Advocacy & Safety - Today Show: Bike Use Soars With Gas Prices

Bike commuting has been featured a lot in the mainstream media lately but we know it's on everyone's radar when it hits the Today Show:

http://www.vabike.org/today-show-bike-use-soars-with-gas-prices/

Now that we have everyone's ear, the time is ripe for bike advocates to deliver our message. Let’s get busy, whether we're working nationally, statewide, locally, or person to person.

and what message would that be?

and what message would that be?

We all have our own issues to address, programs to promote, and various things to work on. What advocacy projects are you involved in?

trying to keep unsafe and experimental bike lanes from being built, repealing mandatory bike lane use statutes. Otherwise I'm retired from active advocacy, and just riding my bike.

And try to keep from having reports like the one on CNN.com right now, which depicts a guy bike-commuting with no helmet, while listening to an iPod. Watching it I kept thinking, "Is this guy trying to get himself killed?"

and what message would that be?

Cyclists have the same rights to the road as motorists! Should be the number one message.

Sub message: motorists don't own the road.

That's it... it is that simple.

my message is stop calling your self a patriot because you drive a hummer and call me a tree hugger cause i ride a bike. which of us is funding the bad guys?

Don't forget the industries that are actively discouraging bicycling, such as the auto insurance industry. One recent ad shows some poor guy wearing his tie and sport coat parking his bike, whining about why he can't drive, wearing black socks and RED cycling shorts.

To make matters worse, a female coworker walks by and says something like, "Nice shorts, Broderick."

:rolleyes:

The good news is that ads like these only show that some are afraid of the trend towards bicycling.

And try to keep from having reports like the one on CNN.com right now, which depicts a guy bike-commuting with no helmet, while listening to an iPod. Watching it I kept thinking, "Is this guy trying to get himself killed?"

Do the safety nannies EVER miss an opportunity to preach?
:lol:

That lady says she saves at least $200/month. On gas alone, if you use 20 cents per mile (20 mpg at $4/gal), that means she bikes 1000 miles a month. Add 30 cents for wear and tear, that's 50 cents per mile which comes out to 400 miles a month. I would bet the majority of us on this forum don't bike that much in a month. there's probably a little exaggeration there, but I guess that's good to get others into bike commuting.

[added later] It's probably from the parking fees!

That lady says she saves at least $200/month. On gas alone, if you use 20 cents per mile (20 mpg at $4/gal), that means she bikes 1000 miles a month. Add 30 cents for wear and tear, that's 50 cents per mile which comes out to 400 miles a month. I would bet the majority of us on this forum don't bike that much in a month. there's probably a little exaggeration there, but I guess that's good to get others into bike commuting.

[added later] It's probably from the parking fees!

And insurance.

At present, I don't ride that much, but I did, just in commuting, for about 6 years; and, if things work out over the next couple weeks with the job, I'll be back to it again!

I'm not consulting anyone's list here for what I'd like to see in a cycling utopia....

1. Wide outside lanes.
2. Traffic lights that bikes activate (none where I live).
3. The commuter tax credit.
4. Road rage classed as a hate crime.
5. Enforcement of the present bike/car traffic laws (3' gap in passing, etc.), coupled with education starting with DRIVER'S ED!! Every written test, every time, has at least 10% of the questions about bike interaction on the road.
6. Media PSA's about bike safety.
7. Bike theft carries the same penalties as GTA.
8. "Share The Road" signs on every speed limit signpost. Ditto for stop & yield.
9. Hi-viz gear required (& reasonably priced & universally available) for cyclists. That way, no more "I didn't see the bike!" excuses!
10. Secure racks all over the frickin' place.

Right now, with oatmeal for a brain at this hour, I can't think of more....

11. Strict enforcement of speed limits and permanent license revocation for repeat offenders.

11a: add disruptive lasik eye surgery for people who drive on revoked licenses.

11a: add disruptive lasik eye surgery for people who drive on revoked licenses.


Ohh 4ck it.
While were being Old Testament, let's just go for all out eyeball gouging.

Afterall. disruptive lasik surgery can't be much different that what blitzed DUI'ers experience.

Let's make the jackholes pilot a white cane! :D

9. Hi-viz gear required (& reasonably priced & universally available) for cyclists. That way, no more "I didn't see the bike!" excuses!I wear hi-viz, and I've still been right hooked.

On my list, I'd change this to: Driver is presumed negligent and held liable in a car-on-bike collision, and "I didn't see the bike" is no longer a defense, unless the driver can rebut that presumption of liability with evidence that the cyclist was negligent (in the case of "I didn't see the cyclist," by showing that the cyclist was not using lights at night), and that negligence contributed to the collision.

my message is stop calling your self a patriot because you drive a hummer and call me a tree hugger cause i ride a bike. which of us is funding the bad guys?

^This.

when hi-viz clothing and helmets are required, that's when I stop riding. I've got plenty of reflective material, but it's all limited to the bike itself. and a mirror is a more essential piece of equipment than a helmet, IMO.

my message is stop calling your self a patriot because you drive a hummer and call me a tree hugger cause i ride a bike. which of us is funding the bad guys?
Every time you fill your gas tank, a terrorist smiles.

I got another good comment today about being smart and riding a bike... I was at Lowes picking up some tomato plants, standing at the register and loading them into my grocery panniers...

I love the looks. :D

Every time you fill your gas tank, a terrorist smiles.

In many ways I agree.

I think that a lot of our international decisions are "driven" by our dependence on crude oil as an energy source. I won't bother talking about inside the beltway rumours regarding Cheney's plans for Iraq, but -- IMO -- we could be much more objective and honest to our values if our personal interests were not at stake.

Uh oh ... is this in the wrong forum?

That lady says she saves at least $200/month. On gas alone, if you use 20 cents per mile (20 mpg at $4/gal), that means she bikes 1000 miles a month. Add 30 cents for wear and tear, that's 50 cents per mile which comes out to 400 miles a month. I would bet the majority of us on this forum don't bike that much in a month. there's probably a little exaggeration there, but I guess that's good to get others into bike commuting.

[added later] It's probably from the parking fees!


Fees in the parking structure attached to my building are $200 per month.

That lady says she saves at least $200/month. On gas alone, if you use 20 cents per mile (20 mpg at $4/gal), that means she bikes 1000 miles a month. Add 30 cents for wear and tear, that's 50 cents per mile which comes out to 400 miles a month. I would bet the majority of us on this forum don't bike that much in a month. there's probably a little exaggeration there, but I guess that's good to get others into bike commuting.

[added later] It's probably from the parking fees!

250 mile weeks? I don't think so. Most cat 1/2/3 racers don't put in that many miles a week.

The thing about parking fees is that, as much as people ***** about $4 gas, I've never heard a peep about parking fees. Which amount to the equivalent of renting a little apartment for your car to sleep in for 8-10 hours a day.

many employers offer free parking to their employees

that's a fringe benefit cyclists don't receive

many employers offer free parking to their employees

that's a fringe benefit cyclists don't receive

Actually, in California there's a requirement that if your employer rents parking and offers it to employees as a benefit, they are required to offer the cash equivalent as an alternative. Unfortunately, it's limited to large employers and it's not well-publicized. Unfortunately, it doesn't apply to me, but I still count that unspent $200 towards bike schwag.

Actually, in California there's a requirement that if your employer rents parking and offers it to employees as a benefit, they are required to offer the cash equivalent as an alternative. Unfortunately, it's limited to large employers and it's not well-publicized. Unfortunately, it doesn't apply to me, but I still count that unspent $200 towards bike schwag.

Yep ... I took advantage of it during my years there.

And try to keep from having reports like the one on CNN.com right now, which depicts a guy bike-commuting with no helmet, while listening to an iPod. Watching it I kept thinking, "Is this guy trying to get himself killed?"

When you see me commuting to work try not to fret too much. I'll be happy to send you one of my "No Nanny State" t-shirts

Today with quite a few down-the-road deliveries I had to make, I wish I had my bike and a rig to deliver Pizzas on. Would have been fun as all hell.

In many ways I agree.

I think that a lot of our international decisions are "driven" by our dependence on crude oil as an energy source. I won't bother talking about inside the beltway rumours regarding Cheney's plans for Iraq, but -- IMO -- we could be much more objective and honest to our values if our personal interests were not at stake.

Uh oh ... is this in the wrong forum?
Not if you turn it back to bikes. :)

many employers offer free parking to their employees

that's a fringe benefit cyclists don't receive
My employer is a nonprofit and so they do what they can. The site I manage is the only one with no free parking available, as it's downtown. So they give employees based at this site (only) the equivalent of an All-Zone bus pass on our paychecks. We can choose to do with it what we want. I buy a book of 10 transit tickets about once a quarter. You know what I do with the rest of the $$. :D

And try to keep from having reports like the one on CNN.com right now, which depicts a guy bike-commuting with no helmet, while listening to an iPod. Watching it I kept thinking, "Is this guy trying to get himself killed?"


Do the safety nannies EVER miss an opportunity to preach?
:lol:

I know what you mean. Hardly "advocating" the benefits of cycling.

In my province about 30% of people cycle "regularly" and cyclists make up 2% of the commuting public, yet all cyclists are only involved in 1% of traffic collisions.

Looks to me like cyclists are less likely to be hurt or hurt others. Get everyone on a bike (like that'll happen) and watch the hospitals rid themselves of the most common admissions for trauma and take a serious dent out of the majority of admissions in general due to lifestyle choices.

[...]
Looks to me like cyclists are less likely to be hurt or hurt others. Get everyone on a bike (like that'll happen) and watch the hospitals rid themselves of the most common admissions for trauma and take a serious dent out of the majority of admissions in general due to lifestyle choices.

I think if everyone suddenly started riding bikes there would actually be a dramatic spike in admissions for trauma. Remember that the vast majority of cyclist injuries do not involve collision with a motor vehicle, and an hour of cycling is far more likely to result in injury than an hour of driving.

But the world would be much healthier overall, and much happier. And just cooler in general.

Robert

Do the safety nannies EVER miss an opportunity to preach?
:lol:

I see your point. What a stupid thing for me to post in an Advocacy and Safety forum :rolleyes:

I see your point. What a stupid thing for me to post in an Advocacy and Safety forum :rolleyes:

yeah, unlike people in cars, people on bikes are getting themselves killed all the time :rolleyes:

I think if everyone suddenly started riding bikes there would actually be a dramatic spike in admissions for trauma. Remember that the vast majority of cyclist injuries do not involve collision with a motor vehicle, and an hour of cycling is far more likely to result in injury than an hour of driving.

But the world would be much healthier overall, and much happier. And just cooler in general.

Robert

However, the type of cyclists added, while inexperienced, would also not be like the typical cyclist on the road now. So I would expect a lot of boo-boos but not the traumatic/catastrophic injuries suffered by todays enthusiasts.

yeah, unlike people in cars, people on bikes are getting themselves killed all the time :rolleyes:

Didn't mean to lose my cool- its just a bit of a touchy subject, as my wife was struck by a car a few weeks back, and both the ER doctor and her physician agreed after seeing her helmet, that she would have sustained SERIOUS head injuries, or even been killed (the entire back side of the helmet was smashed in) had she not been wearing a helmet.

The drivers are so aggressive and inattentive in this area, that it almost seems a death wish not to wear a helmet around here.

I think if everyone suddenly started riding bikes there would actually be a dramatic spike in admissions for trauma. Remember that the vast majority of cyclist injuries do not involve collision with a motor vehicle, and an hour of cycling is far more likely to result in injury than an hour of driving.

But the world would be much healthier overall, and much happier. And just cooler in general.

Robert
While the vast majority of cyclist injuries may not involve collisions with autos... how serious are those non-collision injuries... certainly road rash or a bashed nose or bruising are not in the same league as broken bones and concussions.

And statistically how many of those aforementioned "cyclist injuries" are kids... perhaps kids jumping curbs and the other "fun" stuff kids do? My son and I MTB together... I won't even try some of the stuff he just "has to do."

And since we seem to love comparing death statistics... how many of the 700 or so cyclist deaths each year do NOT involve some form of automobile or truck... i.e. how often are cyclists say running into telephone poles on their own, at full speed?

The drivers are so aggressive and inattentive in this area, that it almost seems a death wish not to wear a helmet around here.

let me guess, Florida?

let me guess, Florida?

"Aggressive" and "inattentive" seems to suggest just about anywhere.

While the vast majority of cyclist injuries may not involve collisions with autos... how serious are those non-collision injuries... certainly road rash or a bashed nose or bruising are not in the same league as broken bones and concussions.

The collisions definitely cause more serious injuries, generally speaking. The number of non-collision fatalities is very low. The number of hospital admissions for non-collision crashes is less than for collisions, I believe. Then, the non-collision ER and outpatient visits outnumber those for collision by a large margin, about 4-to-1. I wouldn't dismiss non-collision injuries as trivial, a significant portion of these are fractures. Wrists and collarbones. And also a lot of lacerations, dislocations, and other ations. It's definitely possible to mess oneself up wrecking a bike at relatively slow speed. To kill yourself without a car, however, you'd have to be going fast, like Casartelli (r.i.p.).

If Bikeworld becomes reality, I'll invest in whichever company makes those butterfly harnesses.



And statistically how many of those aforementioned "cyclist injuries" are kids...

I would guess about 25% of bicyclist ER visits are kids under 16 these days. Don't quote me on that though.


And since we seem to love comparing death statistics...

Relatively few carless deaths.

I would advocate that beerhats should be an acceptable alternative to a helmet when riding at night.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:VuFg41QeNOdX-M:http://foodcourtlunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/beer-hat.jpg

I would bet the majority of us on this forum don't bike that much in a month. there's probably a little exaggeration there, but I guess that's good to get others into bike commuting.



I don't know. My commute is 14.4 each way. Let's see 14.4 x 2 x 5 days x 4.3 weeks = 619 miles per month. Throw in a couple 30's and a couple 50s for the weekends that puts me up around 780 miles for the month total. I have two others in my office doing about the same.

Relatively few carless deaths.

BINGO!

And that is the key. Probably why you don't see a lot of helmet wearing in bike friendly European countries.

The severity of injuries in bike to bike collisions is well less then the severity of injuries in bike to car collisions. Cyclists are not that much of a danger to themselves... ;)

BINGO!

And that is the key. Probably why you don't see a lot of helmet wearing in bike friendly European countries.

The severity of injuries in bike to bike collisions is well less then the severity of injuries in bike to car collisions. Cyclists are not that much of a danger to themselves... ;)

That is a decent thread to think on. That is, what is the distribution of injuries in European countries where utility cycling is predominant? Those are the type of cyclists I would expect in face of higher gasoline prices.

That is a decent thread to think on. That is, what is the distribution of injuries in European countries where utility cycling is predominant? Those are the type of cyclists I would expect in face of higher gasoline prices.

This is covered in that excellent presentation a few threads farther down in this forum. Basically, it was suggested that the Europeans living in the cities used in the example wore no helmets because they percieved cycling to be very safe, and that there was 1 injury per 608,000 bicycle trips. That is injury, not fatality. So obviously, cycling is very safe where the users of all vehicles are trained and facilities are well engineered.

Of course, nearly all the utility cyclists also pedal about 10mph as well. They are not quite so hung up on speed as many of us.

Az

my message is stop calling your self a patriot because you drive a hummer and call me a tree hugger cause i ride a bike. which of us is funding the bad guys?

=1K:love::roflmao2::)

This is covered in that excellent presentation a few threads farther down in this forum. Basically, it was suggested that the Europeans living in the cities used in the example wore no helmets because they percieved cycling to be very safe, and that there was 1 injury per 608,000 bicycle trips. That is injury, not fatality. So obviously, cycling is very safe where the users of all vehicles are trained and facilities are well engineered.

Of course, nearly all the utility cyclists also pedal about 10mph as well. They are not quite so hung up on speed as many of us.

Az

Would we be so "hung up on speed" if not for the examples of the motorists "pacing us" on the roads?

Personally I feel "pushed" to get on with it when riding on the streets with the traffic flying by... I don't find that on the paths I ride.

On Jun 1, 9:33 pm, "Keith MacNevins" <kmacnev...@gmail.com> wrote:
> For Americans? Not. Americans are spoiled. And I can hardly feel sorry for
> some of these people getting interviewed on the TV news. One lady has to
> give up breakfast she says, so she can spend the four dollars on gasoline.
> Oh, really? Sounds pretty expensive what you eat for breakfast, lady.
> Another woman says she can't buy "fun things," as much. Meaning luxury items
> that are not even necessities. A couple complains they can't afford to go to
> the movies as often, and a man complains he had to vacation in his camper
> much closer to home. Oi!

I wonder if Americans can ever be smart enough to say, "Hey, good
opportunity to ride a bike!" :rolleyes:

No, I don't think a smart vehicle such as the bike can ever become
mainstream in a stupid place...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f01IBDoZGg

I think Stupid Unnecessary Vehicles make more sense there. ;)

Would we be so "hung up on speed" if not for the examples of the motorists "pacing us" on the roads?

Personally I feel "pushed" to get on with it when riding on the streets with the traffic flying by... I don't find that on the paths I ride.

Depends on what you mean by speed. At the moment, given the enthusiast nature of the sport -- excluding children -- I would expect most cyclists to go considerably quicker than 10 mph on the flats. But I would not describe most cyclists as hung up on speed either.