Yesterday (5-9-06), the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved sending Senate Bill 1224 to the floor for debate. This bill would modify the Michigan Vehicle Code as it relates to bicyclists.

SB1224 is scheduled to reach the Senate Floor next week (May 15). We bikers will write, email, fax or call our Senator. We need to aks them to support SB1224. Senator Michelle McManus is the primary sponsor of this bill. Co-sponsoring the bill are the following senators: Wayne Kuipers, Patricia Birkholz, Tom George, Valde Garcia, Jason Allen, and Burton Leland.

If you are interested to get this passed nationwide go to this web site.

www.vote-smart.org

The main points concerning this bill can be seen at:

www.legislature.mi.gov

barb

While you may be right technically, unfortunately 99.9% of motorist are going to vehemently disagree with you. And while it's sad most will never understand you had a right to be there unless they're brought before a judge after some tragedy, that's simply the reality of our situation.

Well I guess that's the problem with exaggerating in order to make a point. But thanks for clearing that up.

Well bicycles have been an accepted, viable part of European transportation since they were invented. And I'm going to go out on a limb and surmise that a much larger cross section of the populace actually rides over there. This puts a human face on the cyclist that America motorists simply do not see... until it's too late, that is. And I doubt we are going to change our car dependent ways anytime soon. At least it's going to take more than $5 gas. Perhaps we had too much room to begin with, but our urban sprawl is a done deal, here to stay, and with it, the need to drive far greater distances on a daily basis than our European brothers. I might be a 'cup half empty' kind of guy in this regard, but I just don't see the day when enough of the U.S. population will actually get out there and pedal in order to make a difference in the average motorists' attitude. We daily, or even weekly commuters are a very, very, small minority.

DanO

Holy goodness, how can anyone manage that?? I don't know one single person who is a responsible driver and who's been in so many accidents. Each of my parents, for example, was in an accident (relatively minor too) exactly once in a lifetime and both times no other vehicles were involved. I am not saying those accidents are your fault, but you must live in one crappy area for drivers...

Here's my rule of thumb - if the lane is wide enough to share safely, keep to the right far enough to allow it to be shared and only move center when the situation requires it - if the lane is not wide enough to share safely, take the lane and yield to allow faster traffic to pass when you have a safe opportunity to do so.

Nice thought, but in some areas that road that you have to claim a lane on may be the only road (except freeway) between two major points. That is very much the situation in San Diego where the geology consists of valleys and mesas... and often the ONLY road through a valley connecting two mesas is a wide boulevard much like the one you mention... with cars parked along the side, so you are riding out about 4-5 feet to avoid being doored. Now that right most lane (the same third lane you mentioned) is narrow due to the cars being parked alongside, so you have to claim a lane... in 45MPH+ traffic. The other choice... you don't bike.

What would you do?

Those "share the road" signs don't just apply to motorists.

A quick Summary.

I was on the Northwest expressway which is a three lane, one way road, speed limit of 45 MPH, no minimum speed. I was in the right lane, right of center in the rut where the passenger car tire would be. Not to mention that there was a red light up just ahead. <= conditions could not be better for a cyclist, and if people are suggesting that I "take another route" then I might as well fire up my van and get 15 miles per gallon.

This is a commuting forum here, and some people seem to be damned confused. Bicycle commuting.

Hey, I only want to use one lane of 3 going my way.... don't you think the motorists can share the other two?

"This is a commuting forum here, and some people seem to be damned confused. Bicycle commuting"


^^^ Why is your method of commute so important that you
feel it is OK to hold other people up because of your choice ?
Why is it all about 'you' ?
Sorry, I disagree....holding people up because you choose a slower means
of transportation is selfish. The reality, REALITY bicyclists face in America
is that we are in peoples way. That is the publics perception of us whether you
agree with it or not. You add to this by.....holding people up.
This is not Europe. People eat Big Macs and would rather drink beer, watch NASCAR or WWF
than go to an art museum or think.
People who take a lane to go 15 mph created this reality for us.
To start to be taken seriously in the US we need to stop creating a hostile enviornment
for ourselves and try to co-exist. Antagonizing people never helped anything.

The thing I love most about these threads is the passion. But whichever side you find yourself on, there’s one thing you should be able to agree on.

Even the most ardent vehicular cycling disciples would agree that there are some neighborhoods in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles where you wouldn’t dare walk down a dark alley. But why not? After all; the law clearly states that no one should assault me, so I should be able to walk were I want, right? Of course we all know that if you happen to be unlucky, you stand a good chance of not coming out the other end of that alley - and if you do it might very well be minus your cash and dignity. In that instance we accept the unfortunate fact that despite what the law says, there are those who will disregard society’s rules and do exactly what they please. Sometimes the authorities catch up with them, sometimes they don’t. And so we exercise caution in certain circumstances.

So how is it these same folks can turn around and say they should be able to ride a bike in any lane, on any street, any where, and anyone in a car will just have to deal with it because after all, the law says I can. I’ve read threads where they suggest novice riders should simpy act as if you belong there, and everything will fall into place. Behave like an alpha dog, and you will receive the respect an alpha dog deserves. I think this is misguided at best. And I doubt they would tell a friend of theirs to go ahead and walk down that dark alley... just act like an alpha dog.

I would hope we all realize that motor vehicles are just as deadly as knives and guns in the hands of the hurried, ignorant, angry, inept and impaired - regardless of what the law says. And you can sit up there in heaven strumming your harp, singing about how you were in the right and the guy who ran you down just didn’t know the vehicle code, but you’ll still be dead.

I’m not saying to desert the roadways with your tail between your legs. But exercise a little common sense, retreat when necessary and live to ride another day.

So propose a solution. A real one.

^^ Everyone ride like me. That is my solution.

OK, how do you ride on streets that don't have sidewalks, have parked cars along the side making the right most lane somewhat narrow, and yet have multiple lanes so that any other vehicles that could get caught behind you have the option to move to another lane?

You as a cyclist are going to ride in the right most lane... I assume... and perhaps you want to avoid the possiblity of getting doored... so maybe you are in the right tire track in that right most lane...

Oh and the speed limit is 45MPH.

There is no other way to get from point A to point B, unless you use a freeway.

What would you do?

I wanna know...

Like what? I don't think everyone would fit in central Vermont, and sure as heck if they did it would cause a few traffic issues.
Look mate: I'm all for letting everyone get by, and indeed try to use only a reasonable amount of lane to get by safely, but sometimes on trafficed roads that just isn't the reality. I need room on the right to evade doors, debris, holes, and in one spot a K-rail placed right on the fog line. I agree that trying to make a point with lane position is generally silly, but I will take what I need because my need for safety exceeds any other road user's need for speed.

Are you serious? You really think it's people on bikes who hold up those commuting in cars? I can state for a fact that every day going to and from work, I am delayed longer by cars then I delay any one person. In my lifetime, I can assure you that I have spent more time sitting motionless in a car because of other people in cars then the total sum of all the time I've been followed by a motorist (which doesn't even necessarily mean that I was "delaying" them). So who should get off the roads?

Taking a lane is not antagonizing anyone. Agonozing over having to go a cyclist's speed for 30 seconds is a childish reaction that thankfully only a small percentage of people actually exhibit.

=-=£em in Pa= <--I find you to post the most unintelligent comments. Keep flexing those internet muscles. You sir, are the reason non-cyclists hate cyclists.

Anyway, I don't have a problem with a cyclist taking up the right lane. I think cycling is inherently unsafe unfortunately. Riding in the center of a lane may make you more visible, but it does piss people off. Pissed off people have been known to do some pretty serious stuff to cyclists. I dont know what this weird road rage is that people get against us, but they do. Apparently, everyone is in a hurry to go home and watch American Idol and sit on their sofa.

I get irritated with people "in a hurry." Unless you are the CEO of GE, you probably arent any busier than I am. Everyone these days just has a "Im so important" complex, and its irritating. It leads to a "I own the road" complex, which leads to a "lets kick this cyclist's ass" complex.

Anyway, I reccommend taking up as much of a lane as you feel you need to. Just be very aware of your surroundings, and report those who harass you.

I agree completely! I regularly take 'most' of the
right lane on lightly traveled street conditions and
on bridges with two lanes in both directions and such.

Once in a while you get an ******* who will
try to almost CLIP you as they go by, just to show
off their big balled truck or SUV, but I would rather
put up with the occasional situation like that than
to COWER with fear by riding in the f'n gutter and
STILL have some ******* run me off the road and
force me into the curb.

"Ride Bold, But Defensively," that is my motto.

^^Hmmmmmm....internet muscles, insults..pot - kettle = black ?
Should I goof on your spandex now to keep the childishness going ?
And, you are wrong. You really think that you are so important
that you have a right to hold people up ?
Think, if possible.......Might be hard but try.....You are on your way
to work....The french fries HAVE to be started by 8:00.....everything
is fine.....all the sudden you slow to 12 mph.....it goes on for what seems an
eternity.... you are now late for work...
You really think that it is OK to make a choice to insert yourself in a situation where
You know you are going to disrupt people or 'flow' and think its OK because you...ranger5oh,
have determined that they need to slow down. Has GWB been informed that YOU are
The Great Decider, not him ?? You have determined that all the people around you arent
worthy of needing to be somewhere so its your job to hold them up to make them realize this ?
You are the god of time , you know all and no one elses time is as important as yours.

Two cyclists....one yields, or rides right because he is not militant or needs to
make a statement and one takes the lane because his and Alpha-dog ego make for
good posting on the internet later ???

tuff one, huh ??
Not only do militant VC'ers hurt the cause of trying to 'sell' serious cycling to the
public, it is a selfish way to ride.

You are in Wilmington too....that type of area has nothing to do with what is being discussed here.
You attack me constantly on this. For future reference Philly and Wilmington are not riding
envirnoments that I speak of other than Philly being dangerous. In those people are stopped
for longer than they are driving. I worked at MBNA, I know Wilmingon traffic. A skateboard can
get through Wilmingon quicker than a car.
We are discussing holding up moving traffic. Going 12mph when the rest of the traffic is at 40 or
45.
Go take the lane on I-95 to try to get a better understanding of what is being discussed.

If you rode here you would ride like me or you wouldn't ride on the roads. Taking the lane while doing 10-20 in a 55 is not a matter of being militant, selfish or anything else. It's simply a matter of there being nowhere to move right on a two lane NOL and still be on the road.

If a motorist gets behind me with oncoming traffic and he's in a hurry, tough. He should have left earlier.
Not my problem.

As to Owltooth's OP. Forget the cager and keep doing what you're doing. He obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. Probably one of these people that never rides roads, only trails, and considers himself a cyclist. The only thing I would probably do different, is ride further to the left on your two lane streets, but that depends on how wide the lanes are.

On 5/9/06, on the Indiana Toll Road an SUV that was driving below the speed limit was struck by a semi truck. The SUV rolled over killing the driver immediately. A young passenger not buckled in was ejected into the road and run over by another semi. A second child crawled out of the SUV and while standing along the vehicle was struck and killed by a semi. Of course the primary fault of the crash is the emi for not paying attention to traffic in front, but that doesn't make the slower moving vehicle occupants any less dead. Had the SUV been traveling at the speed limit, maybe they would still be alive. Slow moving vehicles in the lane are a danger at times.

Sad situation, but it was all caused by the driver of the first semi.

Hopefully he gets charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide or something related, in addition to any other traffic offenses he may have been in violation of.

Ah.. I have been as far to the right as possible. Almost in the gutter. Can't satisfy them. Someone will always grouse. On a road bike , I was almost on the dirt and in California, with wide roads - still would be hassled. When, cars had plenty of room. NO need to hassle me, but they did.
A point. Are cycling laws the same in all states. Know what they are in Oklahoma. Here in Calif. it says, stay to the right the greatest extent possible.

In fact, my point was that in six of these I was sitting still and rear ended. In two others cars pulled out of parking lots into the street in front of me, too close to do anything evasive. OK, the other two were my fault.

SB

I am in Delaware for only the first 5 minutes of my commute. I'm so far outside of Wilmington that I might as well list Chadds Ford, home of the entitled SUV/BMW owner and their kids who drive to school on the same roads that I ride to work, as my location. In order, the roads are a 45 mph arterial (2 lanes each way), a 45 mph arterial (one lane each way), a 35 mph narrow backroad, then 25 mph backroads where those entitled people and their children go 35-50. I'm far from moving at the speed of traffic unless I encounter the mailman or the garbage trucks. I do get delayed at intersections usually by the same people who just passed me but I get over it because if I wanted to be at work a few minutes earlier I would have left a few minutes earlier.