Most motorists don't understand the traffic laws as they pertain to bicycles. Seems like so many only care about being inconvenienced.
1.2 miles? Really. And around the shopping center. If they want to raise awareness why aren't they riding down PCH through CdM. That would raise some awareness. I will go but it seems a little silly.
"One measure that bicycle advocates said would improve safety was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday. Brown rejected legislation that would have required motorists to give bicyclists at least three feet of room while passing, or slow down — citing concern that it could cause more car accidents. Brown said he worried about requiring motorists to slow to 15 mph when passing bicyclists if there is not three feet between them." Oh, I'm sorry bunky - gonna fall over if go too slow? "About 20% of all trips in Los Angeles County are on foot or by bike, but less than 1% of transportation funding in the county goes to improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, said Eric Bruins, planning and policy director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. This gets me angry - the usual disconnect between mouth and money with politicians. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-auto-traffic-deaths-20121001,0,1117635.story
+1. Keep it small, out-of-way, so motorists wont be hassled. At times I wanna go in with CriticalMass and start messing with the norm around OC. We need t-shirts with blood stains and targets on our backs. Ditch the shop kits & Capo trimmings - get right down to it.
I'll probably go because the women organizing this are the Tuesday morning Surf City group that I am sometimes able to join. They are great people and I want to support them. BUT I am having a really hard time writing a charity check to the CITY of NEWPORT BEACH. Plus, NB hasn't even voted to do the matching funds. It looks like the money will mostly be used for "signage". I'm all for Stop signs at the end of freeway off ramps but Share the Road signs are not really worth the money IMHO.
The whole 3 feet passing thing didn't seem like a good idea to me. While I'd love to have 3 feet of room when I'm riding my bike, that would be impractical for drivers and I don't think it would solve the problem. There will always be people who choose to break the law. More laws won't help, what needs to happen is more law enforcement and stricter punishment for breaking the law. And, there needs to be more consequences for drivers who kill cyclists--even accidentally. How many articles have you read which talk about someone who killed an innocent cyclist and was given a ridiculous amount of prison time, if any? I'm sure there are times when cyclists are the cause of traffic accidents, and that percentage MAY be significant but the driver has to be responsible more than the cyclist. If unimpaired, law-abiding people understood that it was a significant risk to run into a bicyclist, they would automatically be more careful. But, frankly, they just don't care--at least not more than saving one car length or 5 seconds in their commute. Our lives are not worth anything to them--let's be honest about that. They would care, I think, if they had more to lose. But some drivers will continue to drink, take drugs, text, etc. and kill innocent people--bicyclists, other drivers, themselves, pedestrians, etc. That will continue to happen no matter what laws are passed.
I'm sure we can all chip in and pay for the light, durable coat of traffic paint that can be applied in the right lane, and for the signs that can be erected on existing posts. Remember, pedestrians and cyclists have to overcome 100 years of traffic engineering in order to safely coexist. At best, it'll take a generation...bet there's not too many of you who remember what it was like before the Santa Ana River Trail actually existed continuously from the County Line to the Beach...and I'm not talking about riding along the concrete river bottom dodging shopping carts.
Link: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/bicyclist-39282-road-killed.html Another one gets killed riding in the bike lane. "A SUV struck and killed a bicyclist Friday morning on Apple Valley Road near Quantico Road, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials. The adult male bicyclist was pronounced dead on scene, officials said. Witnesses on scene said that the victim was commonly seen riding his bike daily on the roadway"
And another one at Cal Poly Pomona yesterday. http://photos.dailybulletin.com/2013/02/bicyclist-hit-killed-by-vehicle-at-cal-poly-pomona/#5
I saw the pic, the car must had been speeding by looking at the damage on the car itself. crazyyyy.. Sometimes I drive thru kellog dr, most cars usually run about 30mph only, but this one was prolly 50mph. RIP to the rider.
Picture of the Apple Valley scene. Super wide road and the SUV girl couldn't keep it between the lanes.... I ride that same stretch about 50-70 times a year.
I think it's the "all about me syndrome." Posting Facebook status and tweeting is much more important than safe driving to many people.
Since moving to VV, I've considered riding on the streets, because there's "less" traffic than o.c., on second thought, I'll commute to the trails.
I get a total adrenalin rush will MTBing, with all the things I see in front of me rushing by to react to in an instant. Rode?You can't see what lurks behind you! The only rush you get when you get plowed from behind is a rush to death. Things have changed, as if it wasn't dangerous enough sharing the road with cars, now texting, and it seems like just about everybody does it. Go ahead and take your chances. If I get taken out on a bike, I want it to be my fault! Not some incompetent dumb sh!t a$$ hole who changes everything for my loved ones! Anytime I have to ride road to get to my truck on my MTB I am really really nervous.
Yesterday I did a road ride down the 133 to Laguna, then up PCH to Newport before heading up Back Bay - was pretty scary watching all those cars screaming by, almost like I wasn't even there. Trying to fit oneself between the parked cars and the cars streaming by - very dangerous! Prayers to those who have fallen... too many....
Yea, and if you get bullrushed on a trail, and survive, you gotta a way better story to tell than .."yea I got hit on PCH by an SUV".