ABC Ride: Wednesday's ABC ride is cancelled!!
Joel Arbeitman
Hi all. Wednesday’s ABC ride has been canceled!!
Temps are expected to be near 90 degrees.
The good news? Saturday looks much better with sunny skies and temps in the low-80s. Stay tuned for more info …
Off
the Route
Ashland Bike Club Radio
The Band with Emmylou Harris - Evangeline
2
bike racks
available … for free!!
Our good
friend Alex Post is
making two bike racks available to ABC members … for free!! Want one?
They are first come, first served. Reply to this ride
notice if you want
one (or both).
One rack is made by Saris. The other is a hitch-style (feet and footwear not included).
Don’t
pass me by (listen)
In April,
2023,
Massachusetts put a new law into effect that requires drivers
to provide “vulnerable
road users” (a classification that includes on-road cyclists),
with a minimum
four-foot passing distance. This was great news for cyclists.
Last year (2024), California passed a three-feet law that added a couple of interesting twists that should be explored here in Massachusetts.
Subdivision C of the law states: “The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking or passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the same direction and in the same lane of travel shall, if another lane of traffic proceeding in the same direction is available, make a lane change into another available lane with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, if practicable and not prohibited by law, before overtaking or passing the bicycle.”
This is great when there are two (or more) lanes going in the same direction as the bike rider. It doesn’t seem to apply, though, when there is a two-lane road with only one lane in each direction. In Massachusetts, drivers can cross the centerline, even a double-yellow line, into the oncoming traffic lane to safely pass a cyclist. The California law doesn’t make any mention of crossing to the opposite side of the road. If the California law could be modified to eliminate the clause “if another lane of traffic proceeding in the same direction is available”, cyclists could have the best of both worlds. Providing a full lane to cyclists would greatly increase their safety.
Subdivision D of the California law states: “If the driver of a motor vehicle is unable to comply with subdivision (c), due to traffic or roadway conditions, the driver shall slow to a speed that is reasonable and prudent, and may pass only when doing so would not endanger the safety of the operator of the bicycle …”
Why should we not extend the same slower-speed protections to vulnerable, on-road cyclists that we provide to children in school zones? Are cyclists less likely to be killed if they get hit by cars? Some will argue that kids are less aware and are more likely to run out into the street. I’m sure that’s true. But cyclists are already in the street and no less vulnerable to the damage that trucks and cars can do to them.
The California law requires drivers to “slow to a speed that is reasonable and prudent.” There’s an absurd phrase. If a driver is passing a bicyclist on the road, that speed should be a safe speed and not a vague, “reasonable and prudent” speed. It’s wishy-washy legislation like that that leads to more cyclist injuries and deaths.
But, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Again, we should have a safe passing speed provision in Massachusetts. That speed, in my view, should be either 20 or 25 mph. Allowing cars and trucks to buzz by cyclists at 35 mph or more, even with a four-foot buffer, is unacceptable. The laws in Massachusetts should incorporate a safe passing speed to make cyclists safer.
By the way, before we give California too much credit, what’s the penalty for violating the above laws? A fine of $35. Yeah, that will scare drivers into compliance. And what is the maximum fine if a driver violates these laws and actually hits a cyclist? An outrageous $220. It doesn’t seem like California values the lives of cyclists the way it should. Shame on them!!
What are your thoughts about the two California laws discussed above?
The
inevitable e-bike
crackdown
If you read
lots of articles
about e-bikes, almost all of them will be about “the big
crackdown”. The media
and the public have become obsessed with the issue and they
sound almost
hysterical.
E-bikes sales are going through the roof and this is a good thing. We’re getting more and more cyclists on the roads which could eventually ease the burden on our climate emergency. Not enough is being written about the many benefits e-bikes can bring.
But they are also bringing more injuries and deaths and we need better regulations and better enforcement. Exactly what needs to be done is highly controversial.
Rhode Island’s answer, thus far, is to completely ban all but Class I e-bikes from their bike paths. Two ABC routes in RI include the East Bay Bike Path and the Blackstone River Greenway. Riding other than Class I e-bikes can result in significant fines. Class I e-bikes must be pedaled to get any battery-assist and the battery cuts out completely when the bike’s speed reaches 20 mph. Class II and Class III e-bikes, and any other e-bike that does not comply with the Federal classification system, are not permitted on Rhode Island bike paths.
If you are considering the purchase of an e-bike, it would be good to understand the current backlash so that your bike doesn’t become illegal if more e-bike restrictions are imposed.
Read the article: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/ri-enforces-e-bike-speed-limits-on-east-bay-bike-path/amp/
Hope to see everyone on Saturday, August 16! Stay tuned for details …
Joel