BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

you know what would be cool?

if the PG and Trib would run a column, maybe once a week or so, on how drivers and cyclists can better coexist. Not an opinion rant piece, more of a "hey, these are the laws, and here's how to apply them to avoid accidents and make sure everybody gets where they're going in a safe and timely manner" Like the "how to plant tomatoes" thing in H&G section. Just PSA. Could be joint written by Bike Pgh and some motorist association (AAA) or maybe just with input.

We talk about how nobody knows these things, and we gripe about how nobody educates themselves, but how many people read the paper? My grandma does. My parents do. They won't read the updated driver's manual. They will read something on bikes. And not coming from their idiot (grand)daughter, they might actually take the info to heart.

Anybody know how articles/columns like that start?

I'm not sure that the PA laws are the same as a the California laws - although the CA laws seem a sensible enough solution.

What this article makes me yearn for are large signs that say "Bicycles may always take full lane" right before the smaller signs that would say "Bike lane ends."

@ejwme - Even one article explaining what bike lanes are and how cars are to deal with them would be a great thing -if it were extensive and accurate and not filled with passerby comments about how they deal with it, "I think bicycles should stop and stay stopped at all red lights.".

^^^

Mick is absolutely right. I will do my best to do backflips and hand stands the day we get "cyclists may take full lane" signs.

Maybe I'm thinking more basic than the article linked to.... Like the articles in the comics section geared towards kids (hey, maybe one for kids isn't so bad either, reminders not to salmon, wear a helmet, etc). 250-500 words max.

A column that says all the things we say here:

"I take the lane because I have to, the shoulder isn't safe and I can't get there any other way"

"I'll signal you when it's safe to pass" or conversely "Cyclists - signal drivers when it's safe (or not) to pass"

"Don't honk at cyclists when passing them, it can cause accidents"

"When passing a cyclist, it's ok to cross the double yellow temporarily"

"When passing a cyclist, please give them as much room as you can, 3 feet minimum"

"Cyclists should all have lights after dark, for everybody's safety"

"children have to have helmets, they're good ideas for adults too"

"how to turn left when there's a bike lane"

"how to come to a stop sign with a cyclist"

"how cyclists can avoid hooking while passing stopped traffic" (or something)

That's 10 articles right there. Little PSA things that are obvious (ok, my tomato column reference wasn't clear). They can include references to code, average cost of helmets and lights (+ suggestions where to get them), statistics on accidents and intersections, etc. For cyclists AND drivers.

People believe the paper. People do the things the paper tells them are good ideas, it's an authority. Cycling is becoming so much more popular, the general public needs some of this info, and it should be relatively easy to get out to them. The paper tells them all the horrible accidents that happens. It'd be a nice change of tone, trying to help the community get along together.

@Mick: The PA law says something like "right turns must be made from as near the right edge of the roadway as practicable"

ejwme, you should totally write a column, put something together and pitch it to the City Paper first to warm up, and then try and get it in the big papers. That would be great. Like "Eleanor in the City" or something. Homey stories, but with points. Geez, those papers have columns about motorcycle riding, fishing, crazy stuff. You'd have plenty of material from the message board, for goodness sake.

ok, time to put the pen where the mouth is... or something like that. I'll work up some drafts.

*commence intensive information mining from board*

"El On Wheels"

+2 lol

it applies, regardless the number of wheels or presence of motor, I like