Monday, July 12 7:30 PM Vermont Town Hall 4017 Hwy JJ
I guess I'd like to make a plea of calm and courteous dialogue instead of anger and hostility. Bicyclists have a right be ride on the roads whether we live in that jurisdiction or not. We all pay for the roads whether we own cars or not. (I wish I could get out of paying school district taxes for not having kids...) County property taxes are used to maintain, plow, police, and landscape the roads.
So this is just a little rough spot we will need to get through. Let's not come out guns blazing at the meeting, because the press is likely to attend, and we want to appear as a calm, rational, cooperative bunch.
Speaking of cooperation... we ask for it from motorists, and I'd like to be sure that we as bicyclists extend it as well. Although I would never ask bicyclists to do anything that endangers their safety - like riding so far right that motorists are tempted to pass in an illegal or dangerous manner - I think we sometimes forget courtesy when in a group.
State law requires that we single up if a motorist would have trouble passing. That means that if there is oncoming traffic or a double yellow line that prohibits passing, we should single up. It is true that the motorist may STILL not have room to pass if there is no shoulder, but at least we have done our part to comply with the law. It also signals, "We see you and are trying to be polite."
Obviously, stop signs are a touchy subject, but I will risk the wrath of everyone by stating that I don't think we are helping promote bicyclists as legitimate road user when we blow through signs without even slowing down. Yelling, "CLEAR" early in the morning is also not appreciated by those trying to sleep in. (This tip from some friends that used to live at the T intersection of Sayles Trl and Sun Valley Pkwy.)
So, please ride safely and courteously. I will extend the same advice to bicyclists that I do to motorists, but in reverse: Please think, "Would I do this (traffic habit or maneuver) if I was driving my car?" (In the case of motorists, it is, "Would I do this if that vehicle was a car instead of a bike?" Example - making a right turn across the path of another vehicle.)
Thanks for reading and biking. Please let me know if you want to carpool. I plan to clean out my hatchback of bike stuff so people can actually use the back seat.
-- Robbie
Robbie Webber
Program Manager
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
106 E Doty St, Ste. 400
PO Box 1224
Madison, WI 53701-1224
608-251-4456 (voice)
608-251-4594 (fax)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.bfw.org
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