Ride Around Town - October 12

[fjs]

Ride Around Town : an alternative to Critical Mass

Our advocacy group, the WBWC, is providing a fall opportunity for
civil action in the cause of promoting cooperation between bicyclists,
pedestrians and motorists. Ride Around Town will be a bicycle ride
through the streets of downtown Ann Arbor. We will not take over the
road. Rather, we will ride in strict accordance with all codes
applicable to the safe and courteous operation of a bicycle in the
roadway (we will not ride on sidewalks). This ride is in the spirit
of the ShareTheRoadA2 campaign initiated by GetDowntown, DDA and the
Chamber of Commerce, but is not sanctioned by these groups. Our ride
will take us through all four major business areas of the downtown
(Main Street, State Street, South University, and Kerrytown).

Date: Friday, October 12. Rain or shine!!

Time: 5:30 PM

Location: Liberty Plaza Park, on the corner of Division and Liberty
(starting point)

Required Equipment: bicycle (duh!), front headlight, rear light or
reflector, bicycle helmet, light color clothing.

Recommended Equipment: safety vest, other reflective clothing or
accessories, sidewall or spoke reflectors, bell, horn.

This ride is intended to demonstrate that bicyclists belong on city
streets and can interact safely and courteously with pedestrians and
motor vehicles, so it is very important that we are all highly
visible, especially to motorists. The required equipment is
consistent with state laws regarding bicycle safety equipment. The
underlined recommended equipment is not required but is extremely
useful and inexpensive. Please consider equipping yourself with a
safety vest and bell and/or horn for this ride and all your future
bicycle commuting.

Route Map: provided at the start of the ride (if I have enough
copies).

Post Ride: We'll meet at a nearby establishment for post-ride
debriefing and liquid refreshment.

Registration: None! Just show up.

Ride Leader/organizer: Frank Schwende - schw...@sbcglobal.net -
975-1989.

[Steve Bean]

Thanks Frank and everyone for the time and thought you've put into
this! This event addresses all the concerns I've had about Critical
Mass rides. (In fact, I'm trying to remember if I suggested this
concept at a past WBWC meeting. Oh well, they say great minds think
alike. ;-) )

I hope I'm able to participate that day.

Steve

"Forget about growing vegetables. Think instead about growing soil, for
it is really soil that feeds you." -- John Jeavons

[Steve Bean]

On Sep 14, 2007, at 2:46 PM, fjs wrote:

> Route Map: provided at the start of the ride (if I have enough
> copies).

Is the plan to ride as a group? I think that spreading out and mixing
with traffic individually or in small groups in more random routes
would have a different impact--one that is less obvious but which would
give a better sense of the future we want to promote. Or maybe some of
each?

[fjs]

For this first time, my intention was to start out as a single group,
then, as traffic interactions break us up, to regroup once or twice en
route at planned "accumulator" points. If there are just six of us
we'll likely be able to stay in one group throughout. If there's 20
or more the grouping will thin out and then reform. There are other
formats we could try, but for this first ride I thought to try to keep
it very simple. Riders should focus on exceptional attention to
safety and compliance with vehicle codes ... we'll be watched very
carefully by the police (I hope).

We may gather riders as we roll along. I can imagine that, if we are
a large group, others might just decide to join. That's okay ...
afterall, we're just going to ride safely and courteously and obey all
vehicle codes. The folks who join us with other "styles" of riding,
like not stopping at traffic lights, better be ready to get stopped by
the police, who I hope will be watching us carefully. Our intention
is not to take over the streets. We intend to "Share the Road."

[Phillip Farber]

Frank,

Since we'll be sharing the road with other road users on narrow city streets lined by parked cars it would seem that we'll be taking the lane even if riding single file or certainly if riding two-abreast. Is this how you see the group occupying the street during the ride?  If so, it's fine with me.

Phil

[fjs]

Absolutely. On any street with parallel parking the only place for a
bicycle is a door's width away from the row of parked cars.

I think some of the streets we'll be on are not so narrow, so at times
it may be courteous to ride single file to facilitate faster traffic
flow. My wish is that everyone will ride using good judgement and
within their comfort zone, and in compliance with codes pertaining to
the safe operation of a bicycle in the roadway.

fjs

On Sep 15, 8:45 am, "Phillip Farber" <xoo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Frank,
>
> Since we'll be sharing the road with other road users on narrow city streets
> lined by parked cars it would seem that we'll be taking the lane even if
> riding single file or certainly if riding two-abreast. Is this how you see
> the group occupying the street during the ride? If so, it's fine with me.
>
> Phil
>

> > > it is really soil that feeds you." -- John Jeavons- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -