SkepticCyclist

I am on the board of a cycling organization, serving as its Advocacy chairperson. In the past, I've contacted state legislators regarding proposing better safety laws, including ones against texting. I have also been part of a group that successfully got a new license plate option that contains the slogan "Share the Road."

I am looking for some new potential avenues to focus on going forward. Any thoughts regarding good advocacy causes I could help promote?

Paul Barnard

Mandatory cyclist law training as part of driver's ed.

BobbyG

Bike commuting home in the winter after sunset, I have often thought about distributing lights to the homeless and indigent who bike. Yes, batteries could be an issue, but perhaps it could be structured as an exchange.

And no matter what the season, seeing the disadvantages riding bikes with broken brake and shifter cables, untrue wheels, etc, has made me think about bicycle clinics for the homeless and indigent, whether it's a mobile unit that travels, or a more permanent setup.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkepticCyclist

I am on the board of a cycling organization, serving as its Advocacy chairperson. In the past, I've contacted state legislators regarding proposing better safety laws, including ones against texting. I have also been part of a group that successfully got a new license plate option that contains the slogan "Share the Road."

I am looking for some new potential avenues to focus on going forward. Any thoughts regarding good advocacy causes I could help promote?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Barnard

Mandatory cyclist law training as part of driver's ed.

FWIW, I previously posted to this thread,"As a Bike Commuter - What kind of video content would you want to see?" These videos are graphic and frightening real-life demonstrations of how quickly a driver’s inattention can malevolently damage a cyclist, and these or similar IMO would be beneficially incorporated into driver training curricula.

Miele Man

I saw a guy today who lives in the same building i do and his MTB is minus the front brake. He took it off because he's afraid of doing an endo. A lot of people do NOT realize that 80% of braking (on average) is done by the front brake.

How to setup and adjust brakes is something a lot of cyclist do nt have any idea how to do. Thus when their brake rubs on the rim they simply disconnect it or remove it all together.

Cheers

Miele Man

Another good thing would be for bicyclists, E-bikers and E-scooter riders to learn the rules of the road. Hopefully they'd even follow them. LOL

Cheers

Digger Goreman

Heh go after the cagers first... let the majority set a good example!

Miele Man

ROTFLMAO If this was a forum for drivers I'd do that but it's a forum for bicyclists. LOL

Seriously, I've seen so many close calls with bicyclists who don't seem to have any idea what the rules of the road are. Ditto for many who ride E-bikes or E-scooters.

As traffic volumes increase over the years and if the number of bicyclists, E-bike riders and/or E-scooter riders increases, I wonder when the public at large will be demanding that those three groups of riders take a traffic rules training course. I know many people around here who'd like to see that. They're drivers who've nearly hit or have hit a rider who was blatantly disobeying the rules of the road and the driver had virtually no warning. So many extremely close calls. It makes you wonder when will the rider's luck run out.

There used to a bicyclist* here in town who every morning would ride in the wrong direction down a one-way street to a main road and then turn left onto that road and ride against traffic. What made it even more dangerous for him was that there was an exit from a crossing main road that went onto the road he was riding against the traffic on and the distance from the exit to the street he rode out of was quite short - less than 50 feet. I nearly hit him on my bike a couple of times and told him he was riding in an extremely dangerous way and to get some lights as required by law for his bike. Well, one day his luck ran out and now some poor driver has to live with the fact that he hit and killed that guy. the driver had no chance at all to avoid him.

Cheers

*Dark colour clothing, dark colour bike, no lights or reflectors and most times not even slowing let alone stopping at the intersection. Simply an accident waiting to happen and it did.

Iride01 

Something I see a lot of, even in my own neighborhood is parents walking correctly against traffic flow with their young kids on bicycles likewise going against the flow which is incorrect. Some of these kids aren't so young any more, yet they still ride on the wrong side sometimes around the corner and out of site of their parents. So the behavior of riding on the wrong side is instilled in some at a young age and continues well into adulthood.

I imagine as these kids grow up and rid the leash of having their parents with them that they continue to ride on the wrong side of the road. Don't know what the solution is, but there are a significant number of adults I see in various places around town that have me believing they used to ride bikes as their parents walked around the block.

Edit..... this post must have been a premonition. I went out with my wife at lunch for a walk. We were on the sidewalk next to a fairly busy street leading to the neighborhood. A late teen or twenty something guy trying to carry a bag in one hand headed straight down the middle of the oncoming traffic lane. He had to stop several times to deal with the apparently heavy and awkward to hold bag and for oncoming traffic. We almost beat him to the corner on that 1/4 mile stretch. I hope he makes it to 30 y.o and beyond.

Daniel4

ditto. Must include on-road cycling experience. Been saying that for years.

Strict and serious traffic enforcement of motor vehicles.

Iride01 

The problem with drivers ed is that I haven't had to demonstrate driving ability or take any type of education or testing since I was 15 and 16 y.o. Over 46 years ago.

People don't like to discuss how well they do or don't drive.

work4bike

I'm against "driving licences" for cyclists; however, I find it difficult to defend this position at times when I see how some people riding bikes do totally boneheaded things. Just the other day, I was sitting in-line at a left-turn only lane waiting for the light (on my bike). As the light turned green everyone started moving and this other cyclists was crossing the intersection (opposite direction) and then attempting to cross the street where the cars had a green light. So there he was in between us that were turning left and those that had the right of way. I wanted to stop and see how he managed that, but I was in the line of fast moving traffic.

I'm not against more stringent standards for drivers in understanding cycling laws, but we also have to look at ourselves. This is where I usually get blasted for being anti-cyclist

work4bike

We cyclists need to stop pushing so hard for separated cycling paths, if we want to stay on the roads. Here in Jax, Fl, I've noticed that every road that gets reworked has a bike lane installed. This is a good thing and I like to think that the extra money I spend on my "Share the Road" specialty license plate goes towards those upgrades.

However, I noticed on one road that a large separated bike path was installed, in lieu of a bike lane, which could have easily been installed on this six lane roadway. When there is a separated bike path, we cyclists seem to be pressured to ride on them and stay off the roads. But riding on a path, while is good for parents with children, it's not so good for cycling commuters, at least in my experience and opinion.

They only slow me down with all the stop/yield signage. Cycling is NOT a hobby for me, it's my form of transportation. Riding on these paths adds significant time to my commutes, unless I want to be one of those irresponsible lance-wannabe cyclists, which I am, but never on bike paths/MUPs.

More cycling lanes.

Jim from Boston

.I have quoted this diatribe by @B.Carfree on a few threads, including;

rydabent

Does your city or state protect bikes in cross walks like the law protects pedestrians? Our state laws didnt and we got them changed about 5 years ago.