Bike backlash for Barbara Boxer

Posted on November 15, 2011 by .
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Cycling advocates around California react to the “Bicycle Safety” mandatory sidepath clause in Senator Barbara Boxer’s “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21) transportation spending bill.

Bicycle ban sign

BICYCLE SAFETY. — The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road.

Damien Newton summarizes reaction from the various cycling advocates (including Yours Truly) in California to this bike ban language.

Meanwhile, in DC, Tanya wondered what could be wrong with this clause. Why shouldn’t cyclists be forced to use paths that we asked to build for millions of dollars. After reading the arguments, however, she came around pretty quickly and signed the LAB petition. I’ve also heard from a couple of path advocates here in the Bay Area who, at first, didn’t see a problem but have since fired off a letter to Senator Boxer asking for a change in the law.



See also:

  1. Bike ban alternative parsing
  2. Mandatory sidepath law in Federal highway bill
  3. Bike paths, personal safety and MAP-21
  4. Media spending and bike lane backlash


  • http://saj.thecommune.net/ stuart

    When we ride on the road, the drivers complain, “Why don’t you ride on that bike path my tax dollars paid for?”.  When we ride on the path, the pedestrians complain, “Why don’t you ride on the street?”.

  • Anonymous

    If I’m understanding the above correctly, the wording is such that bicycles are prohibited both on roadways *and* adjacent paved pathways. Huh?

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    Ha ha ha! Oh yes, I see that now ;-)

  • http://twitter.com/Wuss912 Wuss912

    mandated stupidity is still stupidity…. restrictions like this need to be done on a case by case basis.

  • Siouxgeonz

    Is there a place that has the concise arguments?  I mean, the fact that sidepaths are often more dangerous because of the conflicts is the obvious one, and the women not wanting to be on the side of the road (I’m one of ‘em! You’re going to mandate me to navigate through the campustown drunks?) … I know there are more…

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/2011/bike-ban-alternative-parsing/ Bike ban alternative parsing » Cyclelicious

    [...] Sugarman has an alternative parsing from the usual interpretation. She sees language that would ban bikes from the road and from the [...]