[trafficsafety] If I could put it all in a nutshell

…I would say that I am more serious about bicycle safety than anything I’ve been about anything in my 60 years.  I apologize for offending anyone. If I have little room for sarcasm or jest, I can change that. 

 

What I won’t change is my intolerance for extremes in language when responding to crises like the recent ones we’ve experienced, regardless of how far removed.  I didn’t know Mike Wilberding who was killed September 1st, neither did I know Sheryl and Darrel McDaniel killed May 29^TH , I didn’t know Erik Lyager who was killed after falling off his bike on SW 185^th on July 12^th, and I didn’t know Michael Kalan, the most recent tragedy, killed on the 15^th.  Their losses are tragic and most certainly could have been avoided had the motorists not “wandered onto the shoulder” or had the “sun in their eyes.”

 

The posts I saw on this list appeared to be of the mentality of “let’s string ‘em all up!”, and that is never going to work.  To be frank, I’m not sure what will, but let’s have reasonable discussion on this matter, develop a plan and proceed with it. 

 

I’ve posted a poll on the WashCo BTC yahoo groups site: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/washcobtc/ .  In order to view the poll, you’d have to sign up but, I’m sure many don’t wish to.  So, here is the question and the solutions I’ve proposed, cut and pasted:

In the recent spate of motorist/bicyclist collisions and deaths, many are crying out for a revision in the law. Some are calling for increased penalties when a motorist is a fault when hitting and/or killing a bicyclist or pedestrian. How would you rewrite the laws to handle this?

• Establish a traffic commission on the county level that would oversee each change or implementation in traffic control devices.  
• Rewrite the vehicle laws to increase penalties that result in the death of a pedestrian or bicyclist.  
• Do nothing. Current law adequately addresses such issues.  
• Separate bicycles and pedestrians from vehicular traffic by means of side paths or trails.  
• Provide education for all users of the roadways that clearly define the roles of each user of the roads.  

Currently, the tally shows a 60% favor for changing the law, 20% for education, and 20% to establish a traffic commission. 

 

If you wish, reply with your choice here (please use a different heading like My Choice), or join that group and vote there.  The poll is open until September 30^th for compilation and presentation to the county commission meeting on Tuesday, October 3^rd.  I will tally the results and post them back to the list.

 

If you believe there should be more descriptive terms or more questions, please let me know.  I don’t want the scope too broad as I learned my lesson in dealing with the county.

 

For example, about four years ago, the WashCo BTC made a lengthy presentation to the commission about some concerns we had over traffic conditions, chip sealing roadways, intersection markings and other areas of concern. We were well received by the commissioners.  We asked at that time for an establishment of a Bicycle Advisory Committee that would provide relevant input and advice to County staff and the Commission.  We were shot down due to the “lack of real ongoing issues” and concerns about the costs to staff time.  We were instead given a “bicycle coordinator” to attend meetings with us quarterly.

 

Well, 5 people have died in less than 5 months, so our call on the Commissioners this time will be to create a Traffic Commission whose powers and duties would include reviewing proposals related to major traffic changes in the County, advising the County Commission on issues pertaining to traffic safety, and assisting in promulgating standards and policies relating to traffic management as governed by the County. The Commission would hold regular public hearings on traffic issues.

 

Currently, County Land Use and Transportation (LUT) staff determines which control devices are placed at what intersections, which bicycle/pedestrian projects get funding, and how roads are overlaid with what materials.  There is NO citizen input, much less those specific to bicycling or walking.  Certain projects, depending on scope and cost, establish a citizen advisory committee, but most of the roadways and intersections the County has jurisdiction over won’t have improvements that warrant such a look.  A commission would change that.

 

800 acres in the North Bethany area was recently brought into the UGB and planning has begun on how to develop it.  There are no representatives for pedalers or walkers; instead the Stakeholders Work Group is comprised mostly of property owners, developers, building industry representatives, and LUT staff.  I intend to appeal that and get representation.

 

With regard to changing the law; it was mentioned on this list that we should be looking to strengthen sanctions whenever anyone is killed, regardless of whether it was a bicyclist, pedestrian, motorcyclist OR motorist is killed.  To me, that approach would be more successful than only going after motor/bicycle collisions.  There are several ways to do this.  One is through the initiative process; another is to get a legislator to introduce a bill on your behalf to amend the statutes.

 

Kat Iverson has provided information on some of the statutes as they currently are in other postings, and it would take a lawyer (or other cunning wordsmith) to rewrite those laws to reflect our desires.  It may be passed into law by the legislature, or it may be referred to voters.  The second option, like the first, is the more likely scenario because we then have the insurance industry, the AAA or other motor vehicle friendly groups who would oppose such a measure and few politicians are willing or ready to take on the insurance lobby. 

 

However, I am sending a letter to all 10 representatives in the House that represent Washington County asking any and all of them to provide support on this initiative we’ll compose and present.

 

The WashCo BTC is ready to take the lead in this matter and will appreciate all the guidance and assistance anyone wants to provide it.

 

Personally, it is my opinion that education will be the underlying key to understanding the reasons we travel where we do on the roadways.  I’m teaching a group of 5 (so far) farmers, truck drivers and rural homeowners a ‘Motorist Education’ class next month.  I’d gotten a call from a man who lives right near where Michael Kalan was killed on the 15^th.  He owns a nursery nearby and sees “bikes on West Union all the time.”  He said he knows they have a right to be there, but wants to know more about where in the roadway they ride.  He asked about why, when approaching a hill a bicyclist moves out into the lane so he can’t pass.  I explained this to him and invited him to a class.  He has others in the area who also want to learn and change their behavior and this may be the start of a very good thing.

 

I’ve offered free* tuition to the Bicycle Safety Education Class to this list.  To date, only one member has taken me up on my offer.  I’ve held 12 classes so far.  One of my first questions in class is for a show of hands of who doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle.  I have had one hand go up.  That lady and I conducted some private tutoring sessions, and she has subsequently enrolled with team IBM in the Bike Commute Challenge, sponsored by the BTA.  IBM won the award last year and they’re gunning for it again this month.

 

You all know how to ride a bike.  I certainly did when I took the course, but I learned a tremendous amount.  I knew a tremendous amount when I studied and participated in the Certified Instructor program offered by the League of American Bicyclists, I learned a tremendous amount more!  In fact, I think I’ll quit learning about bicycling when I die, not before.  You may learn a little, you may teach ME a lot, I’m ready for it.  More importantly, something you know and pass along in class may be just the thing another student may need to gain that confidence and assurance in their skills on the roadways.  Something I might have missed or even stated incorrectly, you never know.

 

I’ll remain on this list, if you’ll have me.  I’ll even tune up my “sarcasm detector” as one member put it, and as long as it isn’t of bad intent, I may even chuckle or respond in kind.

 

 

Hal

“I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle” ^~Zen proverb