According to a news article from The Daily Review, Alameda County in Northern California is proposing a law that would require “organizations with advertised rides and 50 or more riders” to pay costly fees for permits and informational road signs along the route.
The article states that “For years, bands of bicycle riders have irritated residents living along rural roads”.
County Supervisor Nate Miley said “we want people to ride bicycles, and not to impose unfair burdens on people who live along (rural) roadways.”
Is it really an “unfair burden” for local drivers to have to slow down for a few seconds, and be a little more careful when driving? I’m not sure how they are measuring this “burden” that these “bands of bicycle riders” are causing.
Should bicyclists pay extra for their right to travel on public roads than other road users? The Supreme Court has stated that the right to travel “is a right that has been firmly established and repeatedly recognized”, and went on to say that the right to travel “is a right broadly assertable against private interference as well as governmental action.”
I’m not a lawyer, but it seems like these types of laws that aim to restrict groups of people from traveling on the road is a slippery slope. There is a lot of traffic on the freeway that is a burden to a lot of people. Maybe the government should set up checkpoints and charge people extra if it is determined that your car trip isn’t as nessesary as someone elses. Not a good idea.
I wonder how many of the complaints are due to organized tours versus your average weekend club ride with groups smaller than 50 riders. This type of law is only going to cause a burden on charity rides, and probably will not do much to solve conflicts between bicyclists and local residents who think bicyclists shouldn’t be on the road.
In response to a lawsuit due to a bicyclist that was killed in the RAGBRAI bicycle ride, supervisors in Dallas County, Iowa are set to vote on an ordinance that “would require liability insurance for any organized bicycle ride featuring 20 riders or more.”
Just how this would effect less “organized” cycling club group rides is unknown, but it could have a big impact on any charity rides, bicycle tours, or road races in Iowa.
As usual, the comments associated with the news article bring out the cries from the anti-bike crowd to require insurance and license fees for all cyclists.
In New London, Connecticut, people from different sides of the political and social spectrum are uniting for a more bike friendly city. Often times people stereotype bicyclists as tree huggers, or political liberals, but bicycle enthusiasts are just people who come from all walks of life and bike for many different reasons be it trasportation, fitness, or recreation. In the article from the New London Times people doubted whether making a town more bike friendly would have any positive impact on the economy …
Improving New London’s bike-ablity is not going to be a cold glass of water for the city’s hiccupping economy, and neither Spellman nor Sprecace would argue that point.
… but it has been my experience that improving the bike and pedestrian facilities in a town can help the economy. The town I live in has built a rail-trail and there are constantly people using the trail and visiting the local cafes after they ride. Getting more people out of cars, and making a city or town more liveable can’t be a bad thing. The local bike shop would certainly benefit if bicycling in the town is encouraged.
Today I filled up my car at the gas station and it was the first time gas was over $4 per gallon for regular unleaded. You have to wonder at what point do people start thinking about riding bikes for short trips. I’ve read more new stories that it is making a difference.
I used to commute by bike a lot more when I worked 15 miles away from home. Now I work 1.5 miles away, but often have to drop a kid off at school, or pick the kids up from childcare on my way home. I’d be interested in getting a bike like a Surly Big Dummy. I would just need a bike that I could pick up an 8 and 10 year old on. A lot of it just comes down to planning ahead and riding the days when I don’t have to use my car.
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