Originally Posted by
ItsJustMe
...the drivers are seriously horrible... Three cyclists have been killed in the last year within 2 miles of the place, and a friend who lives nearby says she's jogged on those roads and she runs in foot high grass because all the drivers are staring at their phones all the time and weaving all over the road and into the gravel.
First thing I'd do is contact every local news media outlet and relevant government agency. This is a community safety issue, not something that can be resolved with lights on a bike.
Put together a summary of the facts of the accidents for quick reference. News media and government agencies receive many complaints daily. Too many are from cranks, curmudgeons and kooks. To make your complaint stand out you need to be direct, brief, factual, positive, and emphasize the dangers to the community as well as the benefits of devoting resources to improving conditions.
If possible, shoot some HD video to document conditions. If the video shows distracted drivers - texting, whatever - you can often pull decent still frames from HD video. Be prepared to edit the video to keep it as brief as possible.
If this doesn't get results, escalate to public meetings that allow public commentary. They'll usually give you only one to three minutes, so prepare and rehearse your comments carefully.
Also, check around for safety advocates and any organization that might lend some support and credibility to your complaint.
It takes time and persistence to get results. A local university didn't provide safe access across its divided campus until two students in wheelchairs were killed trying to cross a busy street to get to class. And this was a university that actively recruited disabled students. The university and city procrastinated for more than 20 years and eventually spent millions more than they would have if they'd tackled the problem sooner, and might have saved two lives.
I've been pestering our apartment complex and city officials to persuade the apartment to provide safer egress for our elderly and disabled residents. It's a frustrating process because ADA doesn't apply and this older building is not required to comply with more recent codes. Yet the apartment specifically targets a demographic of elderly folks, so they have a logical and ethical obligation to provide safer egress. But without the force of law to back up our requests all we have is the power of persuasion and public embarrassment by getting the media involved.