Los Alamos Bikes

Save February 11th for Biker Day at the Roundhouse!

2012-01-25T17:26:00.005-07:00

Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

Biker Day at the Capitol

Join us in the rotunda at the Round House to rally for HB12!

Ride your bicycle or motorcycle (weather permitting).

Come out and show your support.

This, of course, is the problem

The problem?

The way NM law is currently written there is no difference in penalty options for "careless driving" that causes no injuries and "careless driving" that causes the death or severe bodily injury of another road user. You can do your part to change this. Contact your elected officials today.

Crashes that killed James Quinn, Roy Sekreta, John Anczarski, Heather Reu, Scott Duane Lane and Dan Montoya, as well as the crash that severely injured both John and Liz Mazzola also illustrate this situation.

For more information, go to the Duke City Wheelmen Page

Biker Day 2011. Lycra and Leather actually go quite well together

Witnesses Requested who may have seen last Friday's crash at Diamond-Sandia

2012-01-23T12:36:00.002-07:00

This was posted to the freecycle list today and forwarded to Pajarito-Riders, if anyone was a witness.

Witness needed. please contact me if you were at the intersection of Diamond and Sandia on January 20,2012 at about 8:25am and witnessed a collision between a white minivan Dodge and a lady on a bike.

Thank you, phone # 662-7484

Train Wreck: Will Los Alamos Downtown Planning Become Random Planning?

2012-01-23T11:16:00.001-07:00

Urban Planning, Los Alamos Style?

There is still strong pressure to make Trinity Drive, right out to the Airport, four or five fast lanes, thus increasing speeding. Turning roads into speedways is often euphemistically referred to as an "improvement." There is also a strong drive to build a shopping mall on Trinity Place, across the street from Mari-Mac, and potentially across a four or five lane "improved" street built to increase capacity but will undoubtedly encourage speeding. Funny how the County can with one raised hand pass ordinances to promote a compact, liveable community and actually look like it might build just the opposite, thus spreading out the county in a design that almost requires one to drive to the store. As former Councillor Gibson has sometimes grouched, this county needs to engage in comprehensive planning rather than piecemeal planning.

There is little time left to register your two cents. I suggest doing so sooner rather than later. Send your carefully worded cards and letters to: CountyCouncil@lacnm.us

Analyzing 2011 SoCal cycling fatalities: Los Angeles — and door zones — may be safer than you think

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Interesting discussion at the link below. I'll pass this on without comment as I just found it while fishing (trolling has other meanings these days) for something else. I think its worth reading and then let the fur fly. We base a lot of decisions on reading other people's critiques and simply by looking at a design and seeing its obvious faults. But that isn't the end of the story.

Analyzing 2011 SoCal cycling fatalities: Los Angeles — and door zones — may be safer than you think

"...these stats show just the opposite. You are far more likely to be killed in a hit-from-behind collision or at an intersection than you are by getting doored. And yet, the solution we’re invariably taught is to ride in the traffic lane, directly in front of traffic coming up from behind. Maybe that’s because so many cyclists are heeding that advice and avoiding the door zone, while placing themselves at greater risk of getting hit from behind...."

Albuquerque Comes Through As A Bike Friendly Community

2012-01-21T08:13:00.003-07:00

From Jennifer Buntz: " Looks like the City read the Journal Editorial (today's paper, see below) before it was printed. Whatever happened behind the scenes, we might want to e-mail Mr. Riordan a thank you."

I agree with Jennifer.

Dear GABAC Members,

I sent a letter this week to you concerning the series of events that occurred with Traffic Engineering installing no bicycle signs on Chappell north of Singer and my apologies about the lack of communication of that plan.

Since I was made aware of the installation of the no bicycle signs, and the public comment at the Council meeting, I have had further time to review Traffic Engineering's cited conditions and discuss the adjacent construction of the North Diversion Channel Trail underpass at Osuna. The trail construction provides an opportunity for a potential solution to the bicycle restriction issue. As part of this traffic control plan on the trail reconstruction project I have instructed the contractor to restripe Chappell Road between Singer and Osuna with 2-5' bike lanes and 2-11.5' vehicle lanes as a temporary detour route. This will provide bicyclists two options for detour. The first if bicyclists want to remain on the trail they will be routed a short distance east to connect to the Bear Arroyo trail which brings them to Osuna. The second will be the use of the temporary 5' bike lane on Chappell.

During this time the no bicycle signs will be covered.

The duration of the construction project that will be constructing the grade separated notch under Osuna is approximately 6 months. During this time myself and my staff will attend GABAC meetings to develop a long term solution.

I apologize again for the lack of communication from the Traffic Engineer and look forward to working with you on this solution.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Riordan, PE
Director
Department of Municipal Development
City of Albuquerque
P.O. Box 1293
Albuquerque, NM 87103
Phone: (505) 768-3830
Fax: (505) 768-2310

Albuquerque Journal, January 21, 2012 Page A-6

Two-Wheeled Drivers Deserve To Be Heard

Sometimes the power of civil public discourse outweighs the power of an 18-wheeler loaded with gravel. Or at least it should.
The city of Albuquerque’s Department of Municipal Development missed an opportunity to have a discussion with the folks who use two-lane Chappell Road in the Northeast Heights about the wisdom and safety of having bikes travel the same route as cement trucks and their brethren, especially considering there is a taxpayer-financed bike trail within view.

Instead, a city traffic engineer, responding to a few 311 complaints, went out to the stretch between Osuna and Singer and did the engineering thing, measuring the lanes and the shoulders. Being witness to a near-miss between a cyclist and a vehicle — and the ensuing argument — apparently sealed the deal.

And while the math and the physics may show restricting bike traffic is pragmatic (though that’s seriously in question because the city recorded the road as 21 feet wide when a re-measure showed it 30-32 feet wide), the simple fact is no city road has ever been closed to bicyclists before now.

That precedent-setting factor alone should have prompted the city to initiate a public discussion about whether this is the right road with the right conditions to ban bikes before throwing up signs doing just that. Then it wouldn’t be where it is now, slammed by protests and allowing the bikes back on, at least as it considers long-term solutions.

Jennifer Buntz, president of Duke City Wheelmen Foundation (the group that erects ghost bikes where cyclists have died in collisions), says the lack of accidents on that stretch of Chappell (one in the last 19 years) shows the city found a solution in search of a problem.

It may be that the city didn’t want to wait for a tragic bike-vehicle accident on Chappell and the perennial “how many people have to die before something is done?” It may be that most of those 311 calls actually came from the industrial companies along Chappell that were spooked by near-misses. But under New Mexico law, bicycles are vehicles and their riders have all the rights and responsibilities of drivers.

In a city that prizes its bronze designation from the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly community, making an exception to that law should be fueled by an informed discussion after plenty of input, not a few calls and a Lycra-induced argument.

Right Hook at Diamond and Sandia

2012-01-20T09:28:00.008-07:00

This from Jonathan Niehof. Boldface added by yours truly.

Hi guys--

Not sure if this is appropriate for Tuffriders or not, but wanted to
let people know.
I was coming through the Diamond/Sandia intersection this morning
about 8:30 and it looked like the aftermath of a right hook: cyclist
sitting on the sidewalk, police interviewing a motorist on Sandia.
About 5 LAPD vehicles and I think the LAFD was arriving as I went
through. Cyclist was sitting up and conscious, so hopefully they'll be
okay.

As always, everybody's got to keep their eyes open out there, and it
might be worth pondering some paint changes. The motorist next to me
slowed and gave plenty of space for me to merge over around the police
cars--there are some polite and aware folks on our roads.

A commenter who sounds authoritative (see comments) confirms it was a right hook and says the cyclist was not hurt seriously. Its worth reviewing this scenerio with the video below because it is a common crash on roads with bike lanes and I warned County about this. Also, this is why I strenuously object to bike lanes on Trinity. Way too many locations for a right hook.

I don't know the details of why or why not a citation was not issued. The commenter makes it sound like the cyclist overtook on the right (second example in video below) rather than the motorist overtaking and then turning (first example). I don't know. The design itself is problematic, because it requires drivers to have eyes in the back of their heads and for cyclists to ride with the expectation of being cut off. Taking the lane (third example) is preferable but that often leads to discomfort on the part of the cyclist and quizzical looks from motorists. Sharrows, such as installed on Northbound Diamond at Central, would guide people into a better geometry.

Watch this good vid if you have not already. Its on the MassBike link, made for a police training progam, and is on our list of links.

If Passed, House Bill 12 Will Make Our Roads Safer

2012-01-20T09:24:00.003-07:00

To the Editor, The Albuquerque Journal

During the 2011 legislative session, a bill increasing the penalties available for Careless Driving that results in great bodily harm or the death of another road user was introduced by Representative Rick Miera as House Bill 68. Although it easily passed the House, it did not make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the end of the session. A similar bill, also introduced by Rep. Miera, has been introduced into the 2012 Legislative Session as House Bill 12.

Governor Martinez has recently commented in the news on how important it is to combat DWI. I thank the Governor for leading this critical fight against drunk driving, but DWI is increasingly only a part of the hazard we face on the road due to bad driving. Electronic distractions and other forms of driver carelessness or inattention are endemic, leading to the notion that driving is not a full time job. The price is often paid in blood and tears.

The message we have to send to the public has to be a comprehensive one: being a good driver means not only remaining sober, but paying attention to one's driving and taking driving seriously. House Bill 12 would send just such a message, and hopefully do so as education rather than after a tragedy unfolds. I am asking the public and our legislators to please support this bill and put it on the Governor's desk for signature.

(end of letter)
==============================
For a full description of how HB 12 would affect Careless Driving prosecutions, go read the Duke City Wheelmen's site.
Scott Duane Lane was killed January 10, 2012 by a driver who was allegedly so distracted she didn't even know she had run a red light.