March 8, 20115 Comments on Illinois blind cyclist killed
David and Cindy Combs were riding theirtr tandem bicycle to choir practice west of their hometown of Champaign, Illinois when they were hit from behind by Errol Maul of Tolono, according to the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette. Police believe Maul was reading a map when he struck the cyclists. He was ticketed for “failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.”
November 9, 200822 Comments on Parking? Or Bike Lanes?
Urbana, Illinois…
Business owners on the north side of Main Street love the idea of adding diagonal parking while some council members are strongly committed to adding 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes along Main Street.
City Public Works Director William Gray says flatly that bicycle lanes and diagonal parking aren’t compatible on Main Street between Broadway and Race, that the street isn’t wide enough.
Main Street business owners say they like the fact that diagonal parking would add eight spaces on the block between Broadway and Race.
“The idea of going green is all good, but my shoppers aren’t going to ride a bicycle,” said Van Boyd, manager of Heel To Toe, a shoe store at 106 W. Main St.
Read more in the News-Gazette: “Cycling concerns have Urbana in parking predicament“
March 12, 20087 Comments on Chicago passes bicycle safety ordinance
(I almost wrote “ordnance,” which could either be really good or really bad for cyclists).
The City of Chicago passed the Bicycle Safety Ordinance this afternoon. The new law now establishes fines for turning left or right in front of a bicyclist, passing a bicyclist with less than three feet of space, and opening a vehicle door into the path of a bicyclist. Fines range from $150 to $500 and go up to $500 if the violation results in a bicycle crash.
It also establishes a fine for double-parking in a marked shared lane, and increases the fine for driving, standing or parking in a bicycle lane.
“We are committed to making Chicago the most bicycle friendly city in the country, and safety is a very critical part of the plan,” Daley said after the measure passed. “More than 6,000 crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles were reported in Chicago between 2001 and 2005. Unfortunately, 30 bicyclists were killed. These new laws will help prevent injuries and save lives.”
Daley defended bike messengers when asked about their sometimes risky riding and rude behavior. “The bike messengers are a breed unto themselves,” Daley said, smiling. “I got to meet a lot of them so I know a lot of them. They’ve got a job to do, and like anything else, they are respecting the laws on the road and all that, and the rules.”
From Chicagoland Bicycle Federation via Jennifer in Chicago. Dave also points us to an illustrated PDF with photographic examples of the types of actions this law prohibits.
October 8, 2007Leave a Comment
