Move to ban bikes in Iowa
Thread started by
chunk at 07.29.09 - 5:04 am
A group called "Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa" is attempting to get bikes banned on just about every road in Iowa. This is pretty crazy and hopefully they don't get very far.
http://tinyurl.com/lv5qb7
One bummer is that it wasn't announced last week. RAGBRAI could have been turned into the biggest Critical Mass ever.
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we need a group like the ACLU for bikes to fight this bullshit
snowcone07.29.09 - 11:39 am
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Iowa's not all hicks and corn, but a measure like this sure isn't doing much to rectify that image.
I remember these roads and having to deal with the slow speeds of all the farm-equipment being shuttled back and forth on the heavy-hauls.
55mph my ass!!!
bentstrider07.29.09 - 12:29 pm
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Funny story! This dude claims riders have a bike trail to where they're going, "bicyclists are choosing the roads over bike paths because they say the bike paths are crowded with walkers that slow them down." I say BS!!! If they have bike paths everywhere, then I'm moving to Iowa!
User107.29.09 - 1:04 pm
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This will be shot down. The book Bicycling & The Law explains how bicycling is protected under the judicial interpretations of the constitutional right to travel. There can be public highways and freeways that ban bicycles, but only when surface street alternatives exist, and this is why some stretches of freeway (like portion of the 5 to San Diego) can be legally ridden by bicycle, because you cannot forbid bicycles from a highway route where no alternative roads exist. For them to ban bicycles from certain roads because they feel like it is not going to fly with the supreme court.
GarySe7en07.29.09 - 1:34 pm
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that's comforting to know... i had a gut feeling that was the case, but i did not know for sure
snowcone responding to a
comment by GarySe7en
07.29.09 - 1:36 pm
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Yeah I just picked up the book Bicycling & The Law. I couldn't believe that my public library had this book, but they did!
User1 responding to a
comment by GarySe7en
07.29.09 - 1:41 pm
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Critical Mass on the 5 to San Diego, sounds like a great Idea!!!!!!!!!
Train it home.
parlorbikes07.29.09 - 4:54 pm
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I lived and grew up in Iowa for 16 years, and I have to say that there's about a 99.71231943% chance of this never gaining steam. Yes, Iowa's highways are not bike-friendly, and make the PCH's shoulders look like runways in comparison. Yes, it is easier to ride on roads than bike paths due to walkers taking them instead of the damn sidewalk. But Iowa's drivers are routinely in the top 3 states as far as safety and courtesy is concerned. I can ride on the road around my hometown (Cedar Rapids) and never have to worry about someone not signaling or flinging a door open at me.
I can see the issue that they're trying to make here; the rolling hills make it entirely possible that a car could come up too fast on a rider over a ridge. But, with as sparsely trafficked as Iowa's highways are, there would be a small chance of oncoming traffic, allowing the car to swerve into the other lane to miss the biker.
Also, this thread has made me really pumped to do RAGBRAI next year. Midnight Ridazz team anyone?
BMFW07.29.09 - 6:15 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!