03.31.09
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 1:28 pm
After our March 5th advocacy meeting, it became clear that the majority view of the cycling community, at least those in attendance, did not feel a 3-foot rule would provide the desired legislative protection for cyclists. However, all the hard work done by Lori Dibiasio opened a significant door for the cycling community, in terms of a chief sponsor for some bicycle legislation, and those in attendance pledged to Lori that we would not drop this issue.
Back to the drawing board, the PBC regulars started bantering about what we would really like to see and came to the conclusion that a vulnerable roadway user law, similar to what Oregon passed in late 2007, would better protect not only cyclists but other vulnerable users (pedestrians, a person changing a flat tire on the side of the road, law enforcement officials, etc.) as well.
Dick and I had the opportunity to meet with Representative Gemma, the lead sponsor on the existing 3-foot bill, and presented him with our alternative recommendations. We spent a while re-writing the Oregon law to better mesh with the existing Rhode Island laws and revised some of the existing RI laws, to clean up some outdated concepts and bring some of the language better in line with the rest of Title 31. In my mind, such legislation would provide:
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03.26.09
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 8:59 am
According to a Providence Journal article,
State transit officials said yesterday that they will try to revive the Providence-to-Newport ferry, and one ferry operator said he’s interested.
I find it hard to believe that during these tough economic times, they will be able to pull this off, but it would be nice to see it continue. I know many cyclists who enjoyed a ride down to Newport and the cozy return on the ferry. However, I hope they don’t try to fund this at the expense of keeping the buses running and even expanding the bus service.
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03.24.09
Posted in Advocacy, Aquidneck Island, East Bay
by Mark Dieterich at 9:33 pm
According to a Projo article in today’s paper, the
U.S. Navy [is] poised to dispose of nearly 400 acres of prime real estate — much of it on, or with views of, Narragansett Bay
I’m guessing this land is all in the Middletown or Newport areas. I was glad to see that
the visions include a bike path, nature trails, a waterfront park with a fishing pier, windmills, a mixed-use commercial/residential development near the Claiborne Pell Bridge and an expansion of marine-related businesses at Melville.
Bikes are actually mentioned, but I’m really concerned about what might come of Burma Road, a great ride for those trying to make their way down Aquidneck Island. Right now, it’s a beautiful, quite road where you can enjoy an ocean view and a great pedal. But the second half of this paragraph states that
the visions also include promoting intermodal transportation through better access to the Newport Secondary rail line and an alternative north-south automobile corridor to help relieve traffic congestion on the western side of the island.
Uh oh… cars being routed along these roads to relieve traffic congestion? I have little faith that without pressure from cyclists that these roads will be built with bicycles in mind. For those who live in Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport, I’d strongly encourage you to reach out and start letting them know there are cyclists in the area. Those of us outside the area can do some, but the most strength comes from advocates that live in the affected areas.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 8:50 am
Representative Gemma, the sponsor of H5074 has agreed to request the bill be postponed to give us a bit more time to provide him with suggested modifications. We will let everyone know when there is a new hearing date.
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03.23.09
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 1:14 pm
As some of you may know, I had the opportunity to attend the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC a few weeks back. There were four participants from Rhode Island. As part of the summit, we spent a day on The Hill talking with our Sentors, Representatives, and their associated staff members. I will follow up with more details about the summit, but wanted to report our first success.
I just learned that Congressman Kennedy has agreed to join the Congressional Bike Caucus. From Wikipedia:
The Congressional Bike Caucus (CBC) is a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives launched by Oregon representative Earl Blumenauer.[1] It is officially registered with the Committee on House Administration, the house committee responsible for regulating caucuses.[2] The caucus aims to promote cycling by improving infrastructure and increasing awareness of cyclists. As of 2008[update] the caucus claims 182 members from 43 states plus the District of Columbia, including 127 Democrats and 55 Republicans. The caucus lists Democrat Blumenauer as chair.
This does show that Congressman Kennedy is at least willing to keep tabs on bicycle issues and engage with other caucus members. He most likely would not have done this had we not sent a delegation to the National Bike Summit this year.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 9:39 am
The time is upon us… The 3-foot legislation is scheduled to be heard by the House Committee on Judiciary:
House Bill No. 5074
BY Gemma, Flaherty, Ferri, Trillo
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES AND OTHER VEHICLES — PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD {LC98}
01/13/09 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/24/09 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
I’ll post more details about time if I can track this down… Please spread the word to all your lists, we need to have a showing of the cycling community.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 8:46 am
While driving along a highway over the weekend, I happened to notice one of those roadside signs stating, “New driving law, tune to 1630″. It piqued my interest, so I switch over to hear what this was all about.
You can read the entire law online, but in a nutshell it states motorists, when approaching an emergency vehicle, tow truck, transporter trucks, or roadside assistance vehicles, must either: a) move the vehicle into a lane that is not the lane nearest the parked or standing authorized emergency vehicle and continue traveling in that lane until safely clear of the authorized emergency vehicle or b) slow the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions, and operate the vehicle at a reduced speed until completely past the authorized emergency vehicle. As with most roadway laws, the fine is ridiculous, a mere $85 for an offense.
This sounds an awful lot like the 3-foot rule currently being considered for cyclists. Many have argued that enacting a 3-foot cycling law would a) do little to protect cyclists and b) increase the number of angered motorists and potentially increase the number of intentional near misses.
This really begs the question, why isn’t Rhode Island just enacting a vulnerable roadway users law, similar to what Oregon passed in late 2007. A law like this could be expanded to include all vulnerable users, i.e. emergency personal, those helping disabled motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, etc. The real benefit is the Oregon law has some real teeth.
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03.20.09
Posted in General
by Mark Dieterich at 8:33 am
I don’t know about you, but I’m really concerned about the amount of money being given to various companies to bail them out as a result of their own failures. I’ll fully admit, I don’t understand the complete economic picture, but I’m willing to concede that having these big companies fail could have a significant impact on the general health of the US economy.
So here’s a radical thought pertaining to just one struggling industry, the auto industry. During WWII, the auto industry was effectively forced to change from producing automobiles to military equipment. In these times of serious climate issues, clogged streets, and degrading infrastructure, why not require the bailout money be used by the auto industries to ramp up production that could support alternative transportation? Have them start producing buses, trains, and materials to support a booming rail industry. This would keep the people involved with the auto industry employed and yet help take us towards a brighter future. Wouldn’t this be a better use of our tax dollars?
I feel that the fact that auto industries are now failing is a clear sign that a) the industry was too greedy and focused on producing the wrong type of vehicles and b) the entire infrastructure plan, where a personal automobile is the key to transporation is fundamentally flawed. What will be different the second time around, if these companies are allowed to continue focusing on a model that the market place has clearly determined can’t be supported?
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Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 8:20 am
From today’s Energy & Environment Daily 03/20/2009
Josh Voorhees, E&E reporter
Any congressional debate on climate change and energy independence must take into consideration the nation’s transportation systems, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said yesterday.
“A discussion of climate change legislation and transportation reauthorization would be incomplete without examining transportation infrastructure policies and practices,” said Markey, chairman of the Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence.
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03.19.09
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 9:41 pm
| May 20, 2009 |
| 6:00 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
Group bike ride to raise “Share the Road” awareness and honor victims of traffic accidents including Warwick native Frank Cabral.
Join 8,000 riders in 296 cities around the globe. For more information on the national scene see the Ride of Silence Webpage.
The Rhode Island event details:
Time: Wednesday, May 20th, 2009. Arrive around 5:40 PM, ride starts promptly at 6:00 PM and lasts about 1 hour.
Location: Hoxie 4 Corners – Meet at Citizen’s Bank, 10 West Shore Road, Warwick, RI. Park anywhere and cross over at traffic light.
Enjoy great views of Narragansett Bay and coves for most of ride. Terrain is the flattest in the state. Adults with teens welcome. Pace is slow. Some segments cover loose sand. Mountain bikes recommended. Helmets are required. Contact Alan Barta for more information.
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