Comments on: Bicycle zealots run over common sense with new laws

By: Steve A

Steve A — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 18:32:11 +0000

I checked the full text of that AB and found no veering requirement at all. Prompted by further curiosity, I could find no mention of veering requirements anyplace else in the vehicle or transportation codes of California or Texas. I wish Katy would clarify her intent in picking that particular word. Might she be attempting to emulate the tactics of lefty commentators who are well known for using hot button words in what pretend to be reasonable arguments? She’d have been better off to stick with an “equal laws, equal rights and to heck with the feel good nonsense” theme.

By: Khal Spencer

Khal Spencer — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:30:38 +0000

I suggest someone offer to go for a bike ride with Katy. Any tandem readers out there? She is, from the picture of her, a physically fit author, if not a well informed and reasoned one, at least on this topic. One catches more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Katy?

By: Ian Brett Cooper

Ian Brett Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 22:11:11 +0000

““One” might wonder, but you’d think a reporter would use the Interwebs to actually look something like that up.”

Yeah, but too much research and there would be no story, because there is no real story here, except in Katy Grimes’ mind. These hacks get paid for words, not for facts, and words come quickest when you have an axe to grind. They come quite a bit slower when you have to make a real point and know what you’re talking about.

By: Calimig

Calimig — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:35:16 +0000

1. The expectation to ride a bicycle safely demonstrates a far lesser sense of entitlement than expecting you are entitled to drive anywhere without encountering congestion or impediments
2. by the vehicle code in every state, bicycles are entitled to uses most streets, regardless of whether there is a bike lane. In many instances, particularly without bike lanes an lane widths less than 13-14 feet a bicyclist is entirely within their rights to ride in the middle of the lane as it is a safer condition for them and the motorist. Don’t like it, too bad, check your vehicle code you are wrong. That was obviously too much to ask from this author.
3. when you encounter such a cyclist, the delay from going around them is something like a whole 30 seconds and they’ll probably catch up to you at the next intersection. The vast majority of congestion experienced by cars is from other cars… the more people on bikes the less congestion you would typically encounter. Stop reacting and start thinking.

While there are rude cyclists who don’t follow the law, your generalizations are less than productive. I suppose since I see drivers who don’t come to complete stops or exceed the posted speed limit, I should assume you are all complete a-holes with no regard for the law, right?

By: Today’s Headlines | Streetsblog Los Angeles

Today’s Headlines | Streetsblog Los Angeles — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:53:43 +0000

[…] “Cal Watch Dog” Publishes Fact Free Attack on Bike Laws. City Watch Mindlessly Republishes. […]

By: Damien Newton

Damien Newton — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:49:41 +0000

Does this publication require fact checking? This article is embarrassing. The author is entitled to their opinions, but some basic knowledge of the issue would be helpful.

In order:

AB 819, by Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, would allow cities to begin designing unique bicycling lanes and customized signage….We need a law for this?
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Yes, because cities need to conform to road design manuals published by the state. These forbid the new kind of signage without going through a lengthy approval process. This change actually streamlines government bureaucracy.

An almost identical bill was vetoed by the Gov. Jerry Brown last year. In his veto message, the governor expressed concern that the slow passing speed could increase rear-end collisions and create backups.
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As the author points out, the Governor had concerns with certain language in the bill. That language was changed in the current one. It’s not “almost identical,” although it does have the same goals.

After Villaraigosa crashed his bike into a taxi cab in Los Angeles, he became the bicycling community’s biggest advocate.
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Villaraigosa was forced off a bike when a taxi moved from a parking space into a traffic lane without yielding. There was no collision.

Los Angeles is suffering under staggering debt, the bus system is cutting routes and raising fares, and many wonder how the city will find the money to put in all of the new bicycle lanes.
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Much of the new plan will be funded through a small set aside from the county-wide sales tax passed by 67% of the voters. Each city gets a small portion of the tax to deal with local transportation issues and L.A. set a portion of that portion aside for bicycle and pedestrian projects. “One” might wonder, but you’d think a reporter would use the Interwebs to actually look something like that up.

The coalition apparently is the only source of information the committee analysts used.
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AAA, the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, and at least four cities have all testified in favor of the bill.

At LADOT’s current bike-lane construction rate of 40 miles per year, however, the mayor will be 93 years old before his promise comes true.
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Los Angeles built 75 miles of new bikeways last year, the first full calendar year under the new bike plan.

I am hoping that legislators introduces a bill mandating bicyclists to follow traffic laws.
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There is already a law requiring this.

By: Ian Brett Cooper

Ian Brett Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:03:05 +0000

“Most of these bike riders are of course Dem’s. When will it stop? The word bicycle does not appear in the Counstitution.”

Neither does the word ‘car’, because neither the car nor the bicycle were invented then. If firearms had not been around at that time, they wouldn’t have been mentioned either, and we might have only a right to bear swords today.

Jeez!

By: Ian Brett Cooper

Ian Brett Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:52:53 +0000

The author is a ‘she’. Silly me for getting angry at the content before checking the gender of the person who wrote the article, LOL.

By: Ian Brett Cooper

Ian Brett Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:57:43 +0000

“I was told point blank by a highway patrol officer that 99% of the incidents on Highway 9 or the roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains that involve a bicycle are the fault of the cyclist.”

Highway patrol officers don’t ride bikes. Maybe that’s why they can’t see when the motorist is responsible (which has been found to be in half of all bicycle-car collisions. The myopia exists, but it’s not where you seem to think it is.

By: Khal Spencer

Khal Spencer — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:18:37 +0000

I’m a Dem, a bicyclist, motorcyclist, and motorist. As our county’s transportation board chair for several years, I worked quite well with a mostly GOP County Council and we found we had vast common ground supporting bicycling efforts while not having to take sides in the silly car vs bike wars.

So one suggestion to the Watchdog: dispense with the cheap shots, inaccurate assertions, and silly stereotypes and work on government reform. California has enough problems already. Your house is on fire, and you are putting it out with gasoline.

Equally dispassionate observer Ian Brett Cooper has some good thoughts here and I suggest folks go read them.
http://ianbrettcooper.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-just-spotted-article-at-cal-watchdog.html