Comments on: Electric bike rules of the road

By: Larry Clarkberg

Larry Clarkberg — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:05:48 +0000

Permit me to direct your attention to another related post about doing away with traffic lights altogether:
http://bikeithaca.org/?p=497
Counter-intuitively, in these experiments where traffic lights were turned off for weeks at at time, motorists drove slower rather than faster. There was less congestion and the intersections were safer. Take a look.

By: Larry Clarkberg

Larry Clarkberg — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:43:03 +0000

Don I thought you and the commenters here might like to see this post:
http://bikeithaca.org/?p=527
It describes how some cities are experimenting with allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs and stop lights as “yield” signs. That is, bicyclists can go through a stop sign or stop light if there is no cross traffic, which as you observed many cyclists do already. To my mind this begins to address the imbalance we have with our current traffic laws overwhelmingly benefiting motorists to the detriment of bicyclists’ and pedestrians’ needs.

By: Don

Don — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:06:49 +0000

Hi Rick. I've gotten a few emails recently from people interested in towing a trailer with electric assist. I attempt to describe some pros and cons of that option in my recent blog post here. I hope the college girl learned something after her close encounter with you!

By: Don

Don — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 02:46:27 +0000

Our city, which I would rate as only reluctantly bicycle-friendly, has started to paint a small ‘X’ where bicyclists should stop to trip the light signal. I’m hoping this is the wave of the future for many communities.

I agree with your observations about the counter-culture orientation of many cyclists. Riding a bike can be so free, you hate to admit you’re subject to any rules. But if those rules help to keep you from decorating a car bumper, they should be respected by both driver and rider.

By: Leo Horishny

Leo Horishny — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 01:57:40 +0000

I don’t have an electric bike, but I ride my bike in traffic with the same mindset as you. It’s good to read that I’m not alone.

I’m in the process of promoting and nudging our local transportation departments to highlight the sweet spot for bicyclists and educate 2 and 4 wheelers that cycles can and should use the traffic signals.

As I pointed out to someone Friday, I am not sure if I can treat a signal that doesn’t trip for me as a ‘malfunctioning’ signal (am researching that statute), but even if so, I don’t really want to do that, because there are too many cyclists who blow through lights because they think they can’t trigger them BUT they don’t bother to find out that, in fact, they CAN do so but won’t, because that wouldn’t fit with their ‘cyclist/outcast’ persona.

By: RickS

RickS — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 02:39:13 +0000

I almost got hit by a college girl on a bike today. I stopped at the stop sign, and when it was my turn I went. She didn’t even pretend to slow down. Oh well. I am going to put a electric assist on my cargo bike. It isn’t a long tail, it’s a torker cargo bike. I had it set up the way I wanted it, I built some new 8 speed wheels internal gearing, and a dynohub for my lighting system. I was pulling my trailer with a pretty good load on it and decided electric assist would be pretty nice. Thanks for having this website.