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“Three foot” Signs to remind drivers

Coalition president (at the time in early 2007) Bill Lazenby worked with Phoenix councilman Greg Stanton to get  the huge (eigth feet wide) signs produced. “The 3 feet is not a recommendation, it’s the law,” Councilman Greg Stanton said.

New signs warn motorists of bicyclists on Pecos Road
By Doug Murphy, Staff Writer AFN. February 2, 2007

Phoenix Councilman Greg Stanton (speaking), George
Eschak-Gage, Rita Anselmo. photo taken 3/17/2009
at the unveiling.
More than two years after Don Anselmo was run down on Pecos Road while riding his bicycle, and two months after George Esahak-Gage was hit on his bicycle while riding on Chandler Boulevard, [by a red-light runner exiting I-10] the city is preparing to install giant signs reminding motorists that the law says they must stay 3 feet away from bicyclers when passing.
“The 3 feet is not a recommendation, it’s the law,” Councilman Greg Stanton said.
It will take a few weeks for the signs to arrive and for installation to begin. “These signs will appear first in Ahwatukee and then all around the city,” Stanton said.
For local bicyclist Jim Barry, it’s about time.
“Drivers just don’t seem to either notice us or care,” he said Wednesday during a break in his rainy day ride along Pecos Road. “I don’t think the signs will be a magic bullet, but at least it’s something.” The signs will first go up along Pecos Road and then expand to other parts of Ahwatukee Foothills and the city.
While vehicle/bicycle crashes occur everywhere, Stanton said Ahwatukee Foothills is particularly vulnerable because it attracts so many bicyclists. “I actually think that bicycling is what makes Ahwatukee, Ahwatukee,” he said.
In 2004, Anselmo, a 68-year-old retired electrical engineer, was struck while in the middle of the 8-foot-wide shoulder near 24th Street on Pecos Road – far from the flow of traffic – by a pickup driven by Clinton Cabanillas, according to police.
Anselmo died instantly. Cabanillas was never charged in the crash.
In November, Esahak-Gage and his wife Jane were returning to Ahwatukee Foothills after a morning ride when they were struck by 23-year-old Jose Juarez. Juarez had no driver’s license or auto insurance and was cited for that, plus failure to control his vehicle before being released, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Esahak-Gage received major injuries, including broken bones and a ruptured artery that almost killed him. His wife received minor injuries. A triathlon on Sunday was held to help raise money for Esahak-Gage’s medical bills.

Signs will point to bike safety
Foothills selected to post warnings alerting motorists
Kerry Fehr-Snyder, The Arizona Republic, Feb. 3, 2007

Phoenix has selected Ahwatukee Foothills for bike safety signs to remind motorists that they must give cyclists at least three feet of roadway.
The signs, which could be 8 feet wide by 3 feet tall compared with standard street signs that are about 2 by 3 feet, come more than two years after a retired engineer cycling along Pecos Road was struck and killed by a car and about three months after a triathlete was seriously injured when struck by a car on Chandler Boulevard.
The driver walked away without a ticket in the Pecos Road incident in which Don Anselmo died, outraging fellow cyclists and other Valley residents.
His widow, Rita Anselmo, and other bicyclists groups pushed for the signs “because you know, motorists think they own the road down there,” Rita Anselmo said.
Phoenix plans to erect the signs first along Pecos Road as part of a pilot program that will be rolled out to other popular bicycle routes, said John Siefert, Phoenix’s traffic engineering supervisor.
“Pecos Road is just a phenomenally popular road used by joggers, cyclists, hikers, and it’s closest to Ahwatukee,” he said. “Ahwatukee has a great audience for this.”
Siefert said the city plans to place four to six signs along Pecos, which is on the southernmost edge of Ahwatukee and is a relatively open area that could handle the large signs.
Smaller signs that would measure 24 by 30 inches are planned for busier roads in Phoenix where other signs compete for drivers’ attention.
The city has yet to fix a program cost, he said. That will depend on the number, size and location of signs, which have yet to be determined.
Phoenix unveiled a mockup of the signs on Sunday during a fund-raiser attended by 150 people for injured triathletes George and Jane Esahak-Gage. They were pedaling over Interstate 10 on the Chandler Boulevard overpass toward Ahwatukee when a car driven on an I-10 off ramp by Jose Juarez hit them.
Juarez, 23, was cited with failing to control his speed, driving without insurance and driving without a license. The bicyclists had a green light, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The accident brought bicycle safety to the forefront in Ahwatukee Foothills, a Phoenix village that uses a drawing of a bicycle to identify the 88,000-resident community.
“Of course you always think about the future – your kids’, your grandkids’, your friends’, yourself,” Rita Anselmo said in lobbying for the signs. “Why don’t we have a real bike route for these people?
“On the village signs for Ahwatukee, it’s bikers. Hello, how about doing something for them?”
Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton, who represents the area, said he immediately liked the idea of erecting large signs throughout Phoenix to warn motorists that giving cyclists 3 feet of roadway is the law, not just a courtesy.

Flagstaff gets Silver BFC

League Announces Spring 2010 Bicycle Friendly Communities

Flagstaff, Ariz. also moved up from their 2006 Bronze designation to Silver. The community is known for its commitment to investing in cycling and encouragement efforts, such as the citywide commuter challenge, the world-class Flagstaff Urban Trails System and 200 miles of singletrack.

Arizona communities currently enjoying BFC status are Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa (Bronze); Scottsdale, Tempe, Flagstaff (Silver); and Tucson/East Pima Region (Gold).

“Green Riders” plan stop in Flagstaff: May 4

The brother and sister team of Catherine and Oliver Bock, also known as the “Green Riders,” will be stopping in Flagstaff next Tuesday during their two-month journey from Palo Alto, California, to Washington DC on electric recumbent bicycles.
You can meet the Bocks at Heritage Square in downtown Flagstaff from 2:00 to 3:00 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Stop by and say hello!
The Green Riders are undertaking this journey with the goal of exploring sustainable solutions being created all across the country. Stops in towns and cities along the route are planned to explore and celebrate a variety of innovative people and projects dedicated to sustainability.
More information is available at www.thegreenriders.org

May is BIKE MONTH!

Since 1956, the League of American Bicyclists, with the support of bicycle organizations throughout the United States, has proclaimed May as National Bike Month. It’s interesting to consider the impact bicycling has had on our culture.

In the late 1800s, times were undergoing tremendous change. Inventions such as the telephone and the light bulb were poised to radically change America. Mechanized farming was revolutionizing agriculture. It’s noteworthy that even with these modern inventions, 51% of all patent applications in 1899 were bicycle related – 49% were EVERYTHING ELSE combined. This is not surprising considering the importance transportation has in our culture. Some of the first automobile manufacturers, such as Ford, Rover, and Mercedes-Benz, started out with bicycles – the automobile was still years away. And these early bikes rolled on tires made by Dunlop and Michelin. The bicycle was the mother of inventions such as pneumatic tires, statistical quality control, alloying of metals for light weight and strength, road maps, driver’s licenses, vehicle insurance, and sadly, planned obsolescence and even “chop shops”. Bicycle advertisements featured attractive models posing with the latest products. There were bicycle ambulances, bicycle postmen, and even bicycle traffic cops (often ex-bicycle racers) who would chase down and ticket “scorchers” – what we now refer to as “speeders”. The inventors of the era’s high-technology, the “aero plane”, were bicycle manufacturers Orville & Wilbur Wright. In fact, Orville was a former bike racer himself! The bicycle was as influential in the 1890s as the personal computer was in the 1990s
Because it was impossible to ride a bicycle wearing traditional long dresses, female cyclists adopted “rational dress” – pantaloons which exposed the ankle. Women were arrested, which led many women to re-think their place in society: “Why can’t WE wear pants, work like men, and vote?” Susan B. Anthony said, “I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a Wheel. The picture of free, untrammeled womanhood!” This new “freedom machine” was important in the struggle for women’s rights. On Sundays, cyclists who worked the standard six-day work week opted for all-day bike rides, foregoing church services. Noting a significant drop in attendance, some churches embraced the bicycle, offering outdoor services and valet parking. Others decried the invention. On a Sunday morning in 1896 a Baltimore preacher thundered from his pulpit: “These bladder-wheeled bicycles are diabolical devices of the Demon of Darkness. They are contrivances to trap the feet of the unwary and skin the nose of the innocent. They are full of guile and deceit. When you think you have broken one to ride and subdued its wild and Satanic nature, behold it bucketh you off in the road and teareth a Great Hole in your pants! Look not on the bike when it bloweth upon its wheels, for at last it bucketh like a bronco and hurteth like thunder. Who has skinned legs? Who has a bloody nose? Who has ripped breeches? They that dally along with the Bicycle!” Yes, the bicycle was definitely an engine for social change.
Often, when I’m teaching bicycle safety classes, students will ask me, “Don’t bikes follow the same rules as cars?” The unexpected answer is, “Well, sort of. Actually, cars follow the same rules as bikes.” Traffic law and principles underwent an important period of rapid development and refinement from the 1880s into the early 1900s as the roads were inundated with scores of cyclists. These thousands of new roadway users needed a body of regulations to reduce accidents and smooth traffic flow. They also demanded better roads. The Good Roads Movement took off in the United States beginning in May, 1880.  Advocates for improved roads led by bicyclists turned local agitation into a national political movement. In the early 1900s, when the automobile began production, this body of traffic laws and transportation infrastructure was quickly co-opted by motorists. If you appreciate having a place to drive your car, and to do so safely, you owe a debt to the humble bicycle.
Also see related post: Bicycle Riders as Disciples-of Progress.
Randy Victory, Cottonwood
League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor

Board Member, Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition

Two Arizona Cities Ranked in top 10 for Cycling

…by Forbes Magazine. Tucson was ranked #5, and Mesa #10.
The rankings were based on the 2010 Benchmarking Report from the Alliance for Bicycling & Walking.
“The cities on our list are those, according to the report, with the greatest percentage of people who ride their bikes to work. If a city has a greater percentage of bicycling commuters, it’s therefore more likely to be a bike-friendly city”. Read the full article from Forbes.

Bikes Donated to AmeriSchools Academy

Words and photo by Sheila Foraker, CAzBike Southern Arizona Representative

Stealing from kids is among the lowest form of crime. Stealing from kids who have nothing is even worse. Consider the plight of KarmaRacer, supporter of Arizona Bicycle Club (ABC) and AmeriSchools Academy. KarmaRacer is a bicycle re-cycler that serves youth, families and adults with low income. Not once, but twice their donated bicycles were stolen from a storage facility.

Gary LeBlanc, Superintendent of AmeriSchools, loads donated bikes for transport to Phoenix
Gary LeBlanc, Superintendent of
AmeriSchools, loads donated
bikes for transport to Phoenix

“I am so frustrated,” reported Luis from KarmaRacer. “I went to storage to bring the bikes and 25 [were] missing.”
Gary LeBlanc, Superintendent of AmeriSchools charter school has been working for months with ABC and the families of the students. The plan is to provide these youth with an opportunity to improve their lives thought active participation, specifically in cycling.
AmeriSchools, through a tax donation, and ABC provides the youth, mostly middle school students, with jerseys, ABC Family Membership, helmets, socks, water bottles and bikes at no charge to the families.

A bike safety rodeo was planned for the students to learn traffic concepts in a safe and fun environment. Then the bikes were stolen.- twice! And mother nature brought welcomed rain thus canceling the rodeos.

“We have 4 bikes [that can be repaired] and need 6 more to completely outfit the kids,” said Gary LeBlanc, Superintendent of AmeriSchools.. “Unless there’s an angel out there I’m afraid the bike club is a club without bikes and this event will, once again, not get off the ground.”

The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists stepped in as the rescuing angel providing 10 used bicycles that were donated from the City of Tucson surplus property.
While loading the bikes for transport back to Phoenix, Gary said, “This donation of bikes is greatly appreciated. Thanks to the Coalition we can have our bike rodeo and get the kids riding.”
The bike rodeo is sponsored by Valley Metro and the bike club is being sponsored by AmeriSchools Academy and ABC.

Scottsdale cyclist’s death shows problems with law

Thanks to PMBC member and Arizona Republic reporter, Jane Larson, for connecting us and allowing the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists to contribute to this article.

But Arizona bicycle advocates are concerned that the state law mandating that motorists give bicyclists 3 feet of safe passing distance is inconsistently enforced.

“It seems more law-enforcement officers are aware of the law, but I think there is still some confusion on what the law is and how to apply it,” said Bob Beane, president of the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists.

The group would like to see increased awareness of the law, increased penalties and a clarification of how the law applies if designated bike lanes are not suitable for riding, he said.

Scottsdale cyclist’s death shows problems with law,4/23/2010, The Arizona Republic

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CAzBike Membership Meeting: April 19, 2010

Next meeting: Monday April 19th, 2010. 6:30PM.Location: The loft at the Boulders on Broadway Bar and Grill (map)530 W. Broadway in Tempe AZ 85282, 480.921.9431

  • Membership programs
  • Mesa PD training topics/program
  • Bicyclist classes (free or charge fee/rebate when attended?)
  • Draft “CAzB Role/Organization Structure” in response to central/southern AZ advocates request
  • Executive Director selection process
  • General meeting frequency, location and purposes
  • Other items proposed by board/officers/advisory members
  • Other items as proposed by any members in attendance

CAzBike membership meetings are regularly held the 3rd Monday of each month except August.