TheWashCycle

Alexandria cyclist ticketed for speeding; another tried to flee scene

I know a few cyclists who might want to frame this ticket, had they gotten it.

It may have been a first in the annals of law enforcement for the city, according to the Alexandria Police Department. Earlier this month, a city cop issued a speeding ticket to a bicyclist who was clocked going 31 in a 25. Alexandria Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Hildebrandt says the enforcement measure is part of a stepped-up effort to crack down on bicyclists flouting the laws on the streets of Old Town.

"We’ve been receiving a lot of complaints," said Hildebrandt. "So we’ve increased enforcement."

I have to wonder if they're ticketing drivers going 31 in a 25. If this cyclist was speeding, they deserve a ticket, but I question whether this is time well spent.

On the other hand,

The unusual speeding ticket comes on the heels of another incident in which a bicyclist hit a pedestrian and tried to flee the scene. But a band of citizens chased the hit-and-run biker down and detained him until authorities showed up to arrest him.

If true, this cyclist deserves to have the book thrown at them.

WABA responds to resolution blowback

I've included only part of it here. If you were upset about it last week, you should read the whole thing.

While many WABA members have been supportive and signed, others have responded with strong counter-arguments focused on the idea that if the laws regulating our roadways fail to adequately account for or protect cyclists, we should not resolve to follow them.

And that’s absolutely fine.

Nothing in being a WABA member ties anyone to a particular strategy for improving the laws regulating cyclists.  But as an organization, we do have a choice to make.  We hear time and time again the perception that WABA should be doing more to ensure that cyclists follow laws and ride safely.  And currently, that perception of cyclists as scofflaws presents a barrier to the sort of political action that could successfully improve the safety of cyclists in the area.

Fundamentally, our goal is to change those improper laws and achieve those safety improvements, and to take the necessary steps to do so.  I do believe that cyclists should ride responsibly, and I disagree with anyone who says that resolving to do so implies an apology for cycling or a backing away from that core goal.

Bottom line: The scofflaw perception is getting in the way of needed changes, and we need some mechanism to combat it.  This pledge is meant to do that in order to set the stage for the next round of advocacy.  With a new year, new leadership in several local jurisdictions, and a growing number of cyclists in the area, this pledge is meant to help us address the scofflaw issue and move past it to real advocacy on behalf of our members and the community of cyclists.

Casey Anderson's comment on that post should be read as well.

"I think it would be a good idea"

The Post has an editorial today calling for Mayor-elect Gray to continue the policies of Gabe Klein.

[Klein] was optimistic about prospects for smart-growth policies that were pursued during Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration. These include an emphasis on pedestrian safety, expansion of the downtown Circulator bus service, the trolley project and, perhaps most notably, the encouragement of cycling as an alternative through the bike-share program and construction of more bike lanes.

But they choose an unfortunate starting point for dealing with the tension his policies reportedly created.

For starters, we would suggest a greater emphasis on the responsibilities of cyclists, both to prevent tragedies like the recent death of an elderly man hit by a biker and to prevent the kind of backlash against cycling that has occurred in other cities. Police should enforce the traffic laws, which apply to bicycles as well as cars.

Calling for the enforcing of traffic laws that apply to bicycle as well as cars reminds me a bit of Gandhi's thoughts on Western Civilization.

But really, that's where they'd start?

One pedestrian is killed by a cyclist (the first in 3.5 years) and they see that as a need for a crackdown on bad cycling. Meanwhile, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car two days ago, and five others - including a man killed in a hit and run - were hit over the weekend; but by all means, let's START with cyclists. You're just as likely to be killed by a military truck as a cyclist this year. Perhaps we should crack down on military trucks.

All of which ignores the fact that traffic enforcement is more MPD's responsibility than DDOT's.

I also think we should encourage responsible cycling, and would welcome equitable, and smart enforcement of the law, but I worry that such a crack-down would be directed mostly at cyclists and mostly for the wrong things - things like stop sign running and illegal parking - as happened at Berkeley recently.

This sounds more like a figleaf to those who think that "Share the Road" is a message for cyclists to get out of the way.

We should welcome enforcement when it is geared toward public safety and greater civility. We should be cautious when it's purpose is political and its aim is to appease an angry mob.

Badly behaved cyclists in the Sun

Michael Dresser of the Baltimore Sun has a column today on bad cyclist behavior. I agree with much of what he says. Many cyclists break the law. Some cyclists behave badly. Cyclist who behave badly should stop and the police should use enforcement to curb the worst behavior.

He gives four example of bad behavior.

The first is cyclists using a footpath marked explicitly for pedestrians. I'm not familiar with the trail, but cyclists should try to stay in their space if possible. I guess my question would be "what is the alternative for cyclists?" If there isn't a one that will appeal to a wide group of cyclists, perhaps one should be explored.

The second is cyclists using sidewalks where they're illegal. I generally agree that cyclists should stay off busy sidewalks, but I think the places where cyclists can and can't ride often aren't clear enough. Sometimes sidewalks are marked bike routes and sometimes bikes aren't allowed, so I can see where there is confusion. Some cities mark sidewalk curb ramps with a "no biking" sign painted on the ramp. That would help.

Photo by Brian Gudas Photography

One commenter makes a good point that he only uses the sidewalk as a climbing lane up a particularly steep hill. Since I do this in two places on my daily bike commute where it's illegal (in PG County), it's hard for me to argue with that. I do it for my own safety and to so as to not inconvenience drivers needlessly.

Carol Silldorff, executive director of Bike Maryland makes a good point that cyclists using the sidewalk illegally are an indicator species of car-centric road design.

Finally, he criticizes cyclist who run red lights without stopping. "It doesn't bother me if a bicyclist slows for a stop sign and then continues without losing all momentum if it's clear, but stoplights deserve at least a pause for reflection." I agree.

I'd also agree that wrong-way cycling is bad behavior.

Silldorff "has no problem with the idea of ticketing aggressive and unsafe bikers" and neither do I. But I'd like to see some thought going into why these cyclists are breaking the law, and if there is some better solution than parking the bike. While I'm for enforcement against bad cycling, the ratio of driver enforcement to cyclist enforcement needs to be in the 100-1 range, if not higher.

Sunday afternoon links

So many interesting stories, so little time

• Bike snob puts cyclists into their groups. I feel like their must be at least one missing group. The practical cyclist?
• Long Beach police do not care for critical mass. They ticketed riders and confiscated bikes.

  The group was stopped in the area of Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue when they "blew through a stop sign," said Lisa Massacani, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

  "They were cited for violating other rules of the road as well as safety issues," she added.

  "We obeyed all laws and stopped at all stop signs," said Jerome Podgajski, organizer of the event. "They (cops) didn't even cite for the same things, and some got cited for things they didn't even do. It was really bad. I couldn't believe everything."

  "The group known as Critical Mass travels from city to city and as a matter of practice engages in dangerous conduct, violating every rule of the road and endangering the public." said Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
• Fugitive convicted of killing a cyclist while driving under the influence is captured after 6 months. Faces up to 33 years in prison.
• Been there. Done that.
  

The group was stopped in the area of Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue when they "blew through a stop sign," said Lisa Massacani, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

"They were cited for violating other rules of the road as well as safety issues," she added.

"We obeyed all laws and stopped at all stop signs," said Jerome Podgajski, organizer of the event. "They (cops) didn't even cite for the same things, and some got cited for things they didn't even do. It was really bad. I couldn't believe everything."

Cyclist behavior at the Dr. Gridlock chat

Dr. G talked about how to get to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, but didn't mention bikes.

Otherwise, it's the same old territory.

What are the rules about cyclists on sidewalks?

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association offers great guides about the rules. They are helpful for cyclists and for motorists:

http://www.waba.org/resources/laws.php

On the crowded streets in downtown Washington, cyclists are supposed to stay on the streets, not the sidewalks. That doesn't happen, and it's dangerous. Cyclists come at pedestrians from all directions. You'd have to have Linda Blair Exorcist style 360 degree vision to be ready for that.

Police do enforce the traffic laws, which cyclists are subject to. But they're not going to be in enough places to stop all the bad behavior that you're seeing.

Why don't cyclists follow the rules

Saturday night in Adams Morgan I watched as a cyclist blew threw a stop sign into the path of a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Didn't even slow down.

But I can't conclude from that -- or other incidents we all could describe -- that "most" cyclists do any one particular thing. I watch traffic for a living and can't conclude that "most" drivers do any one particular thing either.

What I notice is that many travelers -- motorists and cyclists -- will obey traffic rules when they have no other choice and ignore them when they can.

Speaking of which, ABC7 has a story on the new bicycle traffic light in Alexandria (the first in Virginia). And yes, a lot of cyclist ignore it. But it is odd that pedestrians get a green when cyclists get a red. What's up with that? Why have both?

Tour de Links - One Million Dollars

Maillot Jaune: A reason to show up for Critical Mass rides - NYC awards arrested riders $1M. Protests continue about NYC bike lanes - protestors called the lanes along Prospect Park West "vandalism" and claimed they endangered seniors. They were outnumber 4 to 1 by those in favor of the lanes. And a cyclist riding in a NYC bike lane died after being doored. The driver who opened the door, knocking the cyclist off his bike and into the path of a truck was cited, as was the driver of the truck.

Podium: AAA wants Congress to transfer funds that support trail, biking and walking programs to the highway system. Some of those programs support safety. Let them know you think these programs are important.

Maillot Vert: A nurse who does house calls by bicycle.

Maillot a Pois Rouge: Human powered bicycle monorail wins $1M Google grant (were they arrested by NYC police?). I don't know if it will catch on, but I want to ride one.

Maillot Blanc: Pro bike racers run stop lights too.

Lanterne Rouge: I did like the movie Tron.

 

Sick blogger links

Going to bed early

• DDOT replies to claims that money spent on biking is money not spent on jobs. "The bike share program created 25 brand new jobs in the District, all at a living wage and all but one filled by District residents from all across the District.  Though it will be hard to track, the improved reliability and travel options it affords to the transit dependent communities will help residents keep their current jobs and hopefully climb up the employment ladder while at the same time broadening their access to additional employment centers and opportunities."
• Why were bike lanes used as a wedge in the election? Gabe Klein thinks it has more to do with an age divide than a race divide. "The newer and younger types coming into the city are demanding a livable, bikeable town. I visit Ward 7 and people say "We need more bike lanes over here."
• The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge, at 10 a.m. Saturday on the Mall: "The event will feature a 20-mile bicycle course led by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) with Tour de France cyclists Bobby Julich and Christian Vande Velde, starting at the Washington Monument, proceeding up Pennsylvania Avenue, past the Capitol and through the city."
• Dr. Gridlock and I agree that Gray will continue to make DC more bikeable because that's what big city mayors have to do.

While we may be in for a change in mayoral style that involves more task forces and discussion, the city's transportation program is unlikely to undergo a dramatic shift. The D.C. government's priorities, policies and programs are pretty typical of those that 21st century city governments are pursuing.

City governments want to help people get where they're going as quickly and safely as possible through densely packed grid systems of streets, use transportation improvements to encourage economic development and offer alternatives to owning a car. (Real estate writer and editor Elizabeth Razzi noted that giving people opportunities to go car free helps them handle the high cost of urban housing.)

So the District is not alone in trying to improve bus services, add trolleys or light rail, put in bike lanes and improve pedestrian safety. The District's programs to do those things didn't start with Fenty and they won't end with Gray. Bike lanes weren't dreamed up by Fenty to make the world safe for triathletes.

• The new bike signal on the Mt. Vernon Trail has been installed. (photo below)
• GGW endorses Chris Zimmerman fro Arlington County Board. "He advocated installing bike racks on all Metrobuses...He worked with current Arlington Board Chairman Jay Fisette and DDOT to start the bikeshare program....He's advocated for installing more bicycle facilities at Metrorail stations....He's been working with WABA to figure out how to get more bicycles on to VRE trains....Mr. Zimmerman was one of the early promoters of Smart Growth, walkable development, traffic calming, pedestrian improvements through the Neighborhood Conservation program, and bike lanes."
• The dream is dead. No bike station in old Dupont Trolley station. But the world needs art too.
• DC Cyclocross race is tomorrow Sunday 
• Owen Wilson tools around DC on a folding bike.
• Some places did get TIGER II money for bike projects. Just not us.
• Something new to argue about! Airbags for cyclists.
• NYC to crack down on scofflaw cyclists. “You are having more incidents where pedestrians are getting seriously injured, or close calls, even if it’s in a bike lane,” Mr. Browne said.

photo by ajfroggie

August 2010 Arlington BAC Meeting Notes

These are from the Draft notes (written by someone else) of a meeting I didn't attend, so usual grain of salt...

ACPD’s Sgt. John Ravinaskas of Arlington Enforcement and Bikes attended. He handles community dispute issues including follow-up and monitoring.  His group works with Conte’s Bikes on their weekly bike rides and provides traffic control. His team also provides bike patrols when there is time or if there are problems.  They also go through parks and bike trails.
 
In addition to a handout citing portions of the Virginia Code that apply (or don’t) to cyclists, Sgt. Ravinaskas provided various statistics and data concerning traffic citations for cyclists and accidents involving cyclists.
 
2009 = 19 citations for cyclists (street not trail) – not collisions, rolling through stop signs/lights, etc.
2010 = 7, to date – not collisions

2009 = 8 traffic collisions where the cyclist was cited (i.e., treated as a vehicle)
2010 = 7 traffic collisions, to date

2009 = 27 total citations
2010 = 14 total citations
 
He will provide further data, from his crime analyst, responding to various questions raised by BAC members, including the number of accidents caused by cars hitting bikes.

A BAC member inquired if all officers get training and re-training regarding cyclists and the law. Sgt. Ravinaskas responded that he is aware there is training in the academy but there is no regular training with regards to bicycles. Manassas and Leesburg are more proactive about providing training after the Academy.
 
In response to a question about funds, Sgt. Ravinaskas responded that there is limited funding for equipment and officers are often rough on the bikes (due to having to drop on the ground, etc.). The bikes are expensive to keep in service. Discussion continued on how cyclists are treated in courts and if cyclists can receive points on their license. Sgt. Ravinaskas responded that it depends on how the clerk codes the citation and that cyclists should not receive points on their license. If they do, the clerk coded it wrong so it is important to check the transcripts. A BAC member inquired about a recent accident on Lee and Cleveland involving a cyclist’s death and that the police report was not accessible. Sgt. Ravinaskas responded that unless one is involved in the accident, there is no access to the report, as it is not public information.
 
Action item: The BAC discussed urging more funding dedicated to police bicycle equipment. 
 
Trail update: Kevin Stalica reported that a portion of the wall on the Custis Trail (near Brandymore Castle/East Falls Church) buckled and was in jeopardy of falling. It was fixed with a metal plate. There are several bridge projects including near the beaver pond and along the Custis trail that are part of the spot improvements for I-66. Not many details known at this time.
 
There are problems with a rose bush blocking signage near WO&D and Shirley Highway which prompted a discussion on the difficulty of navigating this intersection using signage and of the placement of curb cuts.

Action item: BAC board will meet at this location at next meeting so that they can better understand signage and traffic patterns and can be more easily discussed with Arlington County staff.
 
Staff report and issues: David Goodman reported that they will be placing a sign on the Washington Blvd trail stating something along the lines of “Phase II Coming Soon” to indicate that there is more to the project. They are currently looking for funding and have received questions about the “dead end”. They hope the sign will indicate that there is more to come.
 
The county will be hiring a consultant to assess the bike routing in the Columbia Pike area. Furthermore, VDOT has provided them with their preliminary paving plan for 2011 which includes Glebe Road from Military to Lee Highway.
 
Dave Patton reported that there will be an in-house meeting regarding sharrows and their use.  He also noted that the Pentagon’s support of the Boundary Channel Drive project remains an open issue.
 
David Kirschner reported on several paving projects including 2nd Street South to N Highland. He also mentioned that there has been discussion on color pavement treatments for bike lanes.

Action items: Forward ideas for areas where cyclists need more visibility for possible color treatment to the pavement.
 
Mark Blacknell solicited the BAC for ideas for presentations at civic association meetings. He is looking to become more proactive in the community through putting a face on cycling. Perhaps it may be useful to come up with a “canned” presentation so that any BAC member can make a presentation to their association if they are not comfortable speaking off the cuff.
 
Mark Blacknell also brought up the concept of suggesting that county parking enforcement consider using bicycles to distribute tickets/check parking.

Saturday Morning Ride

According to CaBi, they've got 2800 members and have had 2500 one day memberships bought.

• "Bicycle borne crimes aren’t common in Alexandria"
• Every time a bike is stolen an angle drops the F-bomb. But when a bike is re-stolen (unstolen?), they follow it with "yeah".
• The Crystal City BID received a merit award from the International Downtown Association for promoting bicycling throughout the region. Congratulations.
• The Virginia Bicycling Federation would like to ask you to obey the law. "A final point to consider is that I’ve been hearing of more cases where motorists or their insurance companies have sought compensation from at fault cyclists following a crash."
• A call for more bicycle-friendly streets, because trails don't always cut it for cyclists.
• From a USAToday article about bike valets "In Washington, Bikestation provides 125 secure parking places for bicyclists at Union Station near the U.S. Capitol, says Andréa White-Kjoss, Bikestation president and CEO. The station opened in October 2009 and is nearly full many days, she says."
• Another option for CaBi - folding helmets.
• WABA Board Member Casey Anderson is moonlighting "Stevens said she enthusiastically supported a bike tour through the Long Branch community, an idea proposed by Casey Anderson, a board member and chair of the neighborhoods committee. The board set a tentative date of Oct. 30 for the tour.
• Bike lanes are going in place around Lincoln Park. Does that make the CaBi station safe now?
• UMD has a new bicycle coordinator
• Bob Mionske writes about the Nancy Pettigrew fatalitiy in a larger article about how easy it is to get away with hit and run. "Applying Ockham’s razor—the theory that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one—the explanation is that these drivers did feel the impact, but kept on driving. And again applying Ockham’s razor, the reason is that the driver didn’t want to face the consequences of hitting another human being."
• Halloween Allycat Race