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Cyclists and motorists -- maybe we can get along
11:33 AM, July 22, 2008
By now, many Angelenos have heard about the July 4 incident between a motorist and cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road, in which a motorist allegedly braked suddenly in front of two cyclists, resulting in serious injury to the riders, requiring a hospital visit. The episode has polarized many riders and motorists who blame each other for unsafe behavior on not only Mandeville Canyon, but urban streets in general.
BikeAs the city and various bicycle organizations try to find better and safer ways for motorists and cyclists to share city streets, some groups are already being pro-active in the effort. A video on YouTube shows how cyclists and motorists should maneuver Mandeville Canyon, based on traffic laws and what’s taught in courses from the League of American Bicyclists, a Washington, D.C.-based national bicycle advocacy and education group.
The video covers safe bicycle lane positions, when and how to use arm signals, reminds cyclists to obey stop signs, and encourages cooperative behavior between cyclists and motorists. It was shot on Mandeville Canyon showing what transpired between cyclists and motorists in real time, with nothing staged or set up.
"The main point we’re trying to make is that there are certain standards of behavior, which promote safe passing maneuvers," says Daniel Gutierrez, a certified league instructor as well as policy chairman of Caltrans District 7 Bicycle Advisory Committee. "It’s really behavior that’s at the crux of this. If people behave well, it’s easy to get along."
It’s not a bad idea for all motorists and cyclists to review the video (and others), even if Mandeville Canyon isn’t a part of their regular route. It’s a terrific refresher of basics such as cyclists’ hand signals and safe passing tactics, and a reminder that it’s not worth risking an accident to shave a little time off your trip.
I like the video. But I can't get used to the porno music yet. :P
But srsly - When cars are passing the bikes on a double yellow line, isn't that illegal for the car? It shows the cars doing that a lot in the video and kind of opens that as an argument against the video... Who made this, and how can we have them consider fixing that part? Am I being too picky?
here is a quote from the first person to comment on the article over at the LA TIMES..... YIPERS!
"----->>>Now, if the psychotic cycling gangs that like to go out in a large pack on Sunset and Glendale blvds late friday and saturday nights would get a clue and stop riding like jerks, we might all get along. blocking over one full lane of traffic, swerving out to make the other lane slow down and stay behind you all, is rude and illegal. Should the cars in front of you do the same?" <<<-----
I had the chance to sit down last week with three members of the Crimanimalz, a group of cyclists who went for a pair of highly illegal rides last spring that included short stretches on the Santa Monica and 405 freeways. During rush hour. Weaving in and out of traffic. In June, another group of cyclists rode the 101 Freeway.
Videos of their misadventures also got good rides on the Internet.
Here are a few highlights of the interview with Alex Cantarero, 28, of Santa Monica; Paul Bringetto, 36, of Santa Monica; and a third rider who would identify himself only as Rich, 23, of Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles:
The goal of the rides, they said, is not to break the law for the sake of breaking the law but to raise awareness of cycling issues.
"We're not against cars, and we're not trying to kill car culture," Rich said. "But if you get some cars off the road" by getting more people on bikes, "there will be more room" for the people who drive.
Another goal is to get more bike lanes, more traffic signals that detect bikes and more designated bike routes that actually have room for both traffic and bikes.
Cantarero said he wanted to see bike lanes built along freeway routes that are separated from traffic (for example, on the embankment above the roadway) and would allow cyclists to get a head of speed and keep it without the starting and stopping that goes with riding in traffic.
I asked about the safety and legal aspects of the freeway rides. It is illegal to ride a bike on most urban freeways in California, and it's not hard to imagine an unsuspecting motorist hitting a cyclist. That's a bad outcome for everyone.
Rich said that if someone got hurt, the rides would end. But the cyclists did not say they would stop before that happened. In fact, they suggested that riding on the freeway in slow rush-hour traffic was safer than the conditions they experienced on streets in the area.
They said that they were comfortable with any legal consequences they might suffer to advance their cause -- in other words, they're comfortable with getting more tickets or being hauled into court.
"If there are a few more fallen soldiers that fall voluntarily, I'm not that concerned," Cantarero said.
They complained that police didn't do enough to protect cyclists -- and pointed to the recent incident in Mandeville Canyon. A motorist has been charged with deliberately slamming on his brakes to cause a bike accident.
All three cyclists said that no matter how carefully they rode, they had frequent close calls with motorists. In some cases, they said, motorists seemed intent on trying to intimidate them, a scary prospect they likened to having someone try to kill you.
"Cantarero said he wanted to see bike lanes built along freeway routes that are separated from traffic (for example, on the embankment above the roadway) and would allow cyclists to get a head of speed and keep it without the starting and stopping that goes with riding in traffic."
Me -
Mr. Cantarero, I hope you have a chance to someday ride between Davis and Sacramento. There's a good portion of the 30 miles of freeway between the two cities that has exactly this. Let me tell you, it's no party riding along the freeway. It's so freaking loud that you can barely communicate with any other riders you happen to be with. And no you won't be able to drown out the noise with headphones if you're riding solo either.
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