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Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumState proposals call for safer bike lanes, parking restrictions for motorists.
Bicycle commuting is beneficial for the environment and reduces one's carbon footprint.
Bicycle commuting needs to be made safer and thus more encouraged.
There are unfortunately, forces aligned against cycling, pedestrians and other non-vehicle travel who feel there is a competition among cars and people on foot or bicycle. They feel that any safety advances to prevent people on foot or bicycle from being hit by cars will slow traffic and cars and thus argue that the deaths and injuries to these are acceptable at current levels. They aren't.
More rights for bicyclists? Not without a fight
Article by: PAT DOYLE , Star Tribune
Updated: April 27, 2013 - 7:18 AM
State proposals call for safer bike lanes, parking restrictions for motorists.
As bicyclists saddle up after a long winter, Minnesota legislators are preparing to grant them greater rights to ride on the road.
But not without a fight.
Measures advancing in the House and Senate would make it harder for motorists to use bike lanes and easier for cyclists to use both them and the shoulders of roads. The proposals picked up support Friday from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who said in an interview that Minnesota is way ahead of the curve in promoting bike safety.
Some Republican legislators would prefer biking advocates to slow down.
...
The state Senate passed a bill this week that prohibits cars from using bike lanes to pass other vehicles, requires drivers to use a turn signal when crossing a bike lane to turn, and prohibits them from parking in a bike lane unless permitted by signs.
...
DFLers defended the proposals and picked up plenty of support outside Minneapolis, though city legislators led the way. Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, chair of the Senate transportation committee, said allowing cars to park in bike lanes defeats the entire purpose of establishing bike lanes. He added that delivery drivers are resourceful.
Bicycles need to be treated like any other vehicle that is using our roads, Dibble said. More and more folks are biking on our streets. Thats desirable.
...
The state House is advancing similar proposals and an additional provision to eliminate a requirement that cyclists ride only at a right-hand curb or edge of a road when on a shoulder or bike lane.
The purpose of a bike lane is to provide a safety avenue for cyclists, and drivers need to be respectful of that, LaHood said.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/204957031.html?refer=y
Article by: PAT DOYLE , Star Tribune
Updated: April 27, 2013 - 7:18 AM
State proposals call for safer bike lanes, parking restrictions for motorists.
As bicyclists saddle up after a long winter, Minnesota legislators are preparing to grant them greater rights to ride on the road.
But not without a fight.
Measures advancing in the House and Senate would make it harder for motorists to use bike lanes and easier for cyclists to use both them and the shoulders of roads. The proposals picked up support Friday from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who said in an interview that Minnesota is way ahead of the curve in promoting bike safety.
Some Republican legislators would prefer biking advocates to slow down.
...
The state Senate passed a bill this week that prohibits cars from using bike lanes to pass other vehicles, requires drivers to use a turn signal when crossing a bike lane to turn, and prohibits them from parking in a bike lane unless permitted by signs.
...
DFLers defended the proposals and picked up plenty of support outside Minneapolis, though city legislators led the way. Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, chair of the Senate transportation committee, said allowing cars to park in bike lanes defeats the entire purpose of establishing bike lanes. He added that delivery drivers are resourceful.
Bicycles need to be treated like any other vehicle that is using our roads, Dibble said. More and more folks are biking on our streets. Thats desirable.
...
The state House is advancing similar proposals and an additional provision to eliminate a requirement that cyclists ride only at a right-hand curb or edge of a road when on a shoulder or bike lane.
The purpose of a bike lane is to provide a safety avenue for cyclists, and drivers need to be respectful of that, LaHood said.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/204957031.html?refer=y
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State proposals call for safer bike lanes, parking restrictions for motorists. (Original Post)
CreekDog
Apr 2013
OP
gejohnston
(17,502 posts)1. this commenter put it best
I bet most people in the state dont even realize what a bike lane is, said Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie What an absolutely ridiculous and unsubstantiated statement. If you don't know what a bike lane is you should A) Not be on the road and B) Go back to school
This reminded me of Floridians who bitch about no wake zones in manatee habitat
They feel that any safety advances to prevent people on foot or bicycle from being hit by cars will slow traffic and cars and thus argue that the deaths and injuries to these are acceptable at current levels.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)2. This was reported on Latest Breaking news Yesterday, 4-30-2013
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014468044
The Thread was later "Locked" For being off topic (It was in the Latest Breaking news on April 30th but the News Report was from Sunday April 27th, 2013, being more then 24 hours old violated the terms of LBN which requires everything posted therein within 24 hours of being news on some news agency).
The Thread was later "Locked" For being off topic (It was in the Latest Breaking news on April 30th but the News Report was from Sunday April 27th, 2013, being more then 24 hours old violated the terms of LBN which requires everything posted therein within 24 hours of being news on some news agency).
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)3. It's SOP here, so the LBN SOP is irrelevant to us here