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Virginians – 3 Feet to Pass Needs Your Support

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On February 9, 2011

In Cycling, Law, Politics, Virginia

Friends in Virginia – I would consider it a great personal favor if you could take the time to 1) act on this yourself, and 2) pass this along to your friends. We’ve got a real shot at making this happen. It’s not a magic bullet that will make everything better, but it’s a *substantial* step forward in the effort to make roads a safe place for all users.  This isn’t national politics where we are but one of a million voices on an issue – your call or email to a Delegate *will* make a difference.  Just last week a chorus of voices helped bring a critical vote to our side.  We can do it again.

From FABB:

Herndon & Fairfax residents — write to Representatives Rust, Hugo & Comstock about SB 928 (increasing min. passing distance to 3′ for motorists passing bicycles, and adds bicycles to the list of vehicles that a motorist shall not follow more closely than is reasonable). It may be heard in committee as early as tomorrow morning, Feb. 10. See attached [the VBF link below] for easy link for writing to your reps.

From the Virginia Bike Federation:

As we reported yesterday, SB 928, the three feet passing bill, was passedunanimously by the Senate on Monday. It’s now headed to the House, where it must get through committee and then a full House vote.

This bill increases the minimum passing distance from 2′ to 3′ for motorists passing bicycles, and adds bicycles to the list of vehicles that a motorist shall not follow more closely than is reasonable (prohibits aggressive tailgating of bicycles).

It may be heard in committee as early as Thursday morning, Feb. 10; or it could be heard by the full Transportation Committee next Tuesday morning, Feb. 15.

Please write to your delegates now, and ask them to support SB 928 — especially if your delegate is one of the committee members listed below.

The Who’s My Legislator page will tell you who your delegate is.

BikeWalk Virginia has posted an alert too, along with a sample letter.

Chairman:

May, Joe T. /Loudon 804 698-1033
deljmay@house.virginia.gov

Vice Chair:

Oder, G. Glenn/Newport News — PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT

Members:

Carrico, Charles W., Sr. /Galax 804 698-1005
delccarrico@house.virginia.gov

Cosgrove, John A./Chesapeake 804 698-1078
deljcosgrove@house.virginia.gov

Rust, Thomas Davis/Herndon 804 698-1086
deltrust@house.virginia.gov

Hugo, Timothy D./Fairfax 804 698-1040 delthugo@house.virginia.gov

Scott, Edward T./Culpeper 804 698-1030
delescott@house.virginia.gov

Tata, Robert/VaBeach 804 698-1085 delbtata@house.virginia.gov

Villanueva, Ronald A./VaBeach 804 698-1021
delrvillanueva@house.virginia.gov

Comstock, Barbara J./Fairfax 804 698-1034
delbcomstock@house.virginia.gov

Garrett, T. Scott/Lynchburg 804 698-1023
delsgarrett@house.virginia.gov

Cox, John A./Hanover 804 698-1055
deljcox@house.virginia.gov

Cleaveland, William H./Roanoke 804 698-1017
delwcleaveland@house.virginia.gov

Habeeb, Gregory D.
delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov

Ward, Jeion A./Hampton 804 698-1092
deljward@house.virginia.gov

Ebbin, Adam P./Arlington 804 698-1049
delaebbin@house.virginia.gov

BaCote, Mamye E./Newport News 804 698-1095
delmbacote@house.virginia.gov

Brink, Robert H./Arlington 804 698-1048
delrbrink@house.virginia.gov

Toscano, David J./Charlottesville 804 698-1057
deldtoscano@house.virginia.gov

McQuinn, Delores L./Richmond 804 698-1070
deldmcquinn@house.virginia.gov

Carr, Betsy B./Richmond 804 698-1069
delbcarr@house.virginia.gov

Filler-Corn, Eileen/Fairfax 804 698-1041
delefiller-corn@house.virginia.gov

Clarendon Cycles: My New Column at the Clarendon Patch

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On January 20, 2011

In Cycling, Virginia

Just a bit of self-promotion, if you don’t mind.  I’ve started writing a weekly column – Clarendon Cycles – at the Clarendon Patch site, focusing on issues affecting Arlington’s cyclists.  I thought it would be a helpful way to reach the kind of audience that doesn’t spend time bouncing around cycling sites, and hopefully get a few more people thinking about how cycling fits into Arlington’s transportation needs.   There are a few up now, and the latest one is here, looking at Arlington’s need to do a better job of clearing the Custis and W&OD trails when it snows.  I hope you’ll check it out, and if you like it, pass it on.  And if you don’t like it, let me know in a comment there.

Driver That Killed Alice Swanson Goes to Jail. But Not for Killing Alice Swanson.

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On January 14, 2011

In Cycling, DC, Personal

WUSA9 reports:

The garbage truck driver who struck and killed a bicyclist in Dupont Circle two years ago has just been sentenced to more than two and a half years in prison.

Marco Flores Fuentes pleaded guilty to entering the country illegally after deportation on drug charges. He was never charged in the accident that killed 22 year old Alice Swanson.

I don’t give a damn about his entering the country illegally.  Sounds like he had a family to support, and had done a decent job of it.  But he, in my view, negligently hit and killed a young woman and was never even charged with it.  This doesn’t do justice for anyone.

Creigh Deeds Introduces Reckless Cycling Bill

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On January 11, 2011

In Cycling, Law, Virginia

(Updated below)

Seems that Creigh Deeds has introduced a bill to criminalize reckless cycling.  Here’s the bill:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 12 of Chapter 8 of Title 46.2 a section numbered 46.2-908.1:1 as follows:

§ 46.2-908.1:1. Reckless operation of a bicycle.

Any person who operates a bicycle in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property shall be guilty of reckless cycling. No demerit points shall be awarded by the Commissioner for violations of this section.

Fine, that seems reasonable enough. Except cyclists are already subject to reckless driving penalties, no?  Here’s the existing law which makes cyclists subject to the same laws as drivers:

§ 46.2-800. Riding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, or mopeds; riding or driving animals.

Every person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, or an animal or driving an animal on a highway shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, unless the context of the provision clearly indicates otherwise.

And here’s the current reckless driving statute:

§ 46.2-852. Reckless driving; general rule – Irrespective of the maximum speeds permitted by law, any person who drives a vehicle on any highway recklessly or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless driving.

So what necessitates the bill?  I’ll ring his office tomorrow and see if I can get some context.  If anyone has any to offer (crash in his district?), I’d appreciate it.

Update: I spoke to his legislative assistant this afternoon, and she explained that the bill was part of a legislative package that had been requested by Charlottesville.  There was, apparently, a cyclist-caused fatality there last year, and the charge of “reckless cycling” was one of the recommendations of the bike safety task force set up in response to it.   Sen. Deeds office doesn’t view it as anti-cyclist, but as a way to hold cyclist responsible without the full force of a reckless driving charge.  In fact, Sen. Deeds himself replied (via Twitter) that “Idea is control short of reckless driving.”  I’m still not personally certain that this bill is necessary, but I’m comfortable that Sen. Deeds isn’t out to make life harder for cyclists.  I’ll be looking into the origin of the recommendation and update here.

The Social Contract Between Drivers/Cyclists/Pedestrians

By

On January 5, 2011

In Cycling, DC, Society

As you might imagine, I could go on for quite some time about what I imagine the terms of this contract *should* be.  But for now, here’s a link to an interesting discussion of what they appear to be to a number of generally smart people in DC.

Richmond’s Bid for the 2015 World Championships (Cycling)

By

On December 23, 2010

In Cycling, Virginia

I’ll give them credit for being ambitious. Check out richmond2015.com for more details.

Taiwan Cycling Festival: Taroko Gorge Descent

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On December 10, 2010

In Cycling, Taiwan

I’m polishing and queuing up the rest of the Taiwan Cycling Festival pieces this weekend, but I thought I’d go ahead and publish this great (tho’ impromptu) video of BikeHugger‘s Mark V descending through Taiwan’s Taroko Gorge.   I shot this from the back of our bus, which we were taking to the Giant store to pick up our bikes.  Mark already had his bike, and took the opportunity to do a bit of motorpacing. Our hotel – the Taroko Leader Village – was situated mid-valley, so it was all downhill:

I’d suggest not trying this at home, but unless you’re lucky enough to live in Taroko Gorge, you couldn’t even if you wanted to.  Check in on Monday for more Taiwan cycleliciousness (to steal an adjective).

Friday Notes: Rock Dodge Edition

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On November 19, 2010

In Cycling, Distribution, Policy, Taiwan, Travel

Of everything I have on my to-do list today, getting down the “rock dodge” drill for a cycling instructor course is probably the most difficult.  The result isn’t particularly challenging (dodging a rock), it’s the method by which you’re required to do it (a seemingly unnecessary bit of countersteering).  In any event, if that’s the toughest part of the day, it should be a good day, no?  Now on to bits and pieces collected over the week:

30 airports in 30 days.  I remember wishing I could do this, when I saw the JetBlue pass on sale.  It’s been at least 5 years since I last did a “mileage run” (something you do to push yourself just over the line for the next medallion status in a frequent flier program), and quick travel appeals less than it used to.  But this?  Sounded like a bit of fun.

Travelling at a slower speed is what’s gained my interest, lately, and this piece on a significant uptick in bicycle touring makes it sound like I’ve got some company.  A proper cycling tour has been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I think Taiwan cemented my decision to make it happen soon.   It’ll probably start with a long weekend’s out and back along the C&O, to sort things out.  Then maybe a SF-LA (via the PCH) week trip?  After that, who knows?  I should probably stop reading this site, if I want to keep it reasonable . . .

~

Here are a couple of interesting pieces on control in the marketplace.  The first is about the differing approaches between Facebook and Google on the matter of who controls your data.  You know you’re doing it wrong when you make Google look unthreatening by comparison.  (I keep trying to kick the Facebook habit, but it’s tougher than you might imagine.  Serious network effect going on, there.)   The second is a post by a San Francisco restauranteur, and why he doesn’t use OpenTable.  It’s really quite interesting, the amount of leverage that OpenTable (with its dominance of the market) has on metro area restaurants.   I’ve been using OpenTable since they arrived in DC (2003?), but this (and, well, this) makes me hope that a competitor will be arriving shortly.

~

I admit that, despite the rather large rhetorical role that it’s played in Virginia’s politics, I’ve never taken a close look at “clean coal” (or the veracity of a million claims about it).  So while I realize that it’s just scratching the surface, I felt like I learned a fair bit from the always-informative James Fallows in this article:

To environmentalists, “clean coal” is an insulting oxymoron. But for now, the only way to meet the world’s energy needs, and to arrest climate change before it produces irreversible cataclysm, is to use coal—dirty, sooty, toxic coal—in more-sustainable ways. The good news is that new technologies are making this possible. China is now the leader in this area, the Google and Intel of the energy world. If we are serious about global warming, America needs to work with China to build a greener future on a foundation of coal. Otherwise, the clean-energy revolution will leave us behind, with grave costs for the world’s climate and our economy.

If anyone has rebuttals to this article that I should check out, do pass them along.

~

Michael Turton, a Taiwan-based blogger, highlights what I think is a compelling political ad explaining why it’s important to care about politics.  Watch it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ywQ8G1XlI[/youtube]

Yes, it’s in the context of Taiwan, but it struck me as hitting universal truths.

Friday Notes: Better Than Raking Edition

By

On November 12, 2010

In Cycling, Policy, Society, Taiwan, Travel

Hey, did I mention I went to Taiwan? Oh, you hadn’t heard? Well hey, here’s some more photos from the kickoff!

Somewhat more seriously – you should check out Mark V.’s take, over at Bikehugger. It’s more succinct than me. And if what he’s got cued up in his Flickr stream is any indication, it’s going to be more interesting. (He’s inspired me to rethink what can be done with phonecam video.)

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Okay, I kinda want one.  (Should I just have admitted that?)

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Still time to register for the ThinkBike workshops:

The opening session will be kicked off by the Dutch Ambassador Mrs. Renée Jones-Bos.  City staff, local decision makers, and bicyclists are invited to learn more about Dutch cycling infrastructure and policy best practices.

I’ll be there for some of it.

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You’ve seen this already, right?  One part of the Federal government tells us that too much cheese is bad for us while another part works to improve the sales of menu items with 8x the usual cheese?  I think that government has a legitimate role in promoting certain behaviors, but it’s pointless if one effort will undermine the other:

Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat. Yet the government, through Dairy Management, is engaged in an effort to find ways to get dairy back into Americans’ diets, primarily through cheese.

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Let these roll around in your head for a while:

Here are a few examples of instances where other languages have found the right word and English simply falls speechless.

1. Toska
Russian – Vladmir Nabokov describes it best: “No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody of something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom.”

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I love Hong Kong. I love a good flow. I love hip-hop. Enjoy all three below, in this video from MC Yan:

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Great post and comment thread on the best tool (and other) warranties. I rarely shop by lowest price, aiming mostly for quality that will last a long time. But service in the event of failure is a definite priority. Because buying cheap shit is ruining us.

~

I wish I’d had a chance to see this:

Known to its creators and participating artists as the Underbelly Project, the space, where all the show’s artworks remain, defies every norm of the gallery scene. Collectors can’t buy the art. The public can’t see it. And the only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

That’s because the exhibition has been mounted, illegally, in a long-abandoned subway station.

Taiwan Cycling Festival: Kickoff & Triathlon Photos

By

On November 12, 2010

In Cycling, Taiwan

As outlined here, we spent the morning in Taitung at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Taiwan Cycling Festival.  In addition to giving me the opportunity to chat with a lot of people about the state of transportation cycling in Taiwan (verdict: struggling), it was also my first time on a bike there.  We started easy, with a quick loop along one of Taiwan’s many recreational bike paths.

Triathlete mounts bikes in Taitung International Triathlon

For a slideshow with captions, click here.

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