Sometimes I feel that implementing bike safety improvements, influencing the community, it can be a game of inches, like football. Here’s an example of a small improvement I wrote up during the 2009 Newport Beach Bike Safety Task Force.
What’s the issue? Eastbound along Bayside Drive you can ride in the bike lane or on the sidewalk. Two years ago this was one of my routes as I took up cycling again, so I noticed that as the bike lane ended unless you had already committed to riding on the sidewalk, this appealing, separated bike path, at a narrowing of the roadway, needed a ramp. I know this doesn’t compare to say, putting bike paths on the Desmond Bridge, but it’s my first success as a transportation engineer; I’m addicted!
Sharrows Coming to Laguna
Bike advocates support each other; I learned this with my last New Years Eve ride when several Laguna Beach friends pedaled up to show their support. Then last week, Bikeable Communities‘ Allan Crawford and Luciano Gonzales drove down from Long Beach to attend the CdMRA Annual Meeting; I was accumulating cosmic debts in terms of supporting my fellow advocates. Last night I had a chance to pay it back. Laguna’s Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee considered a proposal to paint Sharrows on Cliff Drive. This item never had a chance, even though Les Miklosy, myself and other advocates spoke passionately in favor. Instead the Committee unanimously passed a motion to recommend the City Council empower a task force to determine the best locations for Sharrows throughout the City, not just piecemeal. “It’s an issue with no downside,” offered the PTC Committee chair; I couldn’t hear what else he said over the cheering from the audience.
This week’s interview: Stop Texting While Driving!
“Every one of us have seen someone driving next to us with a phone at their ear, or trying to text, or having done something incredibly stupid in terms of their distractions, so I think it scares… universally it scares folks.”
States pass laws, but does it do any good? Threats of fines apparently, aren’t much of a deterrent.
Many parents would pay for a way to block their teenage drivers from texting; I would and so would many fleet managers.There’s no defense in the courtroom; companies are liable for accidents caused when their drivers are texting behind the wheel at work. It’s the corporate side of this problem that entrepreneurs Dan Ross, left, and Bill Elfers of Illume Software are tackling with their iZup app (phonetically: eyes up, not eyes down reading your cell) to block cellphone use behind the wheel.
Does it block texting if you’re a passenger? Does it work for iPhone? What if I’m stuck in traffic, can I use the phone then? Dan deftly fielded these and many more questions from the pool of potential investors gathered in Cambridge, Mass. earlier this month where I saw him present — I was interested as an investor, a parent, a cyclist and a pedestrian. Click here to listen to Dan and BIll: .
May is National Bike Month
To celebrate, come out Sunday May 15 and ride your bike. Meet at the Oasis Senior Center at 8 a.m.
“How far are we going? How difficult will the route be? I don’t feel ready to ride on Coast Highway!” — For more details and a description of the easy, scenic, low-stress route visit bikeNewportBeach.org.
A member of the Newport Beach Task Force on Cycling Safety, Corona del Mar resident Frank Peters writes about cycling safety at cdmCyclist.
Good job Frank. I'd actually noted the lack of a ramp there before so I'm glad to see it fixed. I've got another one for you. For anyone who commutes from CDM to the offices around Fashion Island, on the way home going south down Avocado (towards CDM), when you are waiting at the light at San Miguel, the recent road widening they did ended-up putting the signal button that bikers push to trigger the traffic light too far back from the curb. You have to get off your bike and walk over to it to activate the signal. Without pushing the button, the signal will not go green unless there is a car there. Seems like an oversight from the road widening and it would be nice if the city could restore it to the way it was by relocating the utility pole.
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