Hopefully, LD 470, a bill to get bike/ped safety education in schools, that
was carried over last spring to the next legislative session, will become
law. It makes sense – as it did in the thirties:) to incorporate this
education in school curriculum.
On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 9:24 AM Carson Wood <carsonlwood@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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!
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 4:38 PM John Brooking <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>
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>
wrote:
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: *Dennis Marrotte* <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>, Lee Prince <
leeleeprince51@xxxxxxxxx>, Angela King <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
