Boulder Bike Story from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.
This video is worth at least 12-minutes of your time. If you, like me, want Omaha to be more than it is then we need more people involved. Dynamic, engaged and committed individuals to bring Omaha into the "bike friendly" realm.Thursday, October 8, 2009
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11 comments:
Great post! A must see for sure. I'm going to forward it along on our end as well.
More than just bike paths and lanes need to be implemented in this city to move it in the bike friendly direction. As a daily commuter (15 miles round trip), I am harassed on an almost daily basis. Though more importantly, I have been hit by a car twice this summer while riding in the street. Both time the driver made a right hand turn into me. The first time I broke my foot and the cop gave me a ticket for being a pedestrian not crossing at a cross-walk. Being on a bike legally means I am not a pedestrian. The second time, just last week, I ended up breaking my hip and having surgery. Again, the cop gave me a ticket for passing on the right. I was on a bike which the Nebraska Statutes specifically states gives me the right to share the lane with a car side by side. Bike lanes will do nothing if we continue to allow ignorant police to right tickets for laws that they do not know. The police in this city disgust me. Changing the police personal is the first step to making Omaha safer for cyclists.
I-Cycle, where have you been checking into the laws regarding bicycling? I would like to know more. I have also been wondering what the local police departments' protocols are for TASER use, just in case.
I'd hate to end up like this guy.
Or this guy.
Or this guy.
Or this guy.
I-Cycle: If you were ticketed then you were given a court date. If you were to appear in court then you would have won both of the cases you mentioned, assuming what you say is true. I'll agree...a portion of local law enforcement aren't aware of traffic law as it applies to bicycles. But I guarentee you the court system knows.
I don't exactly understand the correlation between a couple of cops not knowing random traffic law and cyclist's safety. The two have nothing to do with one another.
What "The D" said.
I also find Omaha to be a very friendly bike commuting town. I ride 13.5 miles each way (27 mile round trip) and 9 of that is on busy roads, including Center street.
I get the occasional "get on the sidewalk" comment (maybe once a week). But I'll chalk that up to people not realizing that it's more dangerous for me on a sidewalk in most situations.
I also never pass people on the right in the same lane. Even if it's legal, it's not a smart thing to do. You can't see the turn signal and they don't expect you to be there. I try to stay in the center of my lane at traffic lights.
I've been bike commuting in Omaha for over 4 years 2-3 times a week even in the winter. I've never been hit by a car.
Where are you riding that you get harassed daily? I see that "I-Cycle" is a brand new blogger account. Have you posted on some of the Omaha cycling community forums under another name?
i-cycle,
i'm with douglas here if you have problem with how the law is inerpreted by the police department a courtroom is the place to settle that argument. Especially if you got hit in proceess of doing this
Also,
I know many people who say if we only had the bike lanes they would commute to work or ride their bike from point a to b. If you not riding on the street right now and demostrate that need it will never happen you have to visually demonstrate the need for the infrastructure. Say whatever you want about c.b. but their city plannig focues on biking issues a lot more then the current omaha planning
I feel bad for I-Cycle. But back to the post at hand. I love the video. I was at Boulder doing some early season (feb) testing at Andy Pruitts lab and it was 10 degrees and snowing and I saw commuters. Awesome community how can we remake Omaha a little bit? We have decent singletrack and the keystone is great but to get dedicated on the road bike lanes would be a huge sucess for all of us.
ay, there's a huge flag being waved when even police won't defend bicycle and pedestrian rights.
i've had friends stopped and hassled for riding within legal guidings, as well as simply walking (being called a prostitute).
the fact of the matter is that the authority of the city does nothing to educate itself about the importance of active transport -- that's a huge issue and reaches through every level of government.
of course, "i-cycle" needs to take up these issues in a court room, but I find it strange that you almost dismiss what is very clearly a significant problem of a structural nature.
it should be addressed and that's the sort of advocacy that omaha lacks -- the same sorts of things happen everywhere, it's just a matter of having somebody hold these jokers accountable.
so, yeah, don't dismiss a serious commuter's legitimate concerns when they affect the very enforcement structure that guides transit.
erik,
I do not dismiss just suggest that is not the original intent of this post.
I-Cycle can make a posting of his own and I am sure it will be dismissed.
Anytime I-Cycle wants to go to court I will show up in uniform to support him or any other cyclist. I work with alot of police officers and most of them are good but we have to educate the rest in a proper forum.
I mean not dismissed just typing error.
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