Bi-monthly bicycle column gets started in Columbia Tribune
Submitted by Brent Hugh on Sun, 04/26/2009 - 11:43pm
League Cycling Instructor and PedNet Coalition Education Coordinator Robert Johnson launched the first of his planned bi-monthly columns in the Columbia Tribune today:
In September, I conducted a class for the Columbia Police Department about bicycling law. We covered what the laws are and what they mean, and I even gave each officer a laminated card they could keep in their ticket books for reference.Read the rest of the article here.
The theme to the training could be described as “bicycles are vehicles.” In keeping with that theme, we talked about how bicyclists need to be pulled over and ticketed if they are breaking traffic laws. I asked, “If you saw a Ford Explorer driving at 2 a.m. without lights on, would you pull them over? What about a bicyclist doing the same thing?”
If law enforcement, motorists and bicyclists thought of bicycles as vehicles, many of our problems would disappear and the Trib Talk section would be much shorter.
The results of that class exceeded my wildest expectations. The police department designated October as “Operation Share the Road.” During that month, officers stopped more than 100 bicyclists to issue warnings or tickets. We had bicyclists coming into the office talking about getting pulled over and wanting to know what the laws actually are. Bicycle shop employees told me bicyclists were purchasing light sets and telling stories of being pulled over for the first time in years.
Because I spend so much time and energy trying to get bicyclists to obey traffic laws, I am sensitive to the notion we should not share our roadways with bicyclists. Imagine if I said the same thing about motorists. Many drivers in Columbia speed, and some must run red lights or else there would be no need for those controversial red-light cameras. But even though some motorists disobey laws, it is no excuse for bicyclists to scream or curse at them.
Tags:
- News
- 2009
- about
- accomplishments
- bicycle
- bicycles
- bicycling
- bicyclist
- bicyclists
- columbia
- cycling
- drivers
- education
- first
- laws
- lights
- police
- safety
- share the road
- speed
- traffic
- training
- Bicycle
- Bicycle law in California
- Business
- Columbia Tribune
- Cycling
- energy
- Exercise
- Ford
- Ford Explorer
- Labor
- Law
- Recreation
- Robert Johnson
- Sustainability
- Sustainable transport
- Utility cycling
Join MoBikeFed's Advocacy Network
MoBikeFed is a statewide group of people like you, working together for better bicycling, walking, and trails in Missouri. When you join our advocacy network you receive occasional important advocacy alerts and bicycle, pedestrian, and trails news from around Missouri.
Working together we make a real difference! Join our advocacy network:
Working together we make a real difference! Join our advocacy network:
Related pages
Current topics...
Archives...
Want better bicycling and walking in Missouri?
We rely on the support of members like you. Please join, renew, or donate today.
- Home
- JOIN/DONATE
- News/Info
- Missouri Bicycling, Running, Trails
- Bicycle Skills and Safety
- Missouri Bike/Ped Law
- Clubs and Organizations
- Bike Shops
- Running Shops
- Bicycling, Running, Trails-related Businesses
- Ride, Run, Walk, Hike, Triathlon, and Events Calendars
- Bicycles on Amtrak
- Maps and Routes
- Trails and Trail Maps
- IBikeMO.org
- Planning a Missouri bicycle trip
- Gravel and Bikepacking Maps & Routes
- Bicycle & Touring Routes
- Advocacy
- Campaigns
- Our Legislative Platform
- Complete Streets
- Statewide Rock Island Trail
- Statewide Trail Vision - Quad State Trail
- Bicycle Friendly Missouri
- Walk Friendly Missouri
- Safe Routes to School
- MoDOT funding crisis
- High Priority Bike/Ped Project List
- Anti-harassment laws in cities & statewide
- Updating the basic bicycle law
- Our Vision for MoDOT
- Our Vision for MPOs/RPCs
- Our Vision for Cities & Counties
- Bicycle, pedestrian, trails plans across MO
- Protecting Vulnerable Road Users
- Vision Zero
- Missouri Trail Towns
- Store
- About