during the 2010 Legislative session.

The effort began after a Harrisburg man’s father was killed in a collision with a van while he was bicycling in Iowa in August.

State Sen. Sandy Jerstad, D-Sioux Falls, a dedicated cyclist herself, agreed to introduce a bill in the Legislature after meeting with Tony Anderson.

“When Tony brought me his story, it was heartwrenching. I thought this was the right thing to do,” Jerstad said.

She has forwarded to the Legislative Research Council her suggestions for a bill that would require motorists to give cyclists and pedestrians a 3-foot cushion when passing them.

The proposal is similar to laws in about 14 other states, Anderson and Jerstad said.

“Hopefully, this will be well received. It’s not a difficult bill,” Jerstad said.

She favors provisions she has seen in other states’ laws that would make a first offense a misdemeanor and a repeat offense a felony. She anticipates there would be relatively few citations.

“I see it almost as more of an education bill,” Jerstad said.

Anderson and Jerstad are asking people who have been involved in accidents where vehicles came too close to cyclists or pedestrians and struck them to come forward with their stories. They also are looking for people who have lost friends or family members in such accidents, and people who have had near misses.

“Sandy and I are inviting them to come to Pierre in January to help drive this bill home,” Anderson said.

Before the legislative session opens in January, Jerstad also hopes to find a Republican co-sponsor to carry the bill in the House.

Anderson’s father was killed on a rural highway. Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said he thinks that because many of those roads don’t have wide shoulders, the potential for bicycles and pedestrians to be struck by vehicles is high.

Milstead also said the number of riders using such roads seems to be growing.

“They’re becoming a more common sight on the rural roads,” he said. “As such, drivers are becoming more accustomed to them and routinely give them safe passage.”

At the same time, the sheriff applauds the proposed 3-foot passing bill.

Like Jerstad, he thinks much of the value of such a law would be the increased attention it draws to the issue.

“A law alone would do little to improve safety without a good educational and awareness campaign,” he said.

Anderson and Jerstad have another ally in the Falls Area Bicyclists. Nick Anderson, incoming president of the cycling club of about 100 members, said those members are ready to take on an activist role in promoting a safe cushion law for cyclists and pedestrians.

He also has recent personal experience with the issue after a vehicle nearly clipped riders on a FAB- sponsored ride this summer.

Open letter to drivers – ttp://www.journalgazette.net/article/20091019/EDIT09/310199992/1147/EDIT07

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Twice in the past year I have had to brake in heavy traffic stopped for bicycles on sidewalks. As a juvenile I used the sidewalk as a primary method of maneuvering my ancient Schwinn to football practice.

As a serious cyclist I can see the hidden danger of a bicycle on the sidewalk. Cars have to contend with bicycle traffic on the sidewalk and in the street.

Cars contending with cyclists on the sidewalk are, from my experience a clear and present danger to cyclists on the street. Understandably the Rivergreenway mentality contributes this delinquency by denying the sensibility of placing the cyclist on the road instead of the river. However, any person who drives conscientiously will tell you, cyclists using the streets are placed at risk by those who are just too cheap to take the bus. As one serious cyclist to another, I implore you, ride in the street.

JAMES WOENKER

Fort Wayne

From Miami – http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/northwest/story/1285422.html

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A Liberty City youth leader plans to lead children through the neighborhood’s safest routes on his bike.

Roger Horne, 37, program developer for the Belafonte Tacolcy Center in Liberty City, will head an after-school bike club where children will be taught how to build and maintain bicycles while building character. The center is a private nonprofit for youth services.

The Tacolcy Bike & Safety Club is an outgrowth of the city of Miami’s Bike Miami Days, an initiative started last November in which the city closes some streets to allow cycling without cars. The club is expected to start in the next few weeks.

“This is a way to bridge the cradle-to-prison pipeline,” Horne said.

Mayor Manny Diaz wanted to find a way to get the volunteers and pro-cycling groups in the city to work together and do something for the inner-city community. Horne volunteered in the Bike Miami Days program.

“We have a lot of children in our community who ride bikes, and I love bikes, so since we are looking to improve the health outcomes of our community, anyway; let’s do something that they like,” Horne said.

Because Horne found most kids at Tacolcy wanted a bike, he proposed the program to Diaz. This went along with his plan for Miami to be one of the top cities in America for energy efficiency.

To fund the program, Horne received a $500 grant from the Imagine Miami civic network, part of the Human Services Coalition that helps low-income residents with financial support.

“Normally, if you look at the city of Miami communities at risk . . . they usually get excluded from activities like Bike Miami Days,” Horne said.

The program has received 48 bikes donated from residents, the Miami police department and used bike parts from shops like Scoot Skate and Bike in Miami. Because the children will build their own bicycles, Horne hopes that will make them less prone to falling into trouble. Horne also will hold monthly rides.

“I’m looking for something in these kids to click that says, `I don’t have to be out there in the street hustling or selling drugs,’ ” Horne said. “I came here when I was 9 years old from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I hated reading and school, but someone showed an interest in me.”

Richard Page, bicycle mechanic at Team Iguana Sports in Miami Beach, will be the program’s resident mechanic. He will set up informal workshops on maintenance techniques like fixing flat tires, changing old wheels and chains.

“As a child, a bicycle is a newfound freedom,” said Page, whose background is in bicycle manufacturing.

Though the program does not have a set start date, Collin Worth, bicycle coordinator for the city of Miami, expects it to start this month.

Even though most of the bicycles donated were adult-sized, Horne is working on retrofitting them for children.

“Our children are our biggest resource, and if you don’t nurture them when they are young, their potential will go away,” Horne said.

Neat new bike simulator – http://www.auto123.com/en/news/car-news/honda-bicycle-simulator-developed-for-the-purpose-of-traffic-safety-education?artid=112403

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TOKYO, Japan, – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to begin Japan-wide sales starting February 2010, of the Honda Bicycle Simulator developed for the purpose of traffic safety education. By safely experiencing the possible risks bicycle riders may face, users will improve their ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. In addition, rider evaluation session which will follow the riding simulation will help users learn traffic rules and manners in an enjoyable way. Honda will aim for widespread use of this simulator by a range of customers including public offices, law-enforcement organizations, driving schools and educational institutions which conduct bicycle safety education programs primarily for school children and senior citizens. Honda will begin accepting pre-sale orders in November of this year.

In recent years, the total number of fatalities from traffic accidents has declined in Japan. However, the ratio of fatalities in accidents involving bicycles has increased. Bicycle riders aged 10 – 19 in and above the age of 50 have the highest chance to get involved in an accident, and approximately 70 percent of bicycle accidents are caused by violation of traffic rules.

Leveraging the know-how accumulated through its activities to promote traffic safety since 1964, Honda has been developing and selling motorcycle and automobile simulators since 1996 and 2001, respectively, as traffic safety educational devices which enable users to safely experience the risks based on real-world traffic situations. By offering these simulators, Honda’s goal is to improve people’s ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. Striving to realize a richer mobility society in the future, Honda developed the Honda Bicycle Simulator as an educational tool for a wider range of people

Green city trying to use electric bikes! – http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13570420?source=most_emailed

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Cupertino city employees soon could be pedaling to meetings and other events if the city decides to expand a trial program using electric bicycles as alternative transportation.
The city recently purchased an EZip electrical bicycle for $750 from Los Gatos-based Mader Technologies, and city leaders said they hope the bike, which is a hybrid of a standard mountain bike and a low-speed electric motorcycle, will be an eco-friendly alternative that will save the city fuel money in the long run.
If city staff finds the bike practical, the city could purchase as many as four more bikes, said Erin Cooke, environmental affairs coordinator. The city also has applied for transportation funding grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Bikes typically cost between $500 and $3,000.
The city will start testing the new bike after it completes legal, safety and staff training requirements.
Cooke said the city recently completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory and found that approximately 16 percent to 18 percent of emissions come from the city’s vehicle fleet.
Rick Kitson, city and environmental affairs spokesperson, says the bicycle is ideal for a small city like Cupertino, which is 11 square miles.
Employees could use the bicycles to get to meetings across town, he said.
“A lot of our local trips are no more than three to five miles,” Cooke added.
The bike has a 450-watt motor and can reach speeds up
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to 15 miles per hour, and comes with a battery pack and control system on the handlebars, which powers the back wheel. The battery pack takes about six hours to fully charge, according to local bike dealer Thomas Mader.
The battery power for the bike lasts for about 10 to 15 miles before it needs a charge if there is a mix of human and electric power. The battery lasts about seven to 10 miles if there is no pedaling, according to Mader.
“We really like this over a more traditional electric vehicle because once those run out of power, there really is no other option for getting back,” Cooke said.

Bike tire recall – please make sure you follow the directions if you have these tires. Cycling safety first! http://www.attorneyatlaw.com/2009/10/bursting-inner-tubes-prompt-recall-of-schwalbe-bicycle-tires/

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About 5,000 Schwalbe Ultremo R bicycle tires have been recalled because the inner tubes in the tires may burst, causing a risk of falls and injuries to riders.

The bicycle tires were made by Ralf Bohle GmbH of Germany and imported by Moser Enterprises of Canada, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice states.

There have been no reports of incidents or injuries associated with bursting inner tubes on the tires, but the tire layers can separate and cause the inner tube to rupture, officials said.

Schwalbe Ultremo R bicycle tires with “Schwalbe” and “Ultremo R” printed on the sidewall of the tires are being recalled. The tires were sold at bicycle specialty stores nationwide and on the Web at www.schwalbetires.com from April 2009 through May 2009 for about $75, the CPSC said. The tires were made in Indonesia

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using bicycles with the recalled tires and contact their local bicycle dealer for a free replacement set of tires, the CPSC said.
Electra Bikes Also Recalled
Also today, about 6,400 Electra brand bicycles were recalled because the metal trays and wicker baskets on the front of the bikes can come loose and cause riders to fall. The CPSC said it has received at least two reports of riders suffering minor cuts and bruises after falling from the Electra bikes when the trays or baskets came loose.

About 3,000 of the bikes were recalled in March, but that initial recall has now been recalled to include more than twice as many bikes, officials said.

Always wear your Helmet – Dallas now enforces it – from Dallasnews @ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/101009dnmetbikehelmet.3cba3ef.html

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By DIANE JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News
djennings@dallasnews.com
After suspending enforcement for several months, the Dallas Police Department is again ticketing people for violations of the city’s bicycle helmet law.

City Attorney Tom Perkins said enforcement was halted in June after a state district judge issued a ruling on the local ordinance that rendered it unconstitutional.

Sergio Portillo, 33, was stopped July 11, 2008, as he rode his bicycle while not wearing a helmet near downtown. He was then searched and charged with drug possession after police said they found that he was carrying crack cocaine.

David Pire, attorney for Portillo, argued in court that the city’s ordinance conflicts with state law and is unconstitutional because it “infringed upon his right to travel freely.”

“It just seemed the hokiest law,” he said Friday. In court, he argued that it makes no sense compared with the state law regulating motorcycle riders. Under that law, helmets are required only if the rider is under 21, lacks health insurance and has not had a safety course.

The judge in Portillo’s criminal case ruled that the evidence in Portillo’s drug case should not be admitted because it was obtained when the helmet law was enforced, and that law is unconstitutional.

When the judge agreed the evidence should be suppressed, police officers were directed to stop enforcing the law – until Thursday.

“We’ve looked at it, we’re appealing that decision and pending the appeal, we’re going to continue to enforce the ordinance,” Perkins said.

The city ordinance, which took effect in 1996, is unusually broad, applying to adult cyclists as well as children. Most bicycle helmet laws in other cities are directed at youngsters.

Assistant Dallas County District Attorney Martin Peterson declined to comment on the appeal, but his court brief says, “an ordinance will not be found unconstitutional unless it is shown to be arbitrary, unreasonable, and a clear abuse of power.”

Concerns of abuse
Abuse of power is one of Pire’s concerns. Complaints from clients about the helmet law “popped up periodically and it’s always a minority” who has been stopped by police, he said. “I started looking at it and I thought this law can’t be valid.”

His client, Portillo, was stopped in the early morning darkness near downtown. “I think racial profiling comes into play,” Pire said. “Maybe not intentionally but subconsciously.”

Perkins said he had not heard that allegation and had “no reason to believe that the police department is doing that.”

Sgt. Warren Mitchell, public information officer for the Dallas Police Department, said officers do not use the law inappropriately.

“This is more of a safety issue than anything,” he said. “Bicycle accidents occur all the time and hospitals are filled with patients from those injuries who were not wearing helmets.”

The cycling community is divided over the issue of requiring helmets, said Jason Roberts, co-founder of a biking advocacy group, Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. He’s fairly ambivalent on the issue, he said, but, “I’m more of an advocate for wearing helmets due to the fact that we’re being forced to ride in lanes with cars.

“Once we can get dedicated pathways built, I will feel more comfortable,” Roberts said.

But longtime cyclist Paul Woodfield, who also is fighting the Dallas statute, is disappointed that the city will be enforcing the law again.

“They’re amazingly inconsistent,” he said. “One day it’s legal, the next day it’s illegal. Then the next day it’s legal again, then it’s illegal. How is anyone supposed to know? How are you supposed to know to comply?”

Pending suit
Woodfield filed suit against the city over the law in 2007 after he was ticketed while biking around White Rock Lake one afternoon.

“I told the officer at the time, state law doesn’t require this,” he said. “He said the city can do whatever they want – go fight it in court.”

Woodfield did, and his suit is pending in a county court-at-law. The city has fought the suit, claiming the court lacks jurisdiction. The court disagreed and that ruling is being appealed.

Woodfield filed suit because, “It’s wrong, it discourages people from biking,” he said, recalling carefree summers “bicycling around with my friends” sans helmet.

As in Portillo’s criminal case, Woodfield claims the statute violates state law and the U.S. Constitution.

“The law is unconstitutional because it conflicts with the law passed by the Legislature, and I have the vested property right not to spend my cash on the helmet and a vested property right to use my bike in accord with state law.”

Though he is white, Woodfield also worries the law may be abused. In his suit he asked the city to admit the police department “used riding without a helmet as a pretext to stop people for searches.”

Despite the considerable time and effort expended on these two cases, Perkins said the statute is not more trouble than it’s worth. “Absolutely not,” he said. “There’s an important public safety benefit associated with the law.”

From the Daily Commercial – Bicycle Festival! – http://www.dailycommercial.com/100809bikeadvance

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DAVID DONALD

Staff Writer

MOUNT DORA — This weekend marks the 35th Annual Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, a call to ride for cyclists from all over the state converge on Lake’s testing terrain.

More than 500 cyclists from across the state are expected to take to Lake’s highways and byways during the three-day event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“People need to be patient and realize it’s a positive for the people on the bicycle to see our county,” said Kathy Hoechst, executive director of the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce.

There are almost a dozen rides organized ranging from 12 miles to 100 miles. Each route is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being easy and 5 the most difficult.

The festival really starts rolling on Saturday with the most difficult ride — a 100 mile scenic ride through the rural landscape of Northern Lake county and south into its rolling hills.

Other rides take cyclists through Emeralda Island, up steep Sugar Loaf Mountain and into Howey-in-the-Hills with a pit stop for some German pastries at the Yalaha Bakery.

All the routes are marked to guide the cyclists.

Hoechst said the festival is a tremendous boost to the bed and breakfasts, hotels and restaurants in the area.

If you’re not interested in riding, there are several things to do at the bike festival.

More than a dozen vendors will display their items from 9 a.m. to 4 .m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a free movie Friday night in Donnelly Park and a downtown art stroll from 6 to 8 p.m. showcasing local and regional artists.

The Florida Bicycle Association is holding its annual meeting on the chamber lawn at 3:30 p.m.

A growing movement to address bicycle safety in Lake culminates at 4:15 p.m. at the festival with the Lake County Bicycle Alliance holding its first safety summit to encourage cyclists and motorists to become more courteous toward each other and familiar with bicycle safety laws.

The alliance has several billboards throughout the county featuring Lake County cyclists. The aim of the billboards is to humanize the cyclists to passing motorists.

The alliance is dedicating the summit to the Umatilla resident Ann Ugolini, who died in September when she was struck from behind by a car while riding a bicycle.

“It really doesn’t matter that we didn’t know her,” said Rick Pitner, alliance organizer. “She was truly a wife, daughter and a mother.”

From Streetsblog: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/10/09/just-give-us-a-place-to-park-our-bikes/

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Anyone who regularly uses a bicycle for transportation in the United States knows the feeling — the nagging anxiety about what will happen when you arrive at your destination, especially if it’s a place you’ve never been on your bike before. Will there be a place to lock up? Will security guards be helpful or will they hassle you? Will your bike be there when you get back? Or will it be gone — not stolen by a common thief, but clipped by the building management or by the police?

It can be kind of humiliating, frankly, to be treated as if your mode of transportation is something so dirty and dangerous and unsightly that there’s no decent place to put it. Not to mention infuriating.

New York City’s pending Bicycle Access Law is a big step in the right direction. But this country has a long way to go before it begins to be the kind of placing where rolling up on a bike, locking it and heading about one’s business is considered normal — or even acceptable.

To wit, this post from Streetsblog Network member Soapbox LA:

Bicycle-unfriendly in Denver. Photo by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr.
On Tuesday night, flush with victory after sitting through hours of LA Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, several cyclists rode from the LAPD’s Parker Center (a facility that has a new “wave” bike rack which fails the city’s bike plan specifications for adequate bike parking) in search of sustenance and nutrition. The cyclists rode the deserted streets of downtown LA and found themselves at 5th and Flower, which features Weiland Brewery Underground, a wonderful restaurant and pub that serves great food long after the rest of the downtown dining opportunities have closed shop. The Weiland website also features abundant driving instructions and directions to the automobile parking. As for bikes, not a mention.

Arriving at 5th and Flower, the cyclists crossed a fairly deserted and typical downtown business district courtyard…. With no bike racks near the entrance, they locked their bike to a rail that surrounded the courtyard and that already hosted a couple of bikes. They chatted with a security guard who wore a blazer and carried a clipboard and grew confident that this was a safe place to lock their bikes.

Then “Gilbert” appeared. With a smile on his face he informed the cyclists, “If you leave your bikes here, they will be gone when you return.”
Thinking he was referring to the safety of this area, the cyclists looked around but it was well lit, it was close to the entrance, it was in the most traveled area of the entire complex and there were already bikes there indicating that others also considered it to be a safe place. Gilbert clarified “If you leave your bike there, we will cut the locks and take them.”

Under what authority does a security guard threaten to impound personal property? …Why can’t they treat those who walk, ride or take mass transit with the same respect as those who arrive with thousands of pounds of personal property? If a motorist parked his car illegally would “Gilbert” and the clipboard team break in and roll the car off into City National Plaza McGuire impound? I think not!

More from the network: Bike Portland reports record participation in the city’s Bike Commute Challenge. Transit Miami has the news on a master plan for bikes there. And M-Bike.org talks about how Michigan stands to lose millions in funding for bike trails.

New Brunswick Urban Voice article – the dangers of biking to work — http://desmoines.injuryboard.com/automobile-accidents/dangers-of-bicycle-riding-to-work.aspx?googleid=271998

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In an article in Here New Brunswick Urban Voice, called “Overcoming the fear of cycling”, Andrea Laltoo discusses being a bicycling commuter and the dangers often linked to habitual biking on the road with motor vehicles. Laltoo brings up the most asked question, “But isn’t it dangerous?” which she answers “yes” but not for the obvious reasons most people assume. An obvious fact that bicyclists are not as protected as motor vehicles by seatbelts, airbags, and metal frame coverings, does cause bicycling to have a higher danger factor. Laltoo also considers:

“Cycling can even result in death (then again, so can eating a sandwich, if you choke). But is cycling along with traffic really as dangerous as our imaginations tell us “…” or is the fear of cycling an irrational phobia of stepping outside of our comfort zones?”

Laltoo then mentions another bicyclist advocate, Ken Kifer who has a website devoted to facts and details of bicyclist safety and lifestyles, as well as tips on bike safety in traffic, (see http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/index.htm). One of Kifer’s ideas is interesting to Laltoo, “most people are aware that flying is statistically safer than driving (when analyzing risk of fatality per passenger and per distance). Why, then, do we drive without giving a second thought to our safety and yet flinch at flying?” This idea of flying as more dangerous than driving may be described as what “Nancy S. Blum, a social worker with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, cites lack of control over the situation as the number one reason her patients fear flying.”

When it comes to car transportation, drivers are given many, many hours of training to be allowed to drive, as well as have direct control over the vehicle. As for biking, one has control over the moving object, but people are not given specific and detailed training on how to operate the bike and navigate the roads on the bike.

The real facts on bicyclist injuries on the road are not necessarily due to traffic, Laltoo cites “John Forester (founder of the Effective Cycling program)” who says, “50 per cent of cycling injuries and deaths were caused by cyclist error, compared with only 8 per cent caused by motorist error”. Though this does not take away the fact bicycling is still a safety risk, it is mostly through the control of the individual biker themselves. Laltoo promotes biking as a main form of transportation as it being safe, if one takes control over their biking skills and knowledge.

With more people wanting to save money and the environment, the bike becomes a good option for transportation. But with less than adequate skills, knowledge, and experience on a two-wheeled contraption, bikers may cause more harm to themselves than they realize if proper steps are not taken.

Keep this in mind the next time you hit the road on your bike. Where your helmet and if necessary a rear view mirror. I’ve been hit by a truck when training for a triathlon. Believe me it’s not a pleasant experience. It was about mid-morning, time for the donut break when the approaching truck suddenly turned left right into my path. The rear duals didn’t look all that appealing, the passenger side of the cab uninviting so off I went trying to skirt along the front. He hit me directly in the center of the grill, sending me head-over-heels attempting a full gainer. I landed squarely on the high side of my butt. Days later it looked like I was carrying around a baseball in my back pocket. I broke no bones, chipped some teeth when I kissed the grill, and was plenty sore for weeks. The funniest part was when the cemetery manager straddled and asked if he could call someone for me. I gave him the law firm telephone number. On the way to the hospital I asked the ambulance attendant if I could use the phone. Calling my office, the secretary Julie told me the insurance company called in less than five minutes after the cemetery manager hung up. Never hit a guy who makes living as a personal injury lawyer. So now I get to honestly say I’m not an ambulance chaser, I’m always there before the ambulance.