5 Responses to “Cycling Safety”
Comments
Frank Peters
February 26th, 2011
An alternate view from BikinginLA: Newport Beach, home of yet another cycling fatality this week, plans to shut down the city's Bike Safety Committee at the end of this year. Evidently, the recent crackdown on dangerous riders and drivers has solved all their safety problems, and local cyclists can now ride the city's streets without worry. Even though Amine Britel was the fourth cyclist killed in the city in just the last two years. And even though he was killed just days after the first weekend of the crackdown. Or maybe they expect to solve any remaining problems during the second weekend this Saturday and Sunday - despite the fact that this seemingly wealthy seaside city can't afford to buy a single Share the Road sign. Let alone one that says Bikes May Use Full Lane. Because, you know, they still have to pay for that new $131 million City Hall. Meanwhile, Danae Miller, the driver arrested for killing Britel, never had enough points charged against it to have her license suspended, despite receiving somewhere between 15 and 17 tickets in the last five years, depending on who's doing the counting. And a writer for the Examiner questions whether the law should be changed to keep people like her off the road. If that's what it takes, I'm all in favor.
Frank
February 26th, 2011
And the spin my wife wishes I'd put on this:
It's just a low level staff person reviewing all the committees and commissions in the City; the Bicycle Safety Committee wasn't singled out. And how do you think the Chief feels about the this after all the effort he went through to coordinate with the other cities to promote safe cycling. How do you think he feels to have that young woman in his jail when he's lost a brother? And CdMRA recently stuck their neck out to support Sharrows along Coast Hwy in CdM... there's a lot of good things happening, too
Dan
February 26th, 2011
I hope the council is planning to provide resources and direct the city manager to pursue an overall mobility plan to include pedestrians, strollers, power wheelchairs, dogs, BIKES etc. There will be no need for a committee if that happens. This is a basic fiduciary responsibility of the city.
jamie
February 26th, 2011
Yeah, this is real smart - having bikes in the full traffic lanes on PCH and on high speed roads like San Joaquin Rd and Newport Coast. The fact is the vehicle code needs to be changed so that bike riders are protected, and the best way to do that is NOT to impede traffic flow and the riders safety by putting them into high speed traffic lanes, but by providing them a separate safe corridor to ride in. Bikes should not be in traffic lanes other than perhaps in residential areas. Certainly not on major traffic transportation corridors. Good grief.
Corona del Mar Today Staff
February 26th, 2011
Reply to
Dan
February 26, 2011
I hope the council is planning to provide resources and direct the city manager to pursue an overall mobility plan to include pedestrians, strollers, power wheelchairs, dogs, BIKES etc. There will be no need for a committee if that happens. This is a basic fiduciary responsibility of the city.
Editor's note: Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Gardner and City Manager Dave Kiff have both assured me in the past week that they are committed to cycling safety, but perhaps having a deadline of the year's end will help keep the group focused and on track. And if they need more time, they can get it with a simple council vote to extend. They seemed to think it would promote the committee's efficiency, leading to safety, as opposed to any sort of turning back on the committee or the goals.
