My late Mother had spoken of bike rules being taught in school in the thirties.
From: wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf ;
Of Angela King
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 10:28 PM
To: wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wsmac] Re: Fwd: A Topic for the Dec.18th Mtg. Agenda
Thanks for explaining all those points John!
To reiterate why wrong-way riding (also called "salmoning") is bad and the
reasons John mentioned: cars pulling out of driveways or turning at
intersections are not looking for traffic coming the wrong way; cars and
cyclists coming at each other head-on are approaching one another at higher
speeds; studies show that riding the wrong way is three times as dangerous as
riding with traffic; and it is against the law, so if the cyclist is injured it
will be their fault.
Unfortunately, many kids have been taught by parents to ride facing traffic for
safety reasons which is tragically false, but still believed if your last
lesson in bike safety was when you were a child. Most people are taught how to
ride as a kid, and then receive no further cycling education for the rest of
their life. That's why John's Cycling Savvy classes and other adult bicycle
education classes are important to get the word out about the dangers of
wrong-way riding and to teach people how to ride with traffic.
Often the prevalence of salmoning is a sign that something is wrong with the
system in terms of bicycling education and infrastructure. Bad infrastructure
also makes people ride the wrong way – no bike lanes or shoulders, scary roads
where cyclists fear cars coming up behind them, one way roads (also where
studies show speeds tend to be higher, and drivers pay less attention because
there's no conflicting traffic) make longer, circuitous routes so cyclists may
opt to go against traffic as a shortcut.
More bicycle education to teach proper cycling and creating better, safer roads
for cyclists are what we need to eliminate this bad cycling behavior.
We are working on it!
<https://drive.google.com/a/bikemaine.org/uc?id=1pIhBJaN6AFDuJP7LHgAqB9YJYaFu9NDO&export=download>
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 4:38 PM John Brooking <johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Another way to think about it, which I teach kids: Imagine you're riding your
bike at 10 MPH, and the cars on the road are traveling at 30 MPH. If you are
riding towards them, how fast are you getting closer to each other? (10 + 30 =
40). But if they're coming up behind you, how fast are they approaching you?
(30 - 10 = 20). So at those speeds, you're approaching each other TWICE as fast
if you're riding towards them than if you're riding in the same direction.
Also, if they cannot move over, the only way to avoid a collision traveling
against each other is to both stop, whereas in the same direction, they only
have to slow to your speed while you keep going. Finally, if you do collide,
would you rather get hit head-on at 40 or from behind at 20?
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 4:27 PM John Brooking <johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Bicyclists should NEVER ride against traffic.
Safety reason: It puts the cyclist in an unexpected place and/or coming from an
unexpected direction, often where motorists are not looking for other traffic.
The speed of a typical teenage or adult cyclist negates any potential advantage
of "seeing the traffic coming", as the greater-than-pedestrian speed increases
closing speed, and decreases reaction time, especially coming from an
unexpected direction. Additionally, bicycles are less maneuverable than
pedestrians if a situation does develop.
Legal reason: http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec2063.html ;
(paragraph 5, same rights and duties as vehicle operators). A one-way street is
no exception. If a cyclist gets hit while violating the law, that cyclist will
probably get the legal blame and is liable for all damages to all parties.
I don't know all the reasons that some bicyclists travel against traffic. I can
conjecture that many of them feel more comfortable being able to see the
traffic in front of them rather than having to look behind them, which many
inexperienced cyclists are unable to do without swerving. They don't know about
the drawbacks that make that less of an advantage for them than it is for
pedestrians. Sadly, I occasionally hear of adults who were incorrectly taught
as children to ride against traffic.
When we present bike safety to children, we teach the phrase "Walk against,
ride with!", and make them repeat it a few times.
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 4:07 PM Lee Prince <leeleeprince51@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:leeleeprince51@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Dennis Marrotte <dennis.marrotte1111@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dennis.marrotte1111@xxxxxxxxx> >
Date: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 1:19 PM
Subject: A Topic for the Dec.18th Mtg. Agenda
To: John Brooking <Johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:Johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx> >,
Lee Prince <leeleeprince51@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:leeleeprince51@xxxxxxxxx> >,
Angela King <angela@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:angela@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >
For John, Leelee, WSMAC mbrs, Angela:
Just before Noon today, a clear, calm Day, I stopped into Rivers Edge Deli for
their Thursday Turkey Dinner. I parked alongside the curb on the Riverbank
Park side of Main Street, facing West.
Just after returning to my truck, two events occurred. An empty 18 Wheeler
Tractor Trailer that had delivered woodchips to SAPPI, rolled in ahead of me
and stopped alongside the curb, facing West.
A few seconds later, a man on a Bicycle with a Helmet and sunglasses came down
Main Street, heading EAST on the Riverbank Park side of Main Street.
I do not know if he was the same man I saw at Dusk a couple weeks ago after the
Snowstorm on a Bicycle with a helmet, a helmet mounted Light and a Light on the
front Heading down Main Street against one way trafficJust where one way East
bound traffic comes past Pratt Abbott and Lamb and Seavey Street.
Are some Bicyclists traveling Against Traffic because some feel Safer that way
instead of traveling With Traffic flow ?
Or does it not make any difference in a One Way Traffic Area ?
Thank You
Dennis
