Campaign aims to teach bicyclists, motorists to share

[HuckleB]

Campaign aims to teach bicyclists, motorists to share

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/109006591442350.xml

"...The event kicked off a Citizens of the Road campaign developed by Bicycle Transportation Alliance in cooperation with Portland Department of Transportation.

Amy Stork, a Bicycle Transportation Alliance member who is working on the campaign, said the education process goes both ways, offering tips for bicyclists, too, on sharing the road with motorists. She said the campaign is needed because of a growing bicycling population on Portland-area streets.

...
Stork said the goal of Citizens of the Road campaign is to impress upon all users of the road the importance of sharing.

"The perception of both sides is that the other side is wrong," she said. "That's why this campaign is not just for motorists. The mission is to open streets and roads to bicyclists. Part of that message is for cyclists to be good citizens of the road."

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I hope this type of share-the-road campaign spreads to other parts of the country. Far too many people don't know the rules of the road, when it comes to cycling, and that includes both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers.

Salud!

[Heddi]

1. They need this in Seattle

I wish I could ride a bike to work and back, but I just can't. I applaud those who CAN ride bikes as alternative transportation, and easily 90% of the cyclists that I encounter while driving do what they're supposed to do---stay towards the curb or in the bike lane, obey traffic signals, and pretty much are a pleasure to drive beside.

However---there are some cyclists...the minority of course...who want to follow the rules for pedestrians AND autos AND bikes, and make driving next to them to be death-defying for myself and them.

They swerve into traffic, they don't yeild, they run stop lights & stop signs (This weekend I nearly hit THREE DIFFERENT CYCLISTS because they totally blew through quite red stop-lights).

It's especially dangerous to the cyclists who do this---I guess I'm not going to get hurt as badly as they are if they blow through a red-light and I smack them with 2,000 lbs of metal. I'm not going to be hurting as badly as they would be when they leisurely pull into the traffic lane in front of traffic going 30-40mph without even looking over their shoulder to see if its clear to get into the lane.

Equally, I see horrible auto drivers who have no concern for ANYONE else on the road---be they in cars, on bikes, or walking down the sidewalk. There are terribly aggressive drivers who would love nothing more (i'm sure) than to just mow down anyone who isn't going at least 60 in a 40 zone, or anyone who's not willing to drag-race them at every stop light.

[Ms. Toad]

3. I agree with you - with one exception

I am a road rider, and make it a point to follow the same rules as a car would, since those are the rules that apply. Which brings me to my concern about your comment:

"90% of the cyclists that I encounter while driving do what they're supposed to do---stay towards the curb or in the bike lane"

If any roads I ride on had a bike lane I would use it (except when the law requires something else - like when I am turning left). Unfortunately, there are none around here so I am forced onto roads not designed with bicyclists in mind.

Bicyclists are entitled to the full lane, just as a car is. When I ride on a road without a bike lane, I never ride closer to the curb than three feet for safety reasons. If I have to move to protect myself from the "terribly aggressive drivers" you noted, I need to have somewhere to dive to. (Not to mention avoiding all those pesky car doors that open unexpectedly, and potholes that tend to be more plentiful near the curb). Incidentally, driving away from the curb is consistent with the brochure the article references.

[HuckleB]

2. A kick to share!

[HuckleB]

4. Kicking the shareware.