Can't we all just get along?

From the CDA PRESS:

When I heard about the vehicle vs. bicycle collision that occurred Wednesday on
Government Way, I cringed.

First, for the obvious reason - there's a lot of heartache that can come from such a thing. I was also troubled because that driver could have been me. It almost was, a few times this summer.

Like most people, I find the thought terrifying.

At least four times since last spring, I've had to hit the brakes to narrowly avoid a bicyclist suddenly in my vehicle's path.

Each time, the pedals were being pushed by a teen or very young adult. That's good, because if they were seasoned motor vehicle drivers, I'd have to question whether they should have driver's licenses at all.

I'm not sure why anyone would think it's OK to shoot off a sidewalk into
the roadway in front of a moving vehicle, or fly off a curb into a crosswalk in
front of a vehicle moving 35 mph.

The young riders do it with heads held high, without flinching or looking both ways.

They cruise quickly, mindlessly and lawlessly into the road in front of me, as if in a trance - until they sense my car stopping. Then, they stop and look at me.

In three out of four cases, they've yelled, gestured or said something indicating I had done something wrong.

I was so relieved to avoid colliding with one backpack-wearing boy, that I must have smiled a bit.

"Yeah, real funny. You almost hit me," he screamed into my open car window, before riding away on two wheels.

This, after he shot off the curb in front of me at an intersection. How was this near-crash my fault?

I spent years living back East, developing the kinds of defensive driving skills you need in a place far more congested than North Idaho. I know there are a lot of you out there just like me. Maybe that's why we haven't had more tragedies here.

I'm generally one of the slowest drivers you'll ever meet. Never got a speeding
ticket, was never stopped for speeding. I don't take risks on the road. Yes, I'm
that lady at the stop sign or red light in front of you who won't move or turn
left until everybody is past. Maybe you've honked at me in frustration.

I don't expect other drivers with the right-of-way to stop or slow down
for me. I'd like the same kind of respect from others on the road, or the
sidewalk, whether they're behind the wheel or pushing pedals.

For bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers, attitude is a matter of life and death.

Perhaps the young bike riders I've encountered don't realize there are
state laws that apply to them?

It's right there under Idaho Title 49,
the state's Motor Vehicle Code, in Chapter 7:

"Every person operating a vehicle propelled by human power or riding a bicycle shall have all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under the provisions of chapters 6 and 8 of this title."

Chapters 6 and 8 cover "Rules of the Road," and "Signs, Signals and Markings," and apply to motor vehicle drivers and cyclists.

The one big difference for bicyclists is what's often called the "Idaho Stop Law."

It's a cyclist-friendly part of the state's biking regulations that says it's legal for a bicyclist to cautiously roll through a stop sign without completely halting, and to proceed through a red light after stopping.

Simply put, if you're on a bicycle, you can treat a stop sign like a yield sign, and a red light like a stop sign.

Unfortunately, many people have the impression that bicyclists in Idaho
can legally sail through stop signs. Not so.

I like the bicycle "stop-as-yield" law. I haven't done much riding here in Idaho, but when I did, I often enjoyed cruising slowly through stop signs when no other traffic was present. I think I might have been breaking the law when I did that in other
states, which is silly.

I wouldn't want Idaho to change the bicycle stop law, but as the region and our roads keep becoming more heavily populated, we're going to have to work together to continue having such a friendly statute.

At this point, I'm so daunted by the possibility that a bicyclist will ride in front of me that I'm slowing down everywhere for everyone and everything.

I'm worried about our kids' safety, and I'm concerned for my emotional well-being. If I hit a bicyclist, even if it wasn't legally my fault, I don't know how I'd live with myself if the person were seriously injured or killed.

I hope the boy involved in Wednesday's crash is OK. The reports said it was a "low-speed collision," but the 14-year-old was taken to Kootenai Medical Center.

I don't know whose fault it was. A police investigation is taking place.

What I do know is, the crash caused anguish.

As school is getting ready to start up again, let's work together to avoid more of
that.

Let's share the road like we're supposed to, and all work on being less cranky or cocky whether we're behind the wheel or pedaling along.

Program encourages safe bicycling and walking to school

ITD Press Release:

One in three Idaho third-graders is overweight or likely to become obese so the Idaho Transportation Department's Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program helps communities support more children walking and bicycling to school to combat the problem.

"SR2S helps communities achieve new balance at a time when escalating transportation costs are forcing schools to reduce busing," said Jo O'Connor, ITD SR2S coordinator. "Choosing to walk or bike to school will benefit kids, parents and the community."

Childhood obesity has increased more than fourfold among children ages 6 to 11 since the 1970s, O'Connor explained. That's why Congress has declared September 2010 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. (www.healthierkidsbrighterfutures.org)

"A growing number of leaders at both the national and local levels are recognizing that getting children active is one way to counteract a sedentary lifestyle, improve health and reduce traffic congestion," O'Connor said.

SR2S is designed for children from kindergarten through eighth grade, including those with disabilities, who live within walking and biking distance of school.

O'Connor advises people interested in the program to begin planning and organizing in close cooperation with schools and local leaders, parents, children, organizations and other individuals dedicated to improving their communities and promoting safe bicycling and walking.

ITD provides a website at www.itd.idaho.gov/sr2s that includes useful tools and guidance. People also are invited to connect with other Idaho communities interested in SR2S on Facebook.

Artistic signal cabinets

This idea from Boise could very well add some character to signal cabinets in the CdA area...

Photo and information from Downtown Boise Association Facebook page and KBOI.

The Downtown Boise Association received a grant from the Mayor’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Program to commission five Idaho artists to design five different murals for the cabinet controller boxes in Downtown Boise. Cabinet Controller boxes are located at intersections to control the traffic signals.

The program in association with Ada County Highway District and the City of Boise’s Art & History Department that brings public art to the street level is a pilot project to decrease graffiti and increase the unique character of downtown. This project is a model project and would pave the way for more Cabinet Controller boxes at prominent intersections to be made into artwork in the future.

Education Corridor Open House

An Open House for the Education Corridor Transportation Plan will be held at the Lake City Senior Center on Lakewood Drive, Wednesday, August 11th, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to familiarize the public with the selected alternatives for road alignments and widths, intersection locations and geometry, bike and pedestrian plans, and general infrastructure improvements. Comments will be solicited from the general public, as well as the broader stakeholders groups.

Who is subsidizing who?

From "Whose Roads? Defining Bicyclists' and Pedestrians' Right to Use Public Roadways" by the Vicoria Transport Policy Institute; 2004

"Pedestrians and cyclists pay more than their fair share of roadway costs. Although most highway expenses are funded through motor vehicle user fees, local roads and traffic services are funded primarily through general taxes that residents pay regardless of their travel habits. Motor vehicle use also imposes a variety of external costs, including parking subsidies, congestion, uncompensated crash damages, and environmental impacts. Pedestrians and cyclists impose much less external costs, due to lower costs per mile, and because they tend to travel fewer miles per year. In general, people who drive less than average overpay their true share of transportation costs, while those who drive more than average underpay. As a result, pedestrians and bicyclists tend to subsidize motorists."

Driving with Bikes

Cycling in Traffic

Cycling benefits outweigh risks

A new study completed by the Dutch company, Environmental Health Perspectives, finds that the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks. The study goes in depth on air quality, obesity, etc. The study can be found at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20587380

Job Announcement

Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance (IPBA) is looking for a dynamic leader based in Boise with exceptional fundraising and organizational skills to take us to the next level. We are committed to providing $1,460 per month for a ½ time Executive Director (initially as a contractor) and seek a professional to meet the challenge of raising the operating budget and advancing the priorities of this start up organization. This will grow into a full time position when budget permits. Skills in marketing, fundraising, membership development, organization, outreach and program and working with a board. Work initially from your home office with your computer, telephone, etc. Resume and cover letter to president@idahopedbike.org by August 23.

Please share the job description widely!

Thank you,
Molly

The IPBA is the first statewide pedestrian and bicycle advocacy group in Idaho.

Run Bike

This video is great, but just so you all know...the way the kid flys out of his driveway riding the wrong way against traffic is not good. Enjoy...

Ride Idaho

Ride Idaho will be taking off from Hayden City Hall at 8:00 am on Sunday, August 8th. The public is free to join them on their take off ride.
http://www.rideidaho.org/default.asp

Art bike racks in Moscow

PBS Report: Crossing the Line

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Bikers lend helping hands

From the Post Register:

IDAHO FALLS - For most college-age -- and sometimes, slightly older -- adults, summer is a time for relaxing, working on a tan or perhaps earning a few dollars to get them through the next semester. But for those who sign up for Bike and Build, summer is a time to get to know the United States from a bicycle seat, help build affordable homes for needy folks and, along the way, burn about 200,000 calories. A group of 31 Bike and Build members was in Idaho Falls on Thursday to help spruce up the area's new Habitat for Humanity headquarters on Northgate Mile. Armed with brushes, hammers and putty knives, the riders set to work repairing and painting the walls of the former Second Time Around Consignments store. Karen Lansing, executive director of the Idaho Falls-area Habitat for Humanity, said volunteers like the Bike and Build crew are used to doing any type of work that doesn't specifically require a license. "Basically, we'll do whatever they want us to do," said Jen Carboni, a 25-year-old graduate of New England College in New Hampshire, where she earned a degree in biology. "We've done everything from moving piles of dirt around to putting up drywall to roofing (and) flooring." Every summer, Bike and Build organizes several bike trips across the United States. Every few days, participants stop and help build a home for a nonprofit affordable housing group or, as in Idaho Falls, help the group restore its own buildings. On average, they ride about 70 miles per day, burning somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 calories per day. The group of 19 women and 12 men that arrived in Idaho Falls rode from Jackson, Wyo., on Tuesday and will leave today for Arco. Their 3,827-mile trip, which started in Virginia, will end in Cannon Beach, Ore., in late July. Sarah Graham, a 20-year-old English major at Truman State University in Missouri, said her friends often ask why she would give up her summer to ride across the country, but Graham has a different perspective. "I haven't given anything up. I've gained a lot along the way," she said. "It's been the best experience I've ever had in my entire life." Thanks in part to Bike and Build, Habitat for Humanity's new building is within a few weeks of being ready to open, Lansing said. Since the first of the month, she said volunteers have dedicated more than 200 working hours to fixing up the building.

Safety on Trails

Break Downs

Bike-in Restaurant Proposed in Wisconsin

See the story here:

Proposed bike path restaurant would be inaccessible by automobile

Ciclovia in Spokane Last Weekend

In case you missed it (I did too), there was a Summer Parkways event in Spokane in this weekend.

Here's the story from the Spokesman.

Hopefully, we can do something like that in Coeur d'Alene in the near future...

Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh Risks

According to a new study released by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the health benefits of switching from car driving to bicycling are substantially greater than the risks.

From the Abstract:

For the individuals who shift from car to bicycle, we estimated that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3 – 14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8 – 40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5 – 9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger due to a modest reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents.

Conclusions: On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting mode of transport.

View the paper →

Cyclist declared brain dead two days after crash with Washoe Sheriff's SUV

The Nevada Highway Patrol reports that the cyclist involved in a crash with a Washoe County Sheriff's Office SUV Monday has been officially declared brain dead.

Kevin T. Albertson, 21, was officially declared brain dead at 9:25 am on Tuesday. He is currently on a ventilator at Renown Regional Medical Center awaiting a procedure for his organs to be harvested, at which time he will be pronounced clinically deceased.

A Washoe County Sheriff’s Office SUV collided with Albertson along Lemmon Drive on Monday afternoon, critically injuring the 21-year-old Reno cyclist, the Nevada Highway Patrol reported.

Both were traveling east toward Lemmon Valley when the front-right bumper of the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe struck the back tire of the cyclist’s red bike, NHP Trooper Chuck Allen said.

Link to original Article here Link to more detail about the accident here



A grim reminder of why it is so important that people share the road.