The problem as I see it is that the culture of “cars rule” and motorists not wanting bicyclists “in their way” has infected the traffic enforcement culture – police and judges (never mind juries or our peers?!). Police don’t get adequate training, and those that I have individually addressed (local SDPD and Calif. Highway Patrol) either don’t read the whole text of the law or just reflexively respond that bikes “unequivocally” must always get out of the way of overtaking motor vehicles… THIS IS NOT THE LAW!

To warn bicyclists, I advise you/we spread the information to bicyclists; for instance:

1)     Be trained. If you haven’t researched the law and/or taken a course from a League Cycling Instructor, you probably do not know or understand the best practices for bicycling with relative safety, efficiency and just what the written Calif. Vehicle Code says about bicycling and traffic operations. (I’ll append the the Calif. Vehicle Code section we’re having trouble with below.

2)     Ride aware. Bicycling in with motor vehicle traffic in typical urban environments requires vigilance, skill and awareness of traffic control devices – bike lanes, general traffic lanes, etc. etc. Knowing when a Bike Lane stripe or a practice of riding as far to the right in a lane may be leading you into danger – door zones, right-hook likelihood, a lane too narrow to share side by side, etc. – is important to assure relatively safe travel by bicycle. Choose to ride in a manner and location that is safest for you. Do not blindly accept a stripe of paint as providing the best information about where and what to do. That motorist honking behind you is not necessarily honking to keep you safe; more likely to bully you out of their way.

3)     If you encounter a police officer who asks you to ride differently or is considering giving you a traffic citation/ticket, DO NOT ARGUE! Do not question the officer’s knowledge of traffic law. Many otherwise friendly encounters have resulted in ticketing, probably just because the officer considered the bicyclist as combative, argumentative, “hard-headed”. In most cases it is best to listen, node, and follow the directions of the officer while they are in contact/view of you.

4)     Whether you must follow the directions of an officer when that action would directly endanger you is a question I cannot answer.

5)     If you are cited, LET US KNOW. Post to our email list at caboforum.org or leave a message here. You should seek advice about whether the circumstances for which you were cited qualify as actually being compliant with the law; that you were actually acting legally. If you decide to fight the ticket at court, we do not recommend that you appear at court w/o backup; even though you think your case is a slam-dunk – that your circumstances met the exceptions under CVC 21202. Some judges apparently DO NOT CARE what the law reads…

6)     Get a transcript or other record of the trial. If there is sufficient documentation we may be able to use the case as a “poster child” example of the problem of inappropriate ticketing and/or judicial decisions.

7)     If found guilty, LET US KNOW. Join your experience with our efforts to get this changed. If found not guilty, Great! Let us know that too.

8)     I cannot yet recommend formal appeals of bad decisions; we have a poor record with appeals so far. But, if you wish to push the system, please contact us for advice… though we are not going to provide legal advice – you’ll need an attorney for that. We can help you and your attorney with the experiences other bicyclists have had.

Jim Baross

Vice Chair, Calif. Bicycle Advisory Committee

President, Calif. Association of Bicycle Organizations
Board Member, Calif. Bicycle Coalition
Spokesperson, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
League of American Bicyclists, 2009 State Ambassador for California
League LCI Trainer & Effective Cycling Instructor #185 K-C
Co-Chair, Strategic Highway Safety Plan, #13 – Improve Bicycling Safety

“Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on our public road(way)s, just as does every other user. Nothing more is expected. Nothing less is acceptable.”
Jack R. Taylor

“Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.”
John Forester

“Same Roads Same Rules Same Rights”
SDCBC

“Roads are for people, not just for people in cars.”
Jim Baross

“Bicycling is Personal Rapid & Cheap Transit”
(Who wrote that?)

California Vehicle Code 21202

(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656.  For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of  that roadway as practicable.

Ride on!

The League of American Bicyclists League Cycling Instructors are to teach that vehicle traffic laws apply to bicyclists too, that a full stop is required, AND that the important behavior for everyone’s safety and efficient travel is looking/scanning for and yielding to other approaching road users. Someone can legally complete a full stop and then still fail to yield!

I don’t think we/I should or can successfully object to equal treatment/enforcement – police ticketing bicyclists as well as motorists for unsafe rolling stops. Maybe someday pedestrian and bicycle (clean) travel might achieve superior status and right-of-way over motor vehicle operation. In the meantime, I’d prefer to focus my/CABO efforts on fair and increased education and enforcement toward bicyclists AND motorists who fail to yield — rather than targeting those who creep through carefully.
And, there are too many instances of installation of a Stop sign when no sign or a yield sign would be more appropriate. Right?

Jim Baross, CABO President

Bob has been assisting CABO directors and advocating in his own right for improvements to conditions for bicycling for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience, information and professional credentials to support CABO’s efforts.

Welcome Bob.

Robert M Shanteau, PhD, PE

Consulting Traffic Engineer

The Ambassador program was created to help the League increase awareness of its programs and initiatives in each state, to interface with state and local bicycling organizations, raise the profile of the League, increase membership, and to provide a resource for the League. State Ambassadors are appointed to an annual term, Jan.1 to Dec. 31.

The largest responsibility a State Ambassador has is to be a voice for the League on the state level. State Ambassadors are encouraged to speak at advocacy group gatherings, to give updates on the current initiatives of the League, and to be available to promote the benefits of League Membership at every opportunity.

Each State Ambassador receives training from the League including an overview of League programs, policies, and a list of specific goals and issues for each Ambassador. The League’s Washington staff is in monthly communication with Ambassadors to ensure that they are up to date on current issues.

However, State Ambassadors are not sanctioned representatives of the League, but will perform the League role as a resource for local organizations. The Ambassador program is not designed to usurp power from local advocacy groups. Rather, it is in place to help these organizations gain greater exposure by offering the League’s help to their issues and challenges.

League Ambassadors are to gather information from local organizations to share their successes with the League. As a national organization with a wide reach, the League can communicate these and help provide bicyclists in other states a roadmap for success.

This was provided about a special meeting of the Calif Traffic Control Devices Committee, an important advisory body to Caltrans. The meeting was about potential trials at expanding experiments at allowing Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) to operate in Bike Lanes. NEVs are road legal small vehicles resembling gold carts.

Roberta:

I enjoyed the opportunity to provide to the CTCDC the CBAC, CABO and CBC perspectives regarding NEV use that are quite different from those apparently held and promoted by NEV proponents in Lincoln. We are supportive of encouraging the lawful use of NEVs and other clean/green travel modes, but, I hope I successfully made the points that:
1) Allowing motorized vehicles (NEVs) as regular users of bike lanes or worse of shared use bike paths and/or providing additional special lanes for NEV use will contribute to conflicts among all users reducing safety and efficient travel for bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians AND NEV users;
2) Unlike NEV users, slow moving (all) bicyclists are allowed on all roads except some roads (freeways) with limited access. In order to encourage expanded capabilities for use of NEVs it would seem more productive to remove or modify the restrictions on where NEVs may be used so that more roads (all roads?) are open to their use.
So, I understand that you cannot attend the February CBAC meeting to comment but could you provide, perhaps through Ken, any update to where, when, how, who and/or what we can expect in the moving forward of the efforts of the Lincoln and other NEV supporters?
Thanks

Jim Baross

Vice Chair, Calif Bicycle Advisory Committee

At the end of the article Laverne states that she/we appreciate all Ruth did for their club… I will add that Ruth served more than the LA Wheelmen with her dedicated, outspoken and well informed advocacy to all California bicyclists through her participation with CABO.

Ruth’s mother, Mary Ellen Barnes sent a note to CABO in October, “Sorry to tell you that Ruth Barnes died Sept 26. She lost her battle with cancer. She went very Peacefully —— She will be missed. She was a great daughter.”
Ride a few miles with Ruth in mind.

Jim Baross
CABO President
Friend of Ruth

>>>>>

Farewell to Ruth Barnes

On September 26, 2008, the Los Angeles Wheelmen lost one of its most special members. Ruth Barnes lost her battle with lung cancer at the age of 62.

We first met Ruth on a Wheelmen ride in 1971. From the beginning, it was obvious that Ruth was an exceptional rider and held her own with the very best of the men riders. She was always in the lead and was incredibly competitive. She wanted to be the best women rider around. Those were the days when women were never taken seriously. Ruth would prove everyone wrong.

Oddly enough, in spite of our age differences – she was only 25 and we were 41 and 44 respectively – we became friends. Our daughter Julie was only 14 but she looked up to Ruth and was a strong rider herself. We rode together – at least out of the parking lot – Ha ha! Other times Ruth rode with us for the companionship. She never missed a ride. She participated in many overnight group rides with the club – especially the fun weekends to Ohai. Just ask any old time member about those special weekends.

Ruth served as treasurer of our club in 1977 and 1981 and was president in 1986 and 1987 and served well. She was awarded the Jack Flynn Award in 1987. Among her many other contributions to cycling and our club, Ruth helped beginner riders by organizing and leading many AYH rides, leading dozens of camping rides to Emma Woods State Beach Park and created many of our Orange County routes, still ridden today.

Ruth was the club’s CABO representative for years and years. CABO is the California Association of Bicycle Organizations and is active in Sacramento and local government to foster more bike paths, more laws to protect us on the road and to clarify rules for us as cyclists. She did a great job! Her letters to the editor appeared often in the Los Angeles Times and local papers.
Ruth never missed the Great Western Bicycle Rally and until her illness, she had attended 35 Rallys in a row. Quite a record!

Ruth had returned to college and earned her bachelors and masters degrees in business. Unfortunately, she was unable to return to work as she was soon diagnosed with lung cancer.

We think that in terms of Ruth’s cycling life, her greatest achievement was the fact that Ruth was the first woman to ride our club’s Grand Tour Triple Century. In 1973 she achieved the unthinkable and showed everyone that women are strong and can do whatever they set their minds to. Thank you Ruth. (Ruth completed a total of 7 Grand Tours including 3 triples and was Grand tour Chairman one year.)

Rest well old friend and know that we appreciate all you did for cycling and for our club.