Author Topic: More pro-cycling letters in the Herald  (Read 2522 times)

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Offline Sal Atticum

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More pro-cycling letters in the Herald
« on: February 11, 2009, 07:14:44 PM »
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Quote
Jewell Ertman, Grand Forks, letter: Be courteous to bicyclists, please
Published Wednesday, February 11, 2009
GRAND FORKS — On my daily bicycle commute to UND the other day, a vehicle passed me within yards of a stop sign. I signaled her to stay put, but she cut me off anyway and came to an abrupt stop at the stop sign. Since I had very little time to react, I slammed into the car and fell to the ground.

Shaken, I stood up and gave her the regular rigamarole about respecting bicyclists on the road. Upon reaching for my bike to continue my commute, a driver behind me yelled “Get going!”, right after I had been in an accident!

Luckily, I was not injured, and my bike survived, too.

Unfortunately, close calls such as this are common and in some cases expected for bicycle commuters in Grand Forks. Many motorists don’t know the laws of the road: In North Dakota and the other 49 states, vehicles are required by law to share the road with bicyclists.

As many bicyclists will tell you, it’s safer to be on the road than on the sidewalk (and sidewalk riding is illegal in some states). In some cases, separate bike paths are no safer than the road as well.

Assaults from motorists are another daily occurrence. I’ve seen motorists yell obscenities, give obscene gestures, follow too close, rev their engine and throw things.

So, motorists: If you encounter a bicycle on the road, please be courteous and treat the bicyclist as you would a small car or scooter. Do not pass us within inches; instead, give us a full lane of space, and use your blinker.

When approaching a stop sign or lighted intersection, please do not pass, for your safety and ours.

Roadway infrastructures are extremely ill-equipped to serve bicyclists. Many lighted intersections are not calibrated to register bicycles. This leaves a bicyclist with two potentially dangerous choices: leave the roadway to push the pedestrian crosswalk button or ignore the stop light altogether.

Also, the bike path on 42nd Street north of University Avenue is poorly designed and far too narrow. The road itself is buckling, creating cracks and risen slabs of cement; a bicycle tire can easily get caught on these rough roads.

Bike paths on the road are a good step forward, and more need to be made, but they should serve the purpose for which they were designed: to be safe.

Jewell Ertman
JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

Offline Plantains

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Re: More pro-cycling letters in the Herald
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2009, 07:31:25 PM »
Preach it brotha!
Alaska Unicyclist: if you ban me, i'll set your complex on fire.... just a heads up

Offline Toaster

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Re: More pro-cycling letters in the Herald
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2009, 08:52:31 PM »
sista, you mean.
Just try and step to UND Cycling if you wanna test your luck.

Offline Plantains

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Re: More pro-cycling letters in the Herald
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2009, 02:29:12 PM »
zinnnng
Alaska Unicyclist: if you ban me, i'll set your complex on fire.... just a heads up

 

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