Getting more cyclists to have lights at night is a prime concern of mine and I
have worked with the University bike people the last few years to increase
usage. We have concentrated on that audience because most night time crashes
are downtown and involve cyclists in their 20s.
In the past a local pizza company has delivered flyers about safe night time
riding with a coupon for a lite at local shops- with minimal results.
We did this in late September/ early October when it is starting to get dark
earlier. But as a bike shop owner told me student run out of $ pretty quickly
and typically don't go into bike stores that time of year. We need to do our
efforts when students return and Mom and Dad have their credit card handy.
We need to think of different ways of reaching this audience. My initial
idea would be to get an article in the State Journal and/ or something on the 6
o'clock news. But 20 somethings don't read the WSJ or watch the 6 o'clock
news. If anyone has unique ideas for this aging boomer to reach younger people
please share them.
"Schimpff, Jeff A - DNR" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Bob's observation is universal and prompts a quick tale from last
night. Heading from downtown to the SW Path after 5:00 (quite dark), I stopped
on Dayton at Broom for traffic. An unlit cyclist came along on Broom (a
one-way street) within a few feet of me. and I called out with a friendly
reminder as I usually do, "You need to get a light, sir!"
Instead of responding the typical, "OK," or "I know." or with silence, he let
out a rude "F Y." I soon headed west across Broom while he continued toward
Johnson. I then heard a loud brake screech and horn honk, and turned back to
see that this guy had nearly been creamed by a car that somehow got onto Broom
heading the wrong way - and apparently couldn't see this unlit cyclist any
better than I could when he passed by me....
Then on the SW Path there was the usual parade of unlit cyclists, appearing
to be nearly half of all riders.
All of which begs the question of how can the City be more pre-emptive about
lights at night. I suggest a short program of educational stops, followed up
by a program of ticketing, focused on the bike paths and streets with high bike
traffic and bike lanes. Our fellow cyclists endanger far more people than
themselves.
"Swinging in the other direction, you have the cyclist who ignores every
traffic law, rides down the sidewalk, then he goes through the crosswalk, and
if a motorist doesn't see him he flips him off. Then he jumps on the road in
the wrong direction and he doesn't have lights on at night."
P Jeff Schimpff
Bureau of Science Services
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
"Bus, Bike, Walk or Carpool to Work for Clean Air for Kids"
(() phone: (608) 267- 7853
(() fax: (608) 267-5231
(+) e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Meiers, Steve
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:36 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Bikies] article
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=687001
Hopefully, this is an interview with a person, formerly from Wisconsin, who
wrote a book about the law and bicycling. If this link doesn't work I'll go to
Plan B
Steve Meiers
Safety educator
(608) 267-1102
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
Bikies mailing list
[email protected]
http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
Steve Meiers
608 241-3460
158 Dixon St
Madison, WI 53704
---------------------------------
Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how._______________________________________________
Bikies mailing list
[email protected]
http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
