[BikeLongmont] Re: Support HB1218

[David Oliver]

Hi Jack,
 Thanks for your response and your support.  I agree that stopping 
before pedaling a crosswalk
would be reasonable.  The high speed cyclist should be on the street 
anyway, not the sidewalk.
I will copy our longmont bicycle advocacy group email list.  Many of 
them live in your district as
well and would be interested to hear your position.
-David

Jack Pommer wrote:

>Hi David,
>
>I support the bill and I told Greg (the sponsor) that I'd vote for it.
>Since then, however, I've had second thoughts about one provision: the part
>that says cyclists riding on sidewalks don't have to dismount before
>crossing streets.  It worries me because I know that bicycles can travel
>pretty far in the time it taxes a car to turn right.  Drivers tend to glance
>at the sidewalk far enough back to see any pedestrians, but not necessarily
>far enough back to see a fast-moving bicycle.
>
>I was thinking of asking Greg about an amendment that would require cyclists
>riding on sidewalks to at least stop before crossing streets.  What do you
>think?
>
>My family and I ride a lot and I really want to make cycling easier, but I
>don't want to get anyone hurt or killed.
>
>jack
>
>Rep. Jack Pommer
>Colorado House District 11
>(303) 517-2773 (work)
>(303) 866-2780 (capitol)
>jack.pommer.house at state.co.us
>www.hd11.org
>Keep current on Capitol Issues
>by signing up for my newsletter.
> 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Oliver [mailto:David.Oliver at amd.com] 
>Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:29 AM
>To: jack.pommer.house at state.co.us
>Subject: Support HB1218
>
>Dear Mr.  Pommer,
>
>  I don't know your position on HB1218, but I want to urge you to 
>support it.  This
>bill before the Transportation committee fixes several places in traffic 
>code where
>the current law contradicts common sense for safe bicycling.  It makes no
>changes to the rights and responsibilities of motorized traffic, only 
>bicycles.
>
>.  Bicycle safety instruction usually teaches signaling a right turn 
>with the right
>hand.  However, existing colorado law requires the raised left hand.  HB1218
>would legalize the right hand signal which most cyclists use already.
>
> Current law requires single file riding if there is a car within 300 
>feet, even on
>wide shoulders.  HB1218 allows side-by-side riding unless it is impeding 
>traffic.
>This is just common sense as well.  Cyclists can't generally watch 300 
>feet behind
>them.  For many people cycling is a social activity, and there is no 
>reason to
>prohibit riding together on roads with a wide shoulder, such as the CO-119
>diagonal, a popular boulder county cycling route.
> 
>  As cycling continues to grow in popularity for both transportation and 
>recreation,
>we need to be sure our laws encourage the most safe and efficient ways 
>to share
>the roads.  As an avid boulder county cyclist, I ask for your support on 
>this measure.
>
> Thanks,
>  David Oliver
>  2339 Flagstaff Drive
>  Longmont, CO 80501
>
>
>
>  
>