OK, I admit when I was in Aspen last week I almost hit about twenty Lance Armstrong wannabes whipping around two-lane mountain roads like they were driving Hummers. However, this morning I received a note from a friend who tells me in the last 7 days 7 cyclists have been hit by cars in the DFW area. Two died and one is in critical condition. She goes on:
It’s all just too much. My friend’s husband was riding his bicycle around White Rock Lake and was hit by a car. He’s in the ICU at Baylor and so far has yet to be responsive. His friends have created a blog to update his progress, and this morning, his cycling buddies posted a petition to take to the city council about bicycle laws Recently a city council person said “Well there are not many people in my district who want to ride bikes anyway” Let’s prove him and a whole host of others like him wrong.
This isn’t just for the roadies or the mountain bikers – although we want you to sign it! It is for your neighbors whose kids ride to school, it is for the older couple on the corner who ride around the block. It is for anyone who in any way at all wants to see bikes on the streets without fear in North Texas. It is for those who would rather ride off the street; it is for those who will ride anywhere – and mostly – for those who won’t ride at all given current conditions.
Sign it here.
101 comments
I have almost hit bicyclists on numerous occasions on my way home from work in the White Rock area… I can never figure out why they must ride in the street, in traffic… when the much improved trails around the lake are there for just that purpose – bicycling. If you don’t want to get hit by a car, I would suggest staying out of the street.
And Rascal proves the point. Unfortunately buddy the trails at White Lake Rock don’t connect with my home and office.
Hey “Rascal”, cyclists *are* traffic and have precisely the same rights on the road as anyone in any other vehicle.
We’re working in my neighborhood of North Oak Cliff to develop a plan for designated bike lanes. Regardless of the fact that drivers are supposed to give bikes the right-of-way, it just doesn’t happen. Too many drivers share the perspective of Rascal – the road is just for cars.
When you look at cities like Copenhagen where a significant percentage of the traffic in the city is on bikes (30%), it’s because of protected bike lanes.
Bicyclists are traffic, rascal – take it from some one who has um, had to take a few defensive driving courses, and can now recite the rules of the road verbatim, nearly.
That being said, I’ve seen great cyclists that are aware of their surroundings and do everything to meld with the flow of traffic, and I’ve seen others that I really think just wanted to be hood ornamentation.
Rascal…the cyclists you complain about have EQUAL right to the road…they pay taxes, too. I was hit on my bike by a motorcycle in 1987, terrifying.
Yeah, Rob, but Houston put bike lanes in a while back, and it hasn’t had any meaningful effect on overall ridership. I like the idea, and it’s certainly better for the safety of the cyclist, but putting bike lanes in to increase bike traffic isn’t really the reason to put them – it’s going to take more of an overall mind shift about transportation (or $10 / gallon gas) to get to 30% bike traffic (or anywhere above 2%, for that matter). Again, though, it has the real potential to improve safety, and for that, it’s worth it.
I have been riding a lot more lately as well (including for my daily work commute), and it’s a shame we have so many people in this fair burg who view cyclists the same way as Rascal does. I haven’t had any major issues so far, luckily, but plenty of drivers who aren’t paying attention or who seem annoyed by my presence.
I agree that designated bike lanes are the answer on semi-major thoroughfares – they would solve a lot of the problems (and probably encourage more people to ride).
How bout if we try to teach all drivers (bicycle or other) to obey the laws of the road, I see alot of bad drivers, but people who are brave enough (I am not) to ride a bike on a major or minor road should follow the same rules.
In addition to riding laps at the lake, I also commute to work by bike a couple of days a week. My ride takes me from Eastwood (east of WRL), half way around the lake, through Lakewood, then down Swiss to downtown. I’m lucky that I have a nice route that’s essentially 95% residential streets. It’s a remarkably easy and safe route for a large car town like Dallas. Most drivers are considerate, even in sketchy downtown traffic. Still, the only way to get respect is to claim your lane and *be traffic*. Use traffic lights as you would if you were driving, etc. It’s called vehicular cycling 9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling) and it means not putting pedestrians in danger by riding on the sidewalk and not impeding cars by sitting in the right hand lane gutter at a stop light when you intend to go straight through an intersection. It takes some balls but it works out best for everyone.
PS: I’m a 40 year old dad with a desk job, not an obnoxious messenger – they are cycling’s worst representitives.
I live near a bike trail that runs along University Blvd east of 75 and I see again and again that cyclists run the red light at the 75 access road heading towards SMU instead of stopping and waiting like the rest of us in cars have to do. I don’t run red lights because no cars are coming and neither should they.
@ snoopy – I’m a cyclist and I totally agree.
My lone experience with cyclists is dodging them as they zip past me full-speed and from behind on the White Rock Lake trail. Although I am hugging the far right side of the trail and have perfectly-functional ears that are quite receptive to the “On your left” comments, they rarely bark and often curse us runners for being in their way. Other than that, they’re great.
Ya’ll… I’m all for the safety of the bicyclists… in no way am I advocating that they deserve to be hit for being in the street. I think bicycle lanes are a great idea… especially because I have not come across a single biker in 8 years of traveling around White Rock who can keep with the speed of traffic. Until that happens, the bicyclists are risking causing an accident as a result of motorists attempting to avoid hitting them…
If bicyclists on the roadways can maintain the speed limit, most car drivers would have no problem with them. There aren’t many bicyclists, though, that can maintain 35 mph. I know that speed limits generally aren’t “minimum” speed limits – but in practical effect they are. It should come as no surprise to anyone that drivers are irritated at driving 10-15 mph below the speed limit in a long procession of cars behind a bicycle. No excuse for anything stupid, but that is reality.
Thank you, Tim. My point exactly.
But that doesn’t mean you get to hit them with cars. It means you get to flip them the bird, give them the stink eye, and honk.
I currently bike to work 70% of the year. Not on a trail or bike path around a lake, but on streets through neighborhoods. I think an effort should be made to make drivers more aware of what bicyclist’s rights are. I get the feeling that most drivers have no idea that they have to wait behind bikes at stop signs (instead of driving around them), or that bikes are even legally allowed on streets (instead of honking and yelling at them to get on a sidewalk). I’m not exactly sure how this awareness would be achieved, but it is sorely needed.
You hear a lot about the “rights” of the bike rider, but what about responsibility? I live near a fairly major roadway where the posted speed limit is 45 MPH and very frequently, it has people riding their bikes on it and that essentially shuts the road down to one 45 MPH lane and one 15 MPH lane. Seems to me that the people who ride their bikes on streets like that are putting themselves in jeopardy when there are a lot of other places to ride where the traffic is not so heavy or fast. I’ve seen several riders hit on that road and while they seem to not understand why or how they got hit, it is obvious they chose to ride in a high risk environment. Common sense should dictate that if you want to ride, don’t do it on high speed limit streets at rush hour.
I have friends who are avid cyclists and I understand that cyclists have the same rights to roadways as other vehicles. I also understand that cyclists are to abide by all traffic laws as other vehicles. However, on a near daily basis (I live in Richardson – which is cyclist mecca for some reason I can’t comprehend) I see cyclist running red lights, running stop signs, etc. There just appears to be to be a double standard among some cyclists which may or may not account for accidents. Just saying…
Tim, speed limits are NOT “generally… minimum speeds”, even in a practical sense. The law states that bikes have a right to be on the road, and that 35 is a MAXIMUM speed limit. Your “practical” sense of traffic safety disturbs me.
When cyclists pay for bike inspection stickers and registration stickers and gas taxes, then the argument “we pay taxes too” can be used!
Vehicular Food Chain on Dallas Streets
Semi > Hummer > Suburban > Lexus > Civic > SmartCar > Motorcycle > Bicycle > Squirrel.
I won’t travel our fair city’s streets in/on anything below the Civic. Too many crazy people and incompenent drivers around here and I don’t want to end up like the squirrel.
“Armstrong wannabees”? Please Nancy, not everybody that rides a bike wants to be Lance Armstrong. Get over it you a-holes that think bikes should not be on the road. Sorry mindless dooshbags, we’ve every right to the roads as cars. And don’t wanna hear the redneck BS arugument that “ya’ll don’t pay no taxes like I do”. With gas prices rising, get ready, expect more people on bikes than ever. So quit bitching about the precious 30 seconds of YOUR life that YOU lost cause you had to wait for a cyclist.
DM-
Piss poor argument. I have two cars both registered. Gasoline tax goes to help build and repair roads. Correlation, my bike doesn’t create wear and tear on roads so I’m applicably not taxed. You drive, you wear out roads, you pay through gas tax. Next.
incompetent= my speed spelling
DM – write your state representative and/or city coucilman. I would have no problem registering and having my bicycle inspected. Last time I checked, they don’t use gas!
I have to wonder how the cyclists would feel if they were in their car driving in a 35 or 45 MPH area and there was a car in the right hand lane driving 15 MPH. Chances are, if they are driving a car, I would bet they would be pretty ticked off about it…just like everyone else would be. The only difference is the vehicle type.
I agree with Bill and j.d.w. The part that frustrates me the most about the “share the road” viewpoint is that most bikers I’ve seen (and I do mean most) *don’t* follow the rules of the road they want to share. Therefore, a campaign for getting drivers to respect cyclists irks me inherently, because most of my experience has been cyclists *not* respecting drivers. Most of my experiences have been like snoopy’s with cyclists blowing through red lights and stop signs, so campaigns like these sound hypocritical to me at best.
Idunno…somehow I feel like you may drive a Prius or Smartcar when not commuting to your job at 7-Eleven on a 1983 mountain bike.
Am I close?
DM-
Brilliant!(read.. not so much). Nope, 2000 Ford F-150 4wd and 2000 BMW Z3 MCoupe. 2005 Bianchi Single Speed for commuting, couple mountain bikes and a road bike. Telecom Network Analyst, 42 years old, married and politically conservative. Next.
Bad timing, considering the recent Ride of Silence.
I drive West Lawther along WRL every morning. The speed limit usually is 25 mph, but I have been behind a few bikers that can keep up the speed limit. Sometimes my commute is slowed by ducks or turtles too, but hey it’s not a route you take when you’re in a hurry.
With all of the current construction, most of the road is one-way, with one lane dedicated to bikes and one to cars. Aside from the 15 mph construction speed limit, it would be nice for them to keep this lane setup post-construction. In the end, it’s faster and much safer.
Of course, this nixes a relaxing lakeside drive back south at the end of the day, but I’ll take the trade off.
Correct me if I’m wrong – but after reading through these posts and that “drivers pay the taxes” thing – don’t the majority of local road and bridge funds come from property taxes?
Cyclists obviously have reasons to want and expect to be respected on roads but why do they get so defensive when their driving skills/ability to obey the rules of the road are questioned? Roads are designed for cars, and you wouldn’t catch me riding a bike on a busy one no matter how much gas it saved me. Some bikers drive like idiots (just like auto drivers), some put themselves in danger by disobeying traffic laws that the rest of us follow, and some seem to forget that cars are bigger and that in that fight the car is going to win. Do you want to be right or do you want to be alive? Bike defensively and make good decisions about which streets are bike appropriate because you have to assume that whether or not people are “respecting” you, you’re very vulnerable on a bike, laws or not.
Let me see if I can help straighten a few of you people out on this subject. You don’t own every square inch of pavement on the planet. I pay just as much in taxes and registrations for my various gasoline-powered vehicles as any of you so I figure that gives me complete rights to use the street, even on my bicycles.
I have been commuting to work since 1978 when I moved to Dallas. There are probably twice as many cars now as there were, and at least twice as many automorons who refuse to share. I have the same rights to ride on the street as you do to drive your cars, check the law. If you don’t like it, change the laws.
And get off my @$$ you automorons.
I’ll regester my bikes, every one. All 6 and growing. And after I’m “paying” to use the road, you had better believe that I”m going to use the entire lane, which I’m already allowed to do by the way. Then how much will you be hating me. Cyclists, like myself, may run the occasional stop sign, but so do cars! I ran a stop sign, ticket me, that’s fine I take that risk, I pay the price. I do not put myself in danger when I do, I consider it a self preservation choice. You can’t complain that bikes don’t adhere to the rules of the road unless you are a perfect driver yourself. That’s speed limits, stop signs and lights, school zones, everything all the time within the law. I know there isn’t a one of you non-cyclists doing that, but bitching about it when a cyclist doesn’t adhere that argument won’t stick!!
Many Dallasites seem to think that playing games of chicken, tailgating or rude behavior towards cyclists is some how justifiable.
What point are you trying to make? What message are you trying to send? Would you punch someone in the arm to get ahead of them in line at Tom Thumb? How about threatening to kill the party ahead of yours at Campisi’s so you can get your table faster? That’s the kind of childish behavior I see. All the people you see out at White Rock are YOUR neighbors. They don’t come in from 972land to ride 30 minute laps at the Rock. And women, I’m looking squarely at you. Women make up the vast majority of roadragers in UP, HP, PH, LH and LW directed towards cyclists. Why? Don’t know. I think it involves them knowing that a guy on a bike would not serve them a knuckle sandwich for lunch, whereas if it were a male driving, a beatdown would be assured.
If a driver hits/brushes/love taps a cyclist, the policy limits of the car insurance policy will not protect you. 25k is the minimum in Texas and the medical bills plus loss of wages will mushroom well over that. No one reading this can afford an accident with a cyclist. You will end up in the poor house.
@ Bill F “You will end up in the poor house.” After you get out of prison.
I admit that many cyclists do not obey all the rules of the road. But I rarely see many motor vehicle drivers that obey all the rules of the road either.
Much of the stop sign and red light running you see from cyclists is actually defensive riding on their part. A bicycle can not get up to speed from a dead stop as quickly as a car is able to. It is much more dangerous to be stopped in the middle of a bunch of cars than to maintain your moving pace ASSUMING THAT THE CYCLIST HAS A CLEAR INTERSECTION IN ALL DIRECTIONS. Personally I do not run stop signs if there are motor vehicle near the intersection. I only run red lights if the light won’t change and the intersection is clear. I take these “chances” out of consideration of my own safety not to thumb my nose at cars/trucks. I am willing to risk the possibility of a ticket for the sake of my own personal safety.
The facts are that bicycles do have a right to the road. Most bicycle riders are also car owners so we pay the same taxes as everyone else. Dallas was recently voted the worst city in America for cycling from Bicycling magazine. We would all like to see a safer infrastucture which would minimize conflict between motorized vehicles and bicycles/pedestrians.
All we ask is that motor vehicle drivers please drive safe and be aware of your surroundings. It not only makes the streets safer for cyclists but also for pedestrians and other motor vehicles as well. I also encourage all cyclists to ride responsibly and respect the rules of the road while looking out for their own personal safety.
What I think is bicyclists should wear full Lance Armstrong – Tour de France uniforms for evening rides on the Katy Trail. Or should they?
A cyclist wearing a uniform to bike down the Katy Trail in the evening is a douche bag.
I have no problem with cyclists that speed down my street near WRL. Not a big deal. Driving behind them isn’t a huge deal either.
However, to those who do cycle, I am begging you! PLEASE refrain from wearing bike shorts with either no shirt or a super tight shirt unless you do actually look like Lance Armstrong. Those who like to hang out at the spillway 7-11, you know who you are.
What is up with the arrogance in most of these posts by the cyclists? It’s the same attitude a good bit of cyclists have that I see as a pedestrian on the trail around White Rock. These A-wipes with their $5000+ Italian bicycles and racing attire practice speed skills at a public park that is full of pedestrians and kids by whizzing by within inches of my elbow as I’m walking my dog on a leash. They get all irritated at the crowds on the track slowing them down but then are completely hypocritical that they do the same thing when it comes to public roads. The same guy that tries to “Do the Lake” in his best personal time and has no patience with skaters and pedestrians is the same guy who gets hacked off that car traffic won’t give him the right of way and slow down for him when he chooses to venture off the trail onto Mockingbird and not cross the newly built pedestrian/biking bridge. Unless reserved, White Rock is not a training ground for speed cycling. There are several other trails in N. Texas that are designed for that.
@steve “After you get out of prison.” Texas does not have a very good record of protecting cyclists at the expense of drivers. There is a definite blame-the-victim mentality.
I learned that bicyclists have the same road rights as motor vehicles on the signs located throughout White Rock. Now I don’t know if a bikers rights organization has created an ad campaign yet, but it certainly seems like that is a logical first step. Education is the key to understanding, right?
On a slightly snarky note to the bicyclists who use Mockingbird, I support your right to do that and Godspeed to you sir/madam. I have the right to pour a warm bath and throw in the toaster, but that doesn’t mean it’s smart. IJS
jb-
I don’t believe your cycling audience posting here is your “$5000+ weekend roadie” types. This group is more concerned with the ability to bicycle commute to work and substitute a bike for a car for whatever purpose and be able to do it safely. I agree there is a lot of $5000+ arrogance and stupidity that circles the lake.
this is on response to rascal’s comment and others who feel the same way. I use DART, TRE, and bike to make my way to work each day. There are many reasons I do this, one main reason is to save money so my wife can continue to stay at home with our young kids. With the rising prices of gas and groceries, some days I feel that I just work to buy gas and groceries, forget everything else that we need. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bike and I do get enjoyment out of riding. I am not defending the cyclist who does not obey traffic laws (unless it is to reduce exposure and risk) or who are not courteous in areas such as White Rock or Katy, probably just as you would not defend motorists who drive like they are playing a video game or racing NASCAR. We are all traffic, like it or not, cyclist too are trying to get to work/home as soon as possible and as safely.
I recently traveled to Canada, into Banff specifically, but on the HIGHWAY from Calgary to Banff and to Lake Louise, I don’t know how many cyclist I saw riding on the shoulder of the highway. I also noticed signs warning motorists of the cyclists, but this was amazing seeing the cohabitation of motorist and cyclist on the HIGHWAY. Not that I would want to ride along the highway, but it just shows the lack of acceptance in DFW of cyclist on streets.
Jay,
Personal choice always involves choosing an acceptable level of risk for yourself. There are definitely roads I choose not to ride because the risk factor is too high. I’m sure other riders would think that I take on too much risk by riding some roads I do choose to ride.
People make these choices every day of their lives. From a risk stand point it makes sense to never climb a ladder, go snow skiing, ride a motorcycle, eat raw oysters, have a gun in the house, and many other “risks” that most people take for granted.
Riding a bicycle in traffic is a known risk for those of us who to choose to do it…as is driving a car. I know that I have become a much more patient and understanding driver since I became a cyclist. Personally I recognize the benefit to all of us who drive to be a more conscientious and considerate driver. Not just for the sake of cyclists but for everyone on the roads.
Fair enough, Idunno.
why don’t bikers have license plates for road identification? Just wondering.
My guess is that the people who complain about cyclists slowing them down are the same speeders who complain about anyone driving the speed LIMIT on any major street. 50-60 mph seems to be the new 35 mph on Forest Lane, for example. Take a deep breath and relax.
GhostBikeDFW-
Well said. +1 here.
p.s. raw oysters are risky? But they looked so good in the street vendors cart. Damn.
I’m tired of the blame the cyclist crap. Unless you see a cyclist in the middle lane clogging traffic (which NEVER happens), what problem is it if one IS on a road somewhere?
And you have to REALLY not be paying attention driving your car in the White Rock Lake area not to notice a cyclist.
Here’s an idea: InSTEAD of talking incessantly on your cellphone, O Dallas-Cyclist hater, hang up and pay attention to traffic!
I can’t tell you how many near misses I’ve had with people who almost ALWAYS were on their phones and not paying attention.
In closing: it ain’t the cyclist’s fault!
*hiding behind couch*
Oh oh. Here we go…
Junior Miller is a known cyclist and he has stated on his show that people driving in the passing lane should get out of his way.Even if their going the speed limit.
Why don’t bikers have license plates?Does anyone know?
Actually I know a couple of people who I have posted here and they are not the sort who rolls a $4000 bike and the sure don’t rock the racer type uniform. We are commuters rolling heavy 30lbs+ steel bikes without our daily supplies. My bike commute is 17 miles each way if I do not have to stop and make any side trips. I admit I do run some red lights but normally it is after sitting at a light that will never change for me as there is not enough mass to trip the sensors in the ground. I do roll through stop signs, I do it as protection. Most cyclists that commute can use mirrors to see what is behind them but they don’t give you a full view of what is behind you. I can see what is in front of me and to my left and right. I am willing to run a stop sign at a safe pace say 5-10mph if it will keep me from getting hammered from behind by a two ton beast. If I am running a red light or rolling through a stop sign and I get hit from the side it is my fault and I am willing to live or die by that choice. I have seen way to many cars along my commute route where cars blow through stop signs at the posted speed limit. I wince as I can imagine what would have happened if I was stopped in front of that car. I call it offensive defensive style riding.
I sometime think my bike commute is Urban Combat Ride and that every vehicle on the road is out to get me or run me off the road, sometimes I am right. The cost of a mistake for a driver in a car/cyclist accident is normally a few dents and made some paint chips, but for a cyclist it is a different game if a driver or cyclist makes a mistake. Normally the cyclist is dead or in an ICU. I am lucky in that all of my friends that have been hit by a vehicle have come out not to bad off. Most have suffered some broken bones and some serious road rash but alive. The crazy thing is that most have even gotten back on the bike.
I commute not to save the earth or because of gas prices, those are side benefits, I do it so that I can grow old with my kids. I do it as it lets me clear my head of family stress before I get to work and work stress by them time I get home. This lets me be fully focused on my task at hand. My family and coworkers have noticed the difference in me when I am commuting and when I am not. The 30+ lbs I have lost and the money I have been saving on gas are just bonuses.
If you have not tried riding your bike to work think about why you are not doing it. Is it your safety? Is it because you can’t think of a safe way to do it?
If it is because of your safety think about that before you cut a cyclist off. Please treat everyone exactly how you want to be treated. If everyone would do that things in this world would be so much better. If it’s because there is not a safe way to get there by bike think about that also the next time you see a cyclist on the road. Someone is trying to something they enjoy relax and treat them with respect you would want if you where enjoying yourself.
Please understand that if you squeeze me off the road or cuts me off if I am upset. I try to not let it get to me but when someone attacks me with a two ton weapon it kind of gets me worked up sometimes. Wouldn’t you get worked up?
For the record – BikeDFW is offering Vehicular cycling courses – the course is called Road I (although it is not a course for someone who has never ridden a bike) and teaches defensive cycling and traffic handling. We teach those things, but we also teach emergency crash avoidance maneuvers.
Visit the website and sign up for a course – better yet, take the course, sign up for the League certified instructor course which will be held in Oct and teach courses – and yes instructors do get paid to teach!
MH
GhostBikeDFW = good, sound explanation that provides me – the uneducated motorist – a cyclist’s point of view on running stops signs, etc. Perhaps on my way home today I’ll be a little more understanding.
Kraytwin = …not so much…
Personally, I get terribly, terribly frightened when I end up unfortunately behind a person on a bike or a motorcycle. One of my worst fears is accidently bumping them with my car or getting to close.
I usually just slow down or get away from them.
In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”
j.d.w — GhostBikeDFW was perhaps a bit more gentle than I …
Oh yea one more thing.
I would like to ask everyone of you who has not ridden you bike in a while to pull it out and go play on it for a while. You will have fun, get some sun, and hopefully see things from another point of veiw.
If you find it addictive like I did try to ride it to work belive me it is addictive and you will want to start to ride other places as well. Grocery Store Church Doctors Office, to the local bar/coffee/donut shop.
This is Lance Armstrong’s fault for creating so many wannabes.
I ride my bike around where I live but I’m not riding it to work because its to dangerous and I can’t put a ladder and tools on my bike.My bike horn is broke and I lost my license plate I got from my box of Sugar Smacks.
@ Wackadoo – there were alot more cyclists on the road 20-25+ years ago. Back then we called them “kids” and we all rode our bikes three or more miles to school. If the weather was good, we all met at the corner and took off together for school, and if you didn’t get there early, there was no room left to lock up at the racks.
Treat a bike as you would a car – give bikes their turn at the stop sign, pass when it is safe to do so (I often offer a friendly wave at drivers to let them know I see them behind me and I am aware that they are there) and keep a safe distance – generally greater than 3 feet – when passing.
It boils down to basic consideration for each other’s safety.
What about the guy in the car, with his wife and kids who hits you when you blow a light, or a stop sign, don’t worry about them, they can go to therapy for killing some guy who is thinking about his safety?
I LOVE cycling; it is great exercise and wonderfully therapeutic. I don’t know of any cyclists that experience the ‘road rage’ I am seeing expressed here by non-bikers.
WRL is a very busy cycling area, but a lot of those cyclists are ‘weekend warriors’ and not always observant of the rules of the road. I am willing to bet that many are the ones that complain about the bike commuters and cycle club riders– In their defense, however, it is nearly impossible to ride on the bike trails there because of all the pedestrian traffic.
For those of you who are complaining the loudest, why don’t you try dusting off your bike and putting in some good cardio time–you might relieve some of that stress you are blowing around and save yourself from having a heart attack.
Oh, and one more thing….Please don’t blast your horn when you are behind a cyclist. We know you are there–we can see and hear you, and quite aware of what is going on around us. Blaring your horn will only make you feel better; it may startle one of us enough to cause us to have an accident.
Jack,
I’m not aware of any incidents that involve cyclists running a stop sign or stop light. ALMOST every single one of the serious incdents in the DFW area involves a vehicle coming up from behind a cyclist and hitting them or the motor vehicle running a stop sign or blowing a light when the cyclist had the right of way (excluding the tragedies involving children).
I’ve never ridden with a group that “blew through” a light against traffic in the immediate area. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, just that I’ve never witnessed anything like that.
what is the record for comments on frontburner? because i would have never guessed that the topic of bicycle safety would garner up this much fiesty-ness.
What’s with all these motorists thinking they’re Mario Andretti with their… cars? Please stop comparing us to Lance Armstrong. It’s both ignorant and far too generous.
Fellow cyclists: Get off the sidewalks. Don’t be afraid to take a lane. And please stop at stoplights. Car folks will respect you more.
Your rights are not the same to the road…all this talk about law and no talk about what it actually is…please read the following:
§ 551.103 TRANSP. Operation on Roadway
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle
on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway
shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the
roadway, unless:
(1) the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction;
(2) the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a
private road or driveway;
(3) a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving
object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard
prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of
the roadway; or
(4) the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is:
(A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle
lane adjacent to that lane; or
(B) too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side
by side.
(b) A person operating a bicycle on a one-way roadway with two or more
marked traffic lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or
edge of the roadway.
(c) Persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast.
Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single
lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable
flow of traffic on the roadway. Persons may not ride more than two
abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the
exclusive operation of bicycles.
I think most of the principal & minor arterial roads in Dallas would fall under (a)(3) and (a)(4)
A cop,
How does that contradict anything we’ve been saying about a cyclist’s right to ride the road? I think that reinforces our point doesn’t it? Or is that what you were trying to say and I just didn’t read it that way?
Streets and Roads were meant to move people and things – not just cars. Bicycles, pedestrians and yes even wheelchairs are also traffic. Semi trucks are traffic. Farm equipment is traffic.
Traffic is much more likely to be held up by a wreck or a stalled car than by a bicyclist.
Frankly I would love nothing more than to stay on slow residential streets all the time. Unfortunately – those streets don’t always go where I need to go. Sometime I have no other choice but to ride on Forest or on Mockingbird because there is no other way around without going miles out of the way.
I don’t understand why folks are in such a hurry! Does everyone have an emergency brain surgery to perform? Is someones life in jeopardy because we take the time to ensure that everyone – including ourselves – are safe on the roads? Slow down, enJOY the drive and lose the road rage.
Now then – “cop” – find a road where I can safely ride to the right without someone trying to squeeze by me in my lane and hitting me with their mirror (Westgrove in Addison is a good example) and I will happily do it. As far to the right as practicable does not mean hugging the curb – it means as far as I can safely do so – and sometimes – due to debris or other unsafe conditions – that means in the left side of the right lane!
We do have full use of the right lane if the lane is of a substandard width. Most in Dallas are.
I invite you and anyone in your department to come out and take that Road I course and see what it is that will actually keep a cyclist safe. Being in the line of sight rather than to the right of it or outside of it altogether (ie: the sidewalk) is much safer – it provides an approaching vehicle moving faster than the slower vehicle time to react – slow or change lanes.
Gbzz – you are correct.
Rascal makes it sound like people struggle to control their cars and come close to hitting cyclists often, now that is a scary thought. If Rascal feels that he/she cannot control their car well enough to never worry about hitting anyone due to lack of ability, perhaps Rascal would do better on a bike?
I have no problem with the cyclists on the road. I have no problem waiting for them in the lane in front of me.
But, I get VERY pissed off when I see them run stop signs, run red lights, and pass between lanes of traffic so they don’t have to wait.
And why are bikes not tagged like motorcycles? They should be. Maybe that would provide some money for bike lanes.
Since I don’t feel the need to date near-jailbait actresses, nor dump my family, I don’t consider myself an “Armstrong wannabe”.
A cop…supporting once again why the stereotype exists the world over that officers of the law have no idea how it properly applies to cyclists.
Good perspectives all. I ride a bike about 7,000 miles each year commuting, training or just towing home my groceries. That’s about one cycling mile for every mile that I drive. I manage to do it in such a way that you hardly ever notice me or I hardly ever must (gasp) interfere with you. All of this is very doable good citizens with just the smallest amount of intelligent give and take. Each passing day that you and I coexist together is proof of that.
Peace.
One thing which I’d like to point out that, in the few months I’ve been reading the bicycle commuter boards, I’d say over half the posts regard finding the safest routes that avoids the heaviest and worst traffic. Bike commuters even willing go miles out of their way to avoid congestion, moreso than autos, I’d imagine. When you see us in heavy traffic, it’s because our destinations have forced us into it.
Another consistent thread usually involves talk about how to make yourself more visible and how to interact with traffic in respectful ways. We worry for our safety more than most folks on the road.
Yes, there are bikers who break the rules just like there are drivers who think they are on a NASCAR racetrack. We commuters don’t respect either bunch.
To A Cop,
You left out a specific transportation code:
Bicyclists have the rights and duties of other vehicle operators: (551.101)
Somewhere along the time line from child to an adult people forget what bicycling is about. When behind the wheel most drivers do not have much patience and bicyclist are slower than cars which usually slows traffic and raises tempers. Hurry, hurry, get out of my way.
Occasionally when I am out riding a sport known as “make a loud noise” emanates from a car or truck. I wonder what their reaction would be if their game actually caused a bicyclist to go down in a heap. I know what mine would be. I have been known to day dream about a heat seeking missile launching and going into a tailpipe or exploding a tire when I am pulled into this sport.
As far as quoting law (A Cop), until the law is enforced for cars and bicyclists alike the law is meaningless. Defining wrong does not stop it.
Obvious man. I didn’t know that just quoting the law so that everyone could be clear on exactly what it is was supporting an ignorance stereotype. So just quoting it and posting it supports ignorance? The actual law, so that people on here can more fully understand how and when certain provisions apply? That shows my ignorance?
Kraytwin, if you would like me to post all of the codes that apply to cyclists, like light requirements for night riding I will, I just thought the above quoted law was the most relavent to this conversation.
Obvious man, thank you for reinforcing the stereotype that every joe-blow on the street thinks cops are idiots. I posted that for information purposes. I still don’t understand how posting the damn law proves that I don’t know how it applies to cyclists. Can someone help me with this?
You are riding toys around on roads built for cars.
Get out of the way so grown ups can get things done.
I would like to see a a “critical mass” ride monthly in Dallas like there are in numerous other cities across the country.
In the United States, Critical Mass has seeded itself in dozens of cities. It is always the same and never the same. There are no organizers. An announcement simply appears, sometimes on fliers and posters, sometimes in underground newsletters, more often now on the Web. The announcement states a gathering spot and a date, usually the last Friday of a month. Then cyclists–sometimes there are tens, most often hundreds, sometimes thousands–simply show up and ride, fanning out with a clarion call of ding-a-linging bike bells. The riders in front move slowly while self-appointed lieutenants fan out to the cross streets to prevent side traffic from slamming through the leisurely snaking main body. Either cell phones or relaying to-and-fro bike messengers coordinate the group and keep it together. (Bicycling Magazine)
Anyone up for it? http://www.critical-mass.info The site teaches us how to organize the rides.
Isn’t it just completely inconvenient to hit a bicyclist anyway? Wouldn’t it just be easier to switch lanes or something?
A Cop please do post all the requirements that pertain to bikes on the road. I have a few things I am curious about. I know for sure that most commuters that posted here more then meet the light requirements for night time travel. Where some people might have taken you post as arrogant and stereotypical is your very first sentence. Please explain to me what the above law states and how we do not have the same rights on roads as other vehicles? From what I read it seems like I have the same rights as a car on the roads I chose to commute on. Please explain to me how I am wrong so I can either change the way I commute or see if there are areas that I can minimize the amount of laws I am breaking.
My point was that there are instances where the rights aren’t exactly the same…there are places on this thread where cyclists justify breaking the law, then they argue that their rights are the same. First, it doesn’t make sense to make those arguments in the same breath, and second, when you guys get into all this hypertechnical BS, it is bothersome that noone thought to post the actual law. Your rights, as outlined in my original post, are augmented as stated. I don’t know of another way to explain it. Here is the rest of the laws that I am aware of:
Here is where the statute explicitly contemplates that the rights aren’t “the same” but are similar:
551.101 TRANSP. Rights and Duties
(a) A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable
to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle, unless:
(1) a provision of this chapter alters a right or duty; or
(2) a right or duty applicable to a driver operating a vehicle cannot
by its nature apply to a person operating a bicycle.
(b) A parent of a child or a guardian of a ward may not knowingly
permit the child or ward to violate this subtitle.
§ 551.102 TRANSP. General Operation
(a) A person operating a bicycle shall ride only on or astride
a permanent and regular seat attached to the bicycle.
(b) A person may not use a bicycle to carry more persons than the
bicycle is designed or equipped to carry.
(c) A person operating a bicycle may not use the bicycle to carry an
object that prevents the person from operating the bicycle with at least
one hand on the handlebars of the bicycle.
(d) A person operating a bicycle, coaster, sled, or toy vehicle or
using roller skates may not attach either the person or the bicycle,
coaster, sled, toy vehicle, or roller skates to a streetcar or vehicle on
a roadway.
551.104 TRANSP. Safety Equipment
(a) A person may not operate a bicycle unless the bicycle is equipped
with a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean
pavement.
(b) A person may not operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle
is equipped with:
(1) a lamp on the front of the bicycle that emits a white light visible
from a distance of at least 500 feet in front of the bicycle; and
(2) on the rear of the bicycle:
(A) a red reflector that is:
(i) of a type approved by the department; and
(ii) visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor
vehicle headlamps from all distances from 50 to 300 feet to the rear of
the bicycle; or
(B) a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet
to the rear of the bicycle.
Thought this might interest you:
§ 504.633 TRANSP. Share the Road License Plates
(a) The department shall issue specialty license plates
that include the words “Share the Road” and the image of a
bicycle or a bicycle with a rider. The department shall
design the plates in consultation with the Texas Bicycle
Coalition Education Fund.
(b) After deduction of the department’s administrative
costs, the remainder of the fee shall be deposited to the
credit of the share the road account in the state treasury
to be used only by the Texas Education Agency to support the
activities of a designated nonprofit organization whose
primary purpose is to promote bicyclist safety, education,
and access through:
(1) education and awareness programs; and
(2) training, workshops, educational materials, and media
events.
(c) Up to 25 percent of the amount in Subsection (b) may be
used to support the activities of the nonprofit organization
in marketing and promoting the share the road concept and
license plates.
Im sure there are city municipal codes that are applicable as well, but that would be a mess to try to get everything.
Dallas needs a regular “Critical Mass” ride.
In the United States, Critical Mass has seeded itself in dozens of cities. It is always the same and never the same. There are no organizers. An announcement simply appears, sometimes on fliers and posters, sometimes in underground newsletters, more often now on the Web. The announcement states a gathering spot and a date, usually the last Friday of a month. Then cyclists–sometimes there are tens, most often hundreds, sometimes thousands–simply show up and ride, fanning out with a clarion call of ding-a-linging bike bells. The riders in front move slowly while self-appointed lieutenants fan out to the cross streets to prevent side traffic from slamming through the leisurely snaking main body. Either cell phones or relaying to-and-fro bike messengers coordinate the group and keep it together. (Bicycling Magazine – http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-3-12-16552-1,00.html )
Here’s how we can start one. http://critical-mass.info/howto/
For all you “roads-are-only-for-cars” folks, you should know that roads were originally built for bicycles long before cars came around. In fact, you could say that bicycles “paved the way” for cars to come along a couple of decades later. Check out: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcar3.htm
Seriously, most people look at the problem all wrong. It isn’t whether one or the other belongs on the road… they both do. The problem is that the city planners didn’t have the foresight to build bike lanes!! Even the law has sense enough to recognize the need for bike lanes. (thanks cop)
It is a simple solution, really. Cities like Phoenix have bike lanes and you can ride virtually anywhere without playing Russian Roulette on two wheels. No one gets mad because no one gets in each others way. Bikes and cars get along in harmony. And, ahem, bikers in bike-friendly cities DO stop at stop lights, etc, for the most part.
It amazes me that with gas prices near $4 a gallon, a raging obesity epidemic, and a growing social concern for the environment that our city continues to move in the wrong direction.
It’s too bad, Dallas has an awesome riding community, but it is just about the worst environment for riding. I used to live by White Rock, and I didn’t have any problems. However, since I moved I have discovered road biking is a real white-knuckle experience in Dallas — not for the faint at heart. Just riding to White Rock frays my nerves so badly I just drive my bike to the lake instead… kind of takes away from the experience, but it’s better than dead.
And if you don’t believe me, check out Bicycling Magazine’s list of WORST cities for bicycling — Yep, that’s right, Dallas tops the list!! http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-2-18-17082-1,00.html
Y’all have 83 more posts to make before you can beat this one
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2008/03/21/sandra-crenshaw-to-protest-tomorrow-at-wicks-house/
Wait, 82. You’re welcome.
I like how all the anti-bike posts pretty much boil down to “they have it coming to them.”
Never mind that we have spouses, kids, work, pay taxes, vote, etc. It sounds like in the grand scheme of things our lives just aren’t worth as much as those of people behind the wheel.
Good conversation, folks. Thanks for (mostly) keeping it productive. I’m working now on getting a thought-provoking story into the “print product” that will explore some of these issues. Stay tuned.
Thanks A Cop, I am glad to see I am following all the laws. I admit I am one of those cyclists who rolls threw stop signs and runs red lights. I have no choice I am not doing it to keep my pace, I am doing it for my own safety. At least the stop signs, red lights I will wait for the light to turn but I do not have enough metal mass to trip the sensors. What would you propose I do sit there and wait for a vehicle to arrive? Along my commute route there are 4 lights that have waited for up to 5 minutes before I run the red light. I am not going to sit there for 20-30 minutes sorry that just does not make any sence; I use to do this when was riding my motorcycle also. I have written and called the cities those lights are in and I have had one response and that was more or less so sad to bad. I can tell you that I don’t roll through a stop sign or run a red light if there is cross traffic present. I make sure of that before I proceed so unless someone is driving an invisible car or driving down the street with their lights off at night I doubt I will have to worry about the guy who may hit me and his therapy needs. It is a calculated risk and it is a better risk then waiting to be hit from behind by some one driving an H2 while texting, fixing, their make up, and drinking their latte. Sorry but if I have to break a law to protect myself I will. I have a duty to my family, I have a duty to my friends and I have a duty to myself. I have to protect myself from other trying to harm me. If I get a ticket in one of these cites that would not respond to my request to turn the sensitivity up on the sensors then I will bring copies of the emails to court and I fight it. If I have to pay the ticket I will but if the cities are not going to work to try to make it safe for me to cross and intersection then I am going to do what I need to. If you can not see the difference in me rolling through a stop sign at 5-10 mph or a car blowing the same intersection at 30-40mph then I am wasting my breath and ya’lls time.
I can uderstand drivers getting upset when a cyclist/commuter takes up a lane during rush hour, as it adds to the already conjested stressfull ride to and from work. And i do my best to stick to the sidewalk when riding one of these streets. but not all the sidewalks are continuous, they abrubtly end for no reason, or have a 10 inch curb you need to ride off and on, which in doing so can damage a bike’s wheels in no time. Being an avid commuter, i can not always ride side streets to my destination. So don’t blame me or hate me for being forced to ride on the street. Thank the golf courses that block my path. Thank the rich people who live in there private gated communities that prevent me from riding the side streets. Thank your local elected officals for not providing me with a bike lane, bike path, or sidewalk. I thank the motorists who put up me on the road, the one that stop at stop signs and allow me to cruise thru safely, you live in nice neighborhoods, and i feel safe riding thru them.
“A cop” posted “Your rights are not the same to the road…all this talk about law and no talk about what it actually is…please read the following:” then posted the statute that CONTRADICTS this statement. The if/then/else/unless nature of legalese is apparently confusing even to (anonymous, purported) law enforcement professionals.
Gbzz explained it most succinctly yet “A cop” still missed it. The gist is that “cyclists must hug the curb UNLESS there’s a hazard OR the lane is [this] narrow” where [this] is defined in (4)A-B.
Most surprising to me is how blindly people will generalize each other. Saying “all cyclists blow stop signs” is like saying “all motorists drive SUVs”. Think about it.
Motorists roll and/or blow stop signs ALL THE TIME. Go sit at a 4-way stop and watch for a while. In my opinion, the reason this doesn’t provoke more outrage is that so many motorists feel entitled to do it. Yet it’s just as illegal either way.
By the way, I do stop at every stop sign. And I wouldn’t be surprised if, at least half the time, the motorist behind me is cursing how long they are being forced to wait, for both the stop and my limited acceleration. (My car is slow, my bicycle slower.) More often than not, there is a second EMPTY lane they could’ve used to reduce their wait, but apparently decisions that would reduce such delays are beyond them. Better to shift blame! Let’s go rant on the internet!
Go reread the top of this page. Bicyclists are People Too. We are all people. Some do stupid things sometimes. A few do stupid things all the time. For example, a few people do stupid/illegal things with guns (i.e. criminals). Does that mean everyone with a gun is stupid and/or a criminal? Would those of you advocating the “get ‘em off the streets” approach to cyclists apply the same argument to guns?
Are you going to have a totalitarian they-must-be-stopped freakout, or are you willing to consider the possibility that compromise may be required?
Just in case you guys can not wrap your mind around what can happen when acar and a cyclist tangle check out this video that was on WFAA a while ago
This is about the accident. (The video was air on wfaa so nothing to make you ill) He is very lucky that his accident was not as bad as it could have been
http://www.wfaa.com/video/?z=y&nvid=162862
This is about his return to commuting
http://www.wfaa.com/video/?z=y&nvid=173968
Please pay attention to the faces in the second video. Some of those people who are posting here are also in that video. Remember those faces and think about them when you see a cyclist riding down the road. I am in the video I am the big guy with the the black jersey and white helmet on but there are others who are posting here that are also in the video.
“a cop” You still have posted nothing that tells me how my rights, and responsibilities are different from that of a motor vehicle. Most of my riding is done in Dallas, were according to the transportation alternatives coordinator for Dallas less than 1% of the roads in Dallas have lanes 14ft or wider, most are much less. Therefore cyclist can have the full lane, and taking that lane does not constitute traffic impediment unless cyclist are 2 abreast.
I stop at stop signs, and lights the same as I do when I drive my car, I signal when on my bike, and I meet and actually exceed the night light requirements. What else am I missing.
One of the cyclists hit in the past week, is a guy named Paul, who was hit from behind on Mockingbird last saturday at White Rock. He was seriously injured.
His family started a blog:
http://www.getwellsoonpaul.blogspot.com/
Take a good hard look at that blog. It really drives the point home about how real these issues are.
What is the commuter web site they spoke about in the interview?
Hey A Cop please read the below statement. I think you will find it interesting
“Cars don’t give me enough space,” he went on. “Although West Rosedale has three lanes and drivers have plenty of space, they’ll honk and yell at you. They’re just frustrated that I am in their way.” Many North Texas motorists are unaware that cyclists have the same right to the road as they have, said Sgt. Mike Cagle of the Fort Worth Police Bike Patrol Unit, who often cycles to work from North Richland Hills.
“I agree it’s dangerous to ride a bike on the street. Many people are not courteous and don’t want to move over,” said Cagle, who pedals from home in plainclothes and therefore is treated differently than when he is on patrol. “I’ve had a big mirror on a pickup truck brush my shoulder. Then another pickup driver threw a can of green beans toward my head and missed me by three inches. It could have killed me.
“People are in such a hurry, but vehicles have to yield whether they like it or not. There needs to be some severe education.”
By law, motorists must provide a safe distance when overtaking a bicycle, but the law is hard to enforce.
Just in case you want to read the whole story see the link below
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/714529.html
Geoffrey
I am not sure what interview you are talking about but here is the commuter forum that I use and have gotten great advice from equipment to route selection to how to clean up at work with out a shower.
http://www.dorba.org/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=20&sid=235ba69c0e0eb46f5edfe4cd2e7b2ef2
I hope this is what you where looking for