what one thing would you do to make things better for cyclists?
 

let's say you have one wish and *POOF* things would instantly change in your community. what would you wish for to make things better for cyclists in your community?

Today? *POOF* - it's 70 degrees! :D

Well, since we're dreaming here, I'd wish for these things:

1. A complete ban on the use of private motor vehicles within the limits of the core city, with exceptions made for people with disabilities or those (such as painting contractors) who need their vehicles to do their jobs.
Or, more realistically:

2. Bike lanes on every arterial in town, and designed in such a way that open car doors or turn lanes pose no threat. (Please don't jump on me here about bike lanes; if you don't like them, let's just agree to disagree.)

3. A prominent section on the driver's license test that deals with driving skills needed to maneuver in the presence of bicycles and the legal rights of bicyclists as road users.

Get the really bad drivers off the road. It’s no more than 5% that, for one reason or another, are so dangerously bad that they should be banned from driving a motor vehicle.

Some people think that it’s possible to educate them – I’m less optimistic. But any attempt to educate not backed by a rigorous testing regimen will not solve the problem.

Make it much harder to be certified to drive a motor vehicle. And back that up with serious penalties (including mandatory prison time for repeat offenders) for driving without a license.

The benefits to cyclists – not to mention pedestrians and other motorists – would be huge.

The price of gasoline reflected its true cost.

New and enforced speedlimits:

Freeways: No limit. Let them drive as fast as they want.
Any road other than freeways: 40 mph
Any road without a bike lane or shoulder: 30 mph
Any residential or downtown street: 20 mph

Registration fees based on weight of vehicle so that one aging Ford Excursion pays every year as much as five or six Lamborghinis.

Undercover traffic police that look like ordinary cars until the lights start flashing.

Camera equipped undercover bicycle police disguised as ordinary cyclists and serve the same function as those "red light cameras."

Three strikes for motorists. After third reckless driving or DUI, license is permanently revoked in every state. Person can no longer register any vehicle in their own name and any vehicle the person is caught driving will be permanently impounded.

more cyclists

Free pie at work for all bicycle commuters. :)

Enforce existing traffic regulations

a nationwide conscientious mindset; in other words, everyone realizing they don't know it all and have to respect other people, and thus DO so. (am i a dreamer, or am i a DREAMER?)

If I HAD one wish, I would probably turn all the right lanes on the major arterials into bike-only lanes. that would still leave 1-2 lanes for cars each way! man, would THAT be unpopular.

Careful, you over POOFED Arizona! It is 84 already with a high of 92. :eek: :D

Get states to include cycling laws in the driver education/tests. A lot of AZ and Utah, the places I have lived the most, don't know the laws regarding bikes and how they should be operated. I was guilty of that myself at one time.

+1

Better motorist education regarding cyclists' right to the road. Stiff fines for motorists that violate cyclists' right-of-way or harass and intimidate cyclists with their vehicles.

You've all made some pretty good sugestions/wishes.

I like the idea that driver's ed courses should include _something_ about how to pass a bicycle safely.
Acknowledgement that there are bicycles on the road would be a good start.

Back in the old days, the Driver's Ed instructor would ask the newbie if he wants to go faster than 55MPH. If he said yes, the instructor would drive him to the nearest Air Force Recruiter so he could enlist in the USAF. Planes (at least the old propeller planes) can lift off the ground at 55MPH, so they can go well over things that cars have to steer around.

But to add something new, I would say that driving a vehicle over 6000 pounds in weight should require a CDL (Commercial Drivers Liscence).

Better enforcement of existing speed limits would be more practical, though.
I think that in general, bike lanes are uncalled for- When motorists start yelling and cursing, usually the bicycle is going at or near the speed limit, maybe even over. The motorist is suffering from a Delusion that he is being forced to go slow, most likely because he has a pre-concieved notion that cars are faster than bicycles. The faster the bicycle goes , the "madder" the motorist becomes.
It might actually be a good thing if bicyclists were getting speeding tickets for going 37 in a 30 zone.
Then there would be proof that the bicycle is going fast enough.
The Police don't want to shatter the lunatic motorist's delusion.
I wish I had speeding tickets for the times I went 37, 42, or 47MPH on my bike in a 30MPH zone.

More speeding tickets, please.

The problem with DWI checkpoints is they only stop the drunk motorists. A lunatic can and will do anything a drunk would do, but they always manage to pass the field sobriety test (i.e. breathalizer).

Actually, that is a reasonable idea and has been done (Ocean City, MD where Ocean Highway is six lanes wide) with the exception that the right lane was also for buses and right turns.

At first I wished that we "Kill all the lawyers". Then I realized some of them help unreasonable people settle their differences. AHA! I wish all people to be reasonable.

Make mine blueberry, please.

Amen! This is exactly what I was thinking! Add to this strict enforcement of these limits.

I was just driving (yes driving) back from a boat race and in the left lane of a two lane road (that I was just biking on last weekend) I was doing exactly the speed limit and along on my right a young lady was starting to speed right past me. Funny thing though, right up ahead was a police car parked on the side. She suddenly slowed down to the speed limit and maintained that speed the whole way down the road that we were together. The point is, SHE KNEW SHE WAS SPEEDING just prior to seeing the cop, she was just trying to get away with it. That tends to be the biggest issue out there... people just trying to get away with "it." Whatever "it" is. The probably know they are cheating, and just don't care, unless there is some chance they will be caught.

Enforce the speed limits.

Man I like this one too. It is the very rare motorist that knows cyclists have the same rights to the road as they. Nearly every motorist I speak to, for one reason or another, feels that bikes have no rights to the road. Only a couple of very young drivers (my son, and a young intern at work) have ever told me they know that cyclists have the same rights to the road as any other driver. BTW that intern also cycles...

I'd wish that the 5% of selfish and idiot cyclists would start sharing the road in a respectful manner so they wouldn't give the other 95% of us such a bad reputaion with motorists who also have a 5% population of selfish and idiotic people who give them a bad reputation with us.

Since we're talking about a wish here... A comprehensive driver's education curriculum that all people who want a driver's license must take. Begin preparing at a young age with good pedestrian and cyclist education in grade school. Mandatory written and road tests every 5 years required in order to renew driver's license.

Hey, anyone have a magic want I could borrow? I've misplaced mine. ;)

I think you collectively have hit all of my favorites, which include enhanced accountability, standards, and education for all road users. I would add improved public transit, which would make judges and juries more willing to suspend or revoke driving privileges. I would also like to see an end to the huge hidden subsidy enjoyed by American motorists -- let them learn the true cost of driving a car.

A comprehensive network of bikeways, lined with natural vegetation, so you can ride anywhere you want in peace and quiet or listen to your headphones and actually HEAR the music, and see hawks flying above, critters skittering below, hear birds, watch ducks in the creek or dolphins in the ocean, smell flowers, see and FEEL the changing of the seasons.

:beer: :beer: :beer:

+100. I have said just this in many posts in the past.