Hi everybody tomorrow is the memorial service for our dear friend Ann i’m going
to be there but I didn’t know how many from our committee will be there as well
12 to. 3 Is the way 3 o’clock is the funeral I’m only going to be able to go to
the week so hope to see some people there and I will be there on the 18th at DD
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM, Angela King <angela@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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
