flythebike
Hey ya'll. Somebody posted this to our local USCF district email list, and I thought I'd pass it on. I live a (long) block from the elementary school, but there is no crosswalk there so I'll probably end up driving my kid to school - this represents the kind of limited thought that is put into designing our roadways. Complete Streets is suppossed to enact some kind of fix (no pun intended). If you're upset over all of the people you've lost recently and over the years to traffic 'accidents' then here is something you can do about it, contact your representative. On my way (riding) to work this morning, I had to pass two ambulances that were stopped because a cyclist had been hit in a crosswalk. It didn't look as serious as it could be but it just goes to show you that bad design is the first cause, it is a horribly complicated intersection - a separate bike trail and a four way intersection that involves a hill and the four - way is from odd angles - it should really be a four way stop because the turning cars almost never yield to bikes in the crosswalk...so while I'm on the subject, my advice is to spot such places, mentally flag them, and avoid them if you can. If you can't, don't force your way through them, plan on slowing and yielding even when you have the right of way, because you'll get hurt in the event of a collision.
165 you might want to move this thread - at your discretion.
Here is the text of the message I received:
COMPLETE STREETS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE SENATE!!!
- call them to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians
-> We just received word that Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa will propose
an amendment to the SAFETEA legislation on Wednesday 11 May. This
action can be referenced as "The Harkin Complete Streets Amendment."
For the first time ever, there will be a vote in the U.S. Congress on
Complete Streets. This is both progress and a great opportunity for
champions of walking, bicycling, access, livable communities, active
living, aging in place, and whole range of public interests and safety
that stand to gain from a Complete Streets policy. The focus of the
amendment is to make it a matter of policy -- at the state and local
levels -- to plan, design, construct, operate, and manage our
streets to serve all users safely.
If you believe that this approach is important and that it should be a
matter of policy and standard practice, your Senators need to hear from
you NOW. We've been told that the only effective ways to voice your
support are to call or email your Senators and/or their transportation
legislative assistant. America Bikes will post a list of transportation
legislative assistants and their contact information on their web site
[http://www.americabikes.org] sometime today, or you can simply call
your
Senator's office directly and ask for the transportation legislative
assistant. To get current phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your
Senators, visit http://www.e-thepeople.org/letter/write. Click on the
map
icon for your state and you'll be provided a contact listing for each
Senator.
Ask your Senators to support the Harkin Complete Streets Amendment to
the
transportation bill (SAFETEA) when it comes up for a vote on Wednesday.
You can tell them that the amendment doesn't call for any new
expenditure of funds. Instead it calls upon the state and local
governments to adopt a policy similar to the one issued by the U. S.
Secretary of Transportation. The goal is to give people a full range of
good transportation choices and to serve the needs of all people.
It is important, too, to let your Senators know that this is about
walking and bicycling, about kids and seniors, about neighborhoods and
communities, and about public health.
It's the right thing to do and it is the right time to do it.
Act now!!! The vote is less than a day away.
For more about the Complete Streets message and Senator Harkin's
amendment, see the America Bikes web at:
http://www.americabikes.org
165 you might want to move this thread - at your discretion.
Here is the text of the message I received:
COMPLETE STREETS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE SENATE!!!
- call them to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians
-> We just received word that Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa will propose
an amendment to the SAFETEA legislation on Wednesday 11 May. This
action can be referenced as "The Harkin Complete Streets Amendment."
For the first time ever, there will be a vote in the U.S. Congress on
Complete Streets. This is both progress and a great opportunity for
champions of walking, bicycling, access, livable communities, active
living, aging in place, and whole range of public interests and safety
that stand to gain from a Complete Streets policy. The focus of the
amendment is to make it a matter of policy -- at the state and local
levels -- to plan, design, construct, operate, and manage our
streets to serve all users safely.
If you believe that this approach is important and that it should be a
matter of policy and standard practice, your Senators need to hear from
you NOW. We've been told that the only effective ways to voice your
support are to call or email your Senators and/or their transportation
legislative assistant. America Bikes will post a list of transportation
legislative assistants and their contact information on their web site
[http://www.americabikes.org] sometime today, or you can simply call
your
Senator's office directly and ask for the transportation legislative
assistant. To get current phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your
Senators, visit http://www.e-thepeople.org/letter/write. Click on the
map
icon for your state and you'll be provided a contact listing for each
Senator.
Ask your Senators to support the Harkin Complete Streets Amendment to
the
transportation bill (SAFETEA) when it comes up for a vote on Wednesday.
You can tell them that the amendment doesn't call for any new
expenditure of funds. Instead it calls upon the state and local
governments to adopt a policy similar to the one issued by the U. S.
Secretary of Transportation. The goal is to give people a full range of
good transportation choices and to serve the needs of all people.
It is important, too, to let your Senators know that this is about
walking and bicycling, about kids and seniors, about neighborhoods and
communities, and about public health.
It's the right thing to do and it is the right time to do it.
Act now!!! The vote is less than a day away.
For more about the Complete Streets message and Senator Harkin's
amendment, see the America Bikes web at:
http://www.americabikes.org