BIKE: Permission to use the roadways

[Robert Flegal]

Hi fellow riders,

I just returned from a few weeks in the Netherlands where bikes are so 
prevalent that many of the issues that we debate in this forum are of 
little consequence.

I believe that the big thing we (bicycle advocates in Texas) should be 
focusing on is getting more cyclists on the road.

If we had 20,000 daily bike commuters in Austin, the things we discuss in 
this forum would be quite different.  To the end of getting more bicycles 
on the road, I have put together a little web-site advocating that 
position.  It's intended to be radical and to generate more discussion 
around the issue of getting more people on bikes.   Take a look:

http://www.io.com/~nancyb/index.html

It's a nice day so I'm off to do some errands (on my bike),
Bob Flegal

Att 10:21 AM 1/3/04 -0600, Mike Dahmus wrote:
>On 07:18 AM 1/3/2004 -0800, Dan Connelly wrote:
>>Mike Dahmus wrote:
>> > You need permission to have a parade.
>>
>>What's a parade?
>>
>>Clearly traffic jams of motor vehicles are not parades.
>
>True. Neither are traffic jams of cyclists.
>
>>A parade typically involves multiple vehicles, claiming temporary
>>exclusive access to the road, otherwise violating vehicle code.
>>(failing to keep to the right despite substandard speed, failing
>>to stop at stop signs and signals, failing to yield to pedestrians
>>at cross-walks, etc).  They therefore require extraordinary privlege,
>>and therefore, special permission.
>
>True. Most huge group rides satisfy one or more of these criteria. The 
>Jingle Bell ride definitely did, at least the part I saw.
>
>>Yet parade ordinances have been used in the SF Bay area to
>>restrict public rides (centuries, etc), despite the fact that
>>in these events riders are fully expected to follow vehicle code.
>
>"fully expected" is not a rational way to run the roadways. I've observed 
>a few group rides while on my bike and in my car, and in most instances at 
>least one traffic law was broken by the group (keeping together across 
>stop-signs/traffic-lights; riding more than two abreast; etc.)
>
>>No special exceptions are needed or requested.  What makes these
>>"parades", but if a Stanford football game clogs the roads (fully
>>anticipated), it is not a parade?   No, the cycling event is not
>>a parade any more than rush hour is a parade.  The fact that riders
>>pay the organizers is hardly relevent.
>
>The fact that the definition can be misused on occasion does not mean it 
>was misused in this instance. If 1000 Corvette owners were going to slowly 
>proceed on a route around the city, I would damn well want a cop at the 
>front of it directing traffic.
>
>
>Mike Dahmus
>mdahmus
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Get on or off this list 
>here:  http://lists.bicycleaustin.info/listinfo.cgi/forum-bicycleaustin.info