Bicyclists pedal to great session
Last year, the state's bicycle lobby came out of Annapolis twith the political equivalent of two punctured tires. The bills of most interest to them were quashed in committee amid a tide of anti-bike sentiment. This year has been a complete reversal.
On Saturday, the House passed the Senate bill requiring a 3-foot buffer area between motor vehicles and bicycles. It's on its way to the governor.
Tonight another bicycle-friendly bill is coming to the House floor for final passage -- this one freeing bicyclists to use their discretion on when to stay in the shoulder and when to use the roadway. Adccording to Del. Al Carr, that conforms Maryland law to that in 44 other states.
Comments
I think this is good news for everyone. It gives bikers legal protection from large hunks of metal that often drive so close that a flick of the steering wheel can be the difference between life and death. It gives drivers who want to do the right thing and not pass dangerously close a justification to use against the honking cars behind them. And it gives police a legal reason for cracking down on drivers who drive dangerously--and I think it's important to point out that the driver who is dangerous around bicycles is the same driver who is dangerous around your car.
I hope this makes the road safer for everyone!
Posted by: Fritz | April 13, 2010 12:38 PM
I have just 1 question to ask, when a place like the lab I work at has spent about a million dollars for a bike path which runs less then 20 yards from the main road from one end of the lab to the other, why do these cyclists insist on staying on the road with the cars? There should be a law, if a provided bike path is within view of the main road, cyclists should be on it. Period.
Posted by: rsward | May 3, 2010 5:18 PM