Are we ready for an Idaho-style bicycle yield law?

From the December, 2008 issue

by Ray Thomas
Would Oregon benefit from a law, similar to the one in Idaho, allowing bicyclists to slow down, yield to traffic and then travel through stop signs without coming to a complete stop or to stop, yield and then travel (when safe) through red lights?   Many if not most cyclists tend to behave this [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, Bikes & The Law, Personal Stories, Road Riding, Road Rules, Safety, Travel

The merciful victim

From the December, 2008 issue

by Mark Lansing
Roberto Maranghi was riding his bike home from work on September 26, 2008, when a car nailed him.
Maranghi was approaching a busy road from a side street, preparing to turn right.  Coming exactly the opposite direction, a car turned left onto the side street, cutting the corner. Into Maranghi’s lane.  Front bumper met [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, Opinion, Road Riding, Road Rules, Safety, Southern Oregon, You Heard It Here First

New safety campaign sheds light on visibility

From the October, 2008 issue

As part of the Eye to Eye traffic safety campaign, the Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance have formed a partnership to educate new cyclists regarding good visibility practices and bike light laws.
The BTA kicked off the project on Friday, September 26, at the “Seven Corners” intersection of SE Division, SE [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, News, Photos, Portland Area, Road Rules, Safety

Pedestrian crossing hand signals

From the October, 2008 issue

by Ray Thomas
Safe access to the streets is a critical component in our movement away from reliance on inefficient and polluting automobiles and toward more use of walking, cycling and mass transit. Along with bike lanes, crosswalks are the key safety corridors facilitating access to roadways for non-motorized users. While Oregon has been [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, Bikes & The Law, News, Road Rules, Safety

UO Campus Gears up for Bike Loan Program

From the September, 2008 issue

by Briana Orr
Fifteen years ago, a handful of green-and-yellow painted loaner bikes dotted University of Oregon’s landscape. “The concept was altruistic but lacked funding, dedicated staff and a realistic plan,” said Dan Geiger, Director of UO’s Outdoor Program (OP). Now the OP has the space, funding, staff, and support needed create a lasting bike [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, News, Willamette Valley

Citizen prosecution of dangerous drivers

From the July, 2008 issue

A users’ guide on how others have done it and how you can do it for yourself
by Ray Thomas
Some drivers are so dangerous that some action must be taken to protect others. It is usually the case that a bad driver will offend again and again and the most serious cases will often result in [...]

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Filed under: Advice, Advocacy, Bikes & The Law, Road Riding, Road Rules, Safety

Widow, BTA call for vehicular homicide law

From the July, 2008 issue

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has announced its intention to pursue a vehicular homicide law in the 2009 session of the Oregon State Legislature. Mary O’Donnell and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance are seeking to better protect roadway users by increasing penalties for drivers who cause deaths as a result of their habitual violation of traffic laws. [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, Road Riding, Road Rules, Safety

Help save important Mt. Hood trails

From the June, 2008 issue

Oregon mountain bikers need to take action and ensure important trails around Mount Hood are protected with bicycle-friendly designations. Representative Earl Blumenauer has proposed a comprehensive plan for Mount Hood, one part of which would close the beloved Boulder Lake area to bicycling. This important detail is a key divergence from the proposed Lewis and [...]

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Filed under: Advocacy, Eastern Oregon, MTB