Group items tagged

Leerone Nesmith said he sometimes finds sharing the road to be a bit of a squeeze. Nesmith, 66, of Erie, rides his bicycle every day, weather permitting, and said he is occasionally overtaken by motor vehicles that come too close to him when they pass. "It can be a little nerve-racking. You have to keep watching traffic real close," he said. Changes to Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code that took effect a year ago require motorists to stay at least 4 feet from bicyclists when passing them on the road. Nesmith said he's familiar with the new law but doesn't believe everyone is aware of the changes. "Some come pretty close to you," said Nesmith, who has never been in an accident while riding his bike. The education continues as the Erie region heads into a new bike-riding season. Sgt. Jeff Annunziata, a traffic investigator with the Erie Bureau of Police, said he first heard of the law change from a citizen and learned more about it later during police updates. Annunziata said he's not sure the newly designated passing "buffer" will help much in cutting down accidents involving bicycles and other vehicles. The biggest problems Annunziata says he sees are motorists not paying attention to bicyclists, and bicyclists not paying attention to other traffic and not knowing the rules of the road. "The avid bike riders absolutely know the rules, but others don't," he said. "Probably 90 percent of the accidents involving bikes in the city are probably caused by bike riders not paying attention." The bulk of the attention given to the vehicle code changes adopted under Act 3 of 2012, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in February 2012, centered on the distance vehicles must stay from bicyclists when passing. It's the greatest distance established by any of the 25 states that have specific distance requirements in their traffic laws. Two states have distance requirements of at least 2 feet, while 22 require a distance of at least 3 feet, according to data compiled by the League of Am

SUNY Oneonta senior Jami Haynes set off on a 4,200-mile, cross-country bike adventure Tuesday with the goal of raising awareness about the Harvest of Hope Foundation, an organization that provides emergency assistance to migrant workers and their families. Haynes will be passing through Mohawk, Utica, Chittenango, Central Square, Syracuse, Fairport, Buffalo, North Tonawanda, Lackawanna, and Erie, Pa., this week, before heading toward Cleveland.

We've sourced second-hand, upright bicycles directly from Japan to recycle and get them onto New Zealand roads, just as Kiwis have been doing with used cars for the past few decades. Our bicycles have been carefully rebuilt, and, with sturdy steel frames and simple no-nonsense components, chances are they'll outlast most cars on the road. Not only are our Mamacharis practical and environmentally friendly transport alternatives, we also think they're things of beauty. We're well aware that not everyone aspires to the lycra-clad image - embrace your right to cycle in style! Our bicycles are not sports-machines but rather a chic way of getting about your daily life, suit, skirt, heels and all. classic bicycle design used by most societies in the world today has remained relatively unchanged since the 1920s. The upright, step-through bicycle with a basket, bell and full mudguards and chainguards continues to transport millions of commuters with little fuss or cost, whether rich or poor.

By now, we all know that cycling is good for health, fitness, cutting road accidents, reducing carbon emissions, and increasing energy security (and so on, and on). But what about biking's economic impact--its cyclonomics, if you will? The League of American Bicyclists put a map together to publicize a recent report by its policy director Darren Flusche. Flusche says the most important pieces of evidence for bicycling's economic impact come from business district studies, including ones for downtown Memphis and Long Beach, California. Research (PDF) covering Portland, Oregon, meanwhile, showed that bicyclists spent more over a month than either motorists or walkers. "Those arguments are critical for convincing businesses to allow bike infrastructure in front of their shops, because they are very aware of parking, and they have the perception that most people arrive by car. That's not always the case. You can fit many more bikes in a spot than cars," Flusche says.

Before you start, my dear commenters - yes, I am aware that not all bicyclists follow the rules of the road. For what it’s worth, I do. But this article is not about that. Unlike some of these other rules that people might not know about, everybody knows this one. And yet, rarely a day passes when I don't have to interact with a motorist who is paying more attention to Instagram than to the huge piece of machinery he or she is operating. Please look at the road while driving. Lives depend on it. When you look at your phone while driving, what you're communicating to me is that you do not value my life. Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sharing-the-road/Dos-and-donts-for-sharing-the-road.html#IDyIOLXMHq6LJ1BK.99