A Publication of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
Vol. 1/No. 2, Summer 1995
Here is Vol. 1, No. 1, of Wisconsin Bicyclist (Spring 1995).
Welcome to our second issue of The Wisconsin Bicyclist! The response to our premier issue, which came out in April, has been outstanding, and we feel that this second issue continues the good work of highlighting issues of importance to cyclists in Wisconsin, focusing on solutions and possibilities for action, and providing an open forum for opinions from all sides of the bicycling community.
And we feel that we are, indeed, a community. Whether you are a racer, an off-road enthusiast, a parent with children who bicycle to school, a shop owner, a weekend warrior or a hard-core bicycle commuter, chances are you basically want the same things: safe, abundant and enjoyable facilities, an aware motoring and cycling public, and bicycle-friendly laws and policies throughout the state.
These are just the things the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is working to accomplish for you. In the following pages you will read about AB 96 (the Bicycle Bill) which is currently making its way through the state legislature; about the State Bicycle Plan, which will direct state agencies' funding for and implementation of bicycle projects and programs for years to come; about efforts to increase motorists' and police officers' awareness of bicycling; and about the benefits of bicycle commuting. These are just a few of the projects we and our members are currently involved in. We have also focused on a few of the individuals in our community whose level of dedication to bicycling as a sustainable, healthy and environmentally sound means of transportation and recreation serves as an inspiration to the rest of us.
We need your help. Only with the strength of numbers can a statewide bicycling organization stand up to the wealth and influence of the automobile and roadbuilding lobbies which threaten to pave this beautiful state of ours, denying access and mobility to non-polluting, two-wheeled transportation. So please join the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin! As members of a community, we need to work together to make Wisconsin a great bicycling state.
by Michael D. Barrett and Jack Taft
Public hearings were recently held concerning the landmark bicycle legislation contained in Assembly Bill 96. On April 27, numerous citizens testified in favor of the bill before the Assembly Transportation & Highways Committee. The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's Executive Director Marcia Miquelon, legislative coordinator Jack Taft and a handful of members spoke in vigorous support of the measure. Additionally, the City of Madison, the State Department of Transportation and the Governor's Bicycle Coordinating Council offered supportive and enlightening testimony on the mechanics, history and importance of the bill, which cleans up the current state statutes pertaining to the operation of bicycles on the roadways. Others who spoke out in favor of the bill include an emergency room nurse from St. Mary's Hospital (Madison) and a septuagenarian who had ridden seven miles for the hearing. Both extolled the value of the bill in promoting safe cycling and the importance of cycling as a health-maintaining activity.
The bill made it out of committee with only one dissenting vote. The date for a floor vote has yet to be determined; it could come as early as June, or it may be postponed to late Fall of 1995. In any case, the key to passage lies in broad based , active support in the Assembly. Bicycle Federation members should contact their representatives in the Assembly and encourage them to give a floor speech in support of AB 96. For a copy of the bill, or to find out who your legislator is, call the Wisconsin Legislative Hotline at 266-9960 (in Madison) or 1-800-362-9696.
AB 96 makes the following changes in the Wisconsin vehicle code:
by Rob Kennedy
As this paper goes to print, the state Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has failed to amend the Governor's budget to provide state funding for bicycle projects. Nor are any amendments expected to come from the floor of the Assembly or the Senate before the budget is signed by the Governor.
As has been the case since the new federal transportation law (ISTEA) was enacted in 1991, the Governor and the JFC are relying upon Congress to continue a special 10% funding earmark of the Surface Transportation Program (STP) for "Transportation Enhancements." Local bicycle projects compete with other "enhancements" - such as railroad depots, pedestrian projects, rail corridor preservation, mitigation of water pollution from highway storm runoff - for the $8-10 million pot of money. This year over 100 bicycle projects are applying for funding.
Meanwhile in Washington, the earmarks for STP and enhancements still stand. In fact, what has happened so far to bicycle funding in Congress looks fairly good, considering earlier expectations. Although the overall amount of money for enhancements will be significantly less than before, the Senate has not only continued current budget earmarks, but has also made the local funding process easier. If the Senate has its way, an environmental impact statement will not be required for enhancements.
Still looming, however, are the biggest Congressional budget battles on the floors of the House, the appropriations committees, and the joint Conference Committee. Currently, there is an urgent need for calls in support of continued funding for enhancements to U.S. Representative Thomas Petri at(202)225-2476. Moreover, enhancement funds will need to make it through the US Department of Transportation's (DOT) own reorganization process. DOT is working to put most of its programming into one big flexible pot - a "block grant" - for the states to use as they like. If this happens, there could be fewer restrictions on enhancement money and it could wind up being used for more highway projects leaving less for bicycles. It is widely believed by transportation policy analysts that unless WisDOT is prevented from using enhancement funds to expand automobile facilities they will do so.
by Heather Putnam
The Bicycle Cops Bill (SB 118) recognizes bicycle police as emergency vehicles and gives them the right to break laws when they are in pursuit. Bicycle police will not be required to have sirens or flashing lights to function as emergency vehicles.
The Crime Victims Bill (SB 18) makes pedestrians hurt in hit-and-run accidents eligible for assistance from the victim compensation fund. This would provide up to $40,000 for expenses that the victim's insurance does not cover. Joanne Pruitt-Thunder has suggested that the bill should be amended to include all forms of non-motorized transportation that have legal access to the road, including bicycles.
by Marcia Miquelon
It's a warm, sultry weekday evening and Barbara Nuckles seems impatient to get on the road. Her husband, Bob and I are fiddling with bags and straps, trying to affix a large bundle of rhubarb, picked fresh from their patch out back, to my rear rack. "We need to start getting ready for GrABAAWR," I hear her remark.
Last year, the couple had cycled up to the start of GrABAAWR, a week-long organized tour which runs the length of the state, took part in the tour and then pedaled home to Madison, covering about 1,500 miles. This summer they plan to ride at least the GrABAAWR portion of the ride.
So what makes them any different from the thousands of others in Wisconsin who dust off their bicycles and come out in droves at this time of year, to exercise and enjoy the outdoors? Well for one thing, the Nuckles' bikes don't get much of a chance to gather dust. Bob, a rental property manager, will bicycle the seven miles from their home to downtown any time the temperature is above 15 degrees and he doesn't have to haul heavy tools or equipment to one of his properties. For another, Bob Nuckles is 78 years old and Barbara, 57, is disabled with a partial hip joint which has caused back problems and severely limited her mobility for most of her life.
As our ride together finally gets underway, Bob takes the lead. If the years have slowed him down at all, it's certainly hard to tell. Perhaps this is because for him, bicycling is not only a means of fitness, but a way of life.
His love of bicycling began at the age of eight, when he convinced his father to spend five dollars (a small fortune for his family in those times) on a bike with wooden wheels. His passion had to be put on hold shortly after that, however. The wooden wheels were quickly ruined by the bumpy gravel roads of his rural northern Illinois home.
He moved to Wisconsin in 1941 with his first wife, and since they didn't have enough money for a car at the time, they bought two bicycles. They were able to buy a car a year later, but Bob continued to ride his bike to work as an engineer for Oscar Mayer, long before anyone else in Madison was bicycle commuting. In the 1950's he got involved in local politics, serving for five years on city council, and for two years as a mayoral assistant. In 1961, he ran for mayor. Although he lost the election, perhaps it was he who planted the seeds for what would grow into an expansive, cutting-edge network of bicycle facilities.
In 1966 Oscar Mayer transferred Bob to Davenport, Iowa. It was here that his first marriage ended and where, in the early eighties, he met Barbara. Fittingly, they met on a trip with the local bike club. At the time, Barbara was working in Davenport as a school guidance counselor. She then went to Iowa City for a master's degree in counseling. On her graduation day, Bob showed up at her door with a loaded tandem bicycle and off they rode, to visit her family in Columbus, Ohio. And when Bob retired and Barbara decided to seek counseling work in Madison, naturally, they returned by bicycle.
Barbara had only started to ride a bicycle a year or two before meeting Bob. "Until I was 43," she says, "I thought I was a cripple. Everybody had always told me that I was a cripple."
A visit to a chiropractor and the start of a regular exercise routine which included bicycling changed all that. Nowadays, she says, the only times she really feels affected by her disability are the times when she does not exercise regularly enough. "Why is it," she asks me as we climb a hill together, "that my back only bothers me when I'm in a car, and never when I ride my bike?"
The secret to the Nuckles active good health, according to Barbara, is that they have not given in to the helpless syndrome which affects so many in the aging and disabled communities. If everyone around you tells you that you can't do something, she says, and you believe them, then you can't. But the determination which got Barbara on her bicycle at 43, and which has kept Bob pedaling for seventy years promises to keep them from believing they are helpless for many years to come.
From Trail Talk, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Nearly a half-million dollars worth of state trail passes were sold in 1994; more than 2 1/2 times 1993 sales. The busiest sales outlet was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail's Kendall Depot, with $79,599 in sales. The Southern Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest sold $70,975 in off-road bicycle and horse trail passes.
The number of user days on 13 state rail-trails climbed to a record 557,384 in 1994. The Chippewa River State Trail counted more than 50,000 visitor days in its first year of operation, and the Glacial-Drumlin's count topped 100,000 for the first time, becoming the state's most heavily used trail. The Ahnapee, Elroy-Sparta, La Crosse River, Military Ridge, Red Cedar, and Tuscobia trails also had record numbers of users.
From Trail Talk, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Trails are high on the list of things people look for when buying a home, according to a study by American Lives, Inc., San Francisco.
While golf courses and tennis courts dropped to 29th and 28th place, walking and biking trails ranked third on the list of features for which home buyers would pay premium prices, according to the study. Trails ranked behind a quiet, low-traffic location and lots of natural open space.
From Trail Talk, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
As mountain biking's popularity has exploded, so have conflicts between mountain bikers and other trail users, especially in such heavily used areas as Southeast Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine. DNR Researcher Al Bjorkman has just completed a three-year project designed to determine the sources of conflict, evaluate the physical effects of bicycle use on the trails and develop management strategies and mediation tactics to resolve these conflicts in a manner which would accomodate all trail users.
Bjorkman reports success in bringing user groups to a basic consensus. High on nearly every trail user's agenda, he claims, was to "recognize the uniqueness of the Kettle Moraine." 11 of 14 users surveyed recommended studying the best ways to maintain trails, including surfaces, placement,and construction/design.
by Peter Flucke
The word must be out that Northeastern Wisconsin is "the place to bike" in 1995, at least that is what 60-70 members of the Oklahoma Bicycle Society are saying. According to Pat Ford of the Bayshore Bicycle Club in Green Bay, riders from Oklahoma travel every summer to a different part of the country to bicycle and relax for a week. This year Northeastern Wisconsin beat out the Blue Ridge Mountains as the destination. The group will be in Wisconsin from June 18 - 24. They will visit Door County as well as Green Bay and Algoma. While in Green Bay the riders will be treated to an ice cream social sponsored by the Bayshore Bicycle Club.
Door County is exploring the possibility of creating a multi-purpose trail which would run from Sturgeon Bay north to the tip of the peninsula. Tentative plans have the trail linking up with the soon to be constructed extension of the Ahnapee trail in Sturgeon Bay and then heading north, mostly off-road along a corridor roughly parallel to Highway 42. It would be surfaced with crushed rock, however heavily travelled areas could be paved. There is no scheduled completion date for the project and funding has not yet been identified.
by Mike Miller
The City of River Falls has received a $50,000 ISTEA grant which will be used to prepare a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan.
Some of the specific objectives of the bike/ped plan include:
The plan is scheduled for completion by late summer, 1995. For more information, contact Tony Steiner, River Falls City Planning Department, at (715) 425-0900.
by Kit Keller
In April, the Bicycle Federation of Southeastern Wisconsin (BFSEW) applied for a $75,000 grant to promote bicycle commuting, targeting employers and governmental bodies in the region. In mid-June, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation awarded BFSEW $31,000 for the employer portion of the grant request.
"We will meet with Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) to encourage them to promote bicycle commuting," explains BFSEW President Jim Guthrie. TMAs, groups of employers working together to promote alternative transportation for employees, are forming in Southeastern Wisconsin in response to the requirements of the Clean Air Act.
Guthrie says BFSEW will use a multi-media presentation to acquaint TMA members with the basics of bicycle commuting. It will include suggestions about what an employer can do to make it easier for employees to bike to work, such as provide bicycle parking, lockers for storing clothing, showers, and incentives. The project will then target specific employers who want to develop a bicycle commuting program.
Meetings with employees will include bicycle maintenance, safety and equipment tips, and other essentials for having fun bicycle commuting. If you are interested in being involved or want more information, contact Jim Guthrie at (414)767-9699.
by Michael Barrett
The UW-Madison now actively encourages bicycle commuting by including this mode in its Emergency Ride Home campaign. The ERH program offers people who carpool, bus, flex park or vanpool, and now those who bicycle a reimbursed ride home in cases of personal emergency (Tabitha Graves, UW Transportation Services, Rm. 124, WARF, 610 Walnut, UW Madison, Madison WI 53705.
The Campus Masterplan recognizes the role of the bicycle and feet in getting people around campus. Many campus streets are targeted for bike-ped only status.
Dane County's Bicycle Transportation Alliance has begun a "Scary Drivers Registry" intended to identify drivers who repeatedly threaten cyclists (BTA, PO Box 641, Madison WI 53701).
Renee Callaway, guru of every bike club in town, reports a decent Bike to Work Day turnout despite the miserable weather.
Bicycle issues discussion can be had by subscribing to: bikies-request@gcg.com (see also "bicycle community page" ad).
by Marcia Miquelon
In late July, cyclists from the tenth annual trans-continental Bike-Aid ride will make their way across Wisconsin. Bike-Aid is a fundraiser for sustainable community development projects around the globe and an educational event which seeks to expose participants firsthand to a range of political, social, and community issues. This year the focus is on issues of environmental sustainability; alternative transportation, appropriate technology and consumption.
Bike-Aid routes begin in several west coast cities in mid-June, and meet in Washington, D.C. in late August. The eighteen cyclists on this year's Seattle Route will stay in Elroy, WI on July 26, and in Madison, WI on July 27 and 28. For more information call 1-800-RIDE-808.
As you read this, a banana boat laden with bicycles is slowly making its way from the Port of Chicago to Nicaragua. The Madison chapter of Bikes Not Bombs has collected and disassembled over 350 used bicycles, and sent them off on a June 23rd shipment from Chicago.
The bikes will be recieved by a bicycle cooperative operated by the Organization of Disabled Revolutionaries (ORD). After paying the duty fees, ORD mechanics will overhaul and reassemble the bikes, and sell them at a discount to government workers, such as teachers and health care workers. Usually a bike costs about a month's wages.
Bicycles are an extremely valuable resource in Nicaragua; enabling goods to get to market and professionals to get to the people they serve. A farmer with a bicycle can often double his or her earnings.
This is the third shipment of bikes to Nicaragua by the Madison BNB chapter. They are still trying to raise the $3000 needed to cover shipping. For more information or to make a donation to Bikes Not Bombs, contact Open Air Bicycles, (608) 838-8137.
by the Wisconsin Bicyclist Staff
The Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation and BFW are working together to make Wisconsin a better place to bicycle via the State Bicycle Plan. The plan will be drafted over the coming year and will include goals and programs in the areas of education, safety, enforcement and encouragement, as well as specific policies and guidelines for bicycle facilities throughout the state. Beginning this summer elements of the plan will be reviewed by a bicycle advisory committee, and will the be taken out to various regions of the state for public input.
As we begin all this planning, pehaps we need to take a look at what the "state" of bicycling in Wisconsin is. To many people, Wisconsin is a terrific bicycling state. It has a great secondary road system, lots of state rail-trails, one of the best bicycle race series in the nation, and off-road biking opportunities.
Bicycle sales have been brisk over the years, outpacing motor vehicle sales. It is likely that most adults own a bicycle and actually use it annually.
In spite of this, according to the Bureau of Census, in 1990 only half of a percent of people bicycled to work! To be fair, the count was taken on the last week of March and included only people whose primary means of transportation was the bicycle. Even in warmer months, bicycle commuters are still far fewer in numbers than they ought to be. The U.S. DOT has a goal of doubling the percentage of trips made by bicycle. It is time for Wisconsin to actively pursue that goal.
A common concern of bicycle commuters or would-be commuters is the inability to safely or easily get to their destinations. If the ride is the end in itself, then taking a circuitous route is an acceptable alternative. But to increase bicycle usage for utilitarian purposes, we must ensure that all roads, especially those in congested urban areas, will safely accomodate bicyclists.
We must make improvements to major streets and to crossings of major barriers such as rivers, railways, and limited access highways, and we must see to it that every new road or reconstruction project takes bicyclists into account. Cyclists should have safe, direct routes not only to the places where they work, but also to the places where they go to school, shop, and recreate.
So back to the state of bicycling in Wisconsin. While commuter trips are lower than they ought to be statewide, we are actually in better shape than many other states. In Madison, for example, over three percent of workers commuted by bicycle in March of 1990. This was more than 5 times the overall number of bicyclists of such major sunbelt cities as Atlanta and Dallas.
This illustrates that where there is some sort of a bicycle system and a fairly positive community attitude, people will ride for more than just the pure pleasure of riding. Shouldn't our vision and goals reflect this?
Ultimately, it is up to us. The statewide bike plan provides an excellent opportunity to have an impact on Wisconsin's transportation future. So get involved and share your ideas!
Behind any effective organization is a quality board of directors. For the last six months, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin has had an active ad hoc board, which we are now seeking to formalize.
We are looking for creative, dedicated, energetic bicycle advocates to help further the cause of bicycling in Wisconsin by serving on the BFW's board of directors.
For more information or to make a nomination contact Marcia Miquelon, Executive Director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, at 608-251-4456 before July 31.
Board members are elected for two-years. In order to remain in good standing as a Member of the Board, a minimum level of service is required as follows:
| July 31, 1995 | Nomination Deadline |
| Sept. 5, 1995 | Election Ballots mailed to all members |
| Sept. 30, 1995 | Deadline to Return Ballots |
| Jan. 1996 | Board of Directors Retreat |
Renee Callaway's introduction to bicycling came through mountain biking. She is the founder of the Mad Trail FORCs, Madison and Milwaukee's Female Off-Road Cyclists, and she races on the Mad Trail FORCs/Budget Bicycle Center team. She is also the Vice President of the Wisconsin Off-Road Bicycling Association. Yet her commitment to expanding bicycling opportunities doesn't end with off-road issues. In addition to serving on BFW's board, she is the treasurer for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance of Dane County.
Steve Clark is an independent bicycle planning consultant and currently works for the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation as a trail planner. He is the former bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the city of Boulder, Colorado and past president of the League of American Wheelmen, LAW. He also was a founder of the Minnesota Coalition of Bicyclists and the Eco-Tourism Council. In his spare time he enjoys a farm life among goats, chickens, pigs and a horse; and sometimes he even gets to bicycle with his spouse and four children.
Peter Flucke worked for six years as a Police Bicycle Patrol Officer in Minnesota, so he understands how bicyclists and law enforcement officials think and how we must work together to create a safer, more enjoyable bicycling environment. Professionally, he is a bicycling consultant. He has been a recreational rider for over 15 years. He is the political advocacy chair of the Bay Shore Bicycle Club, a member of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Coalition, Inc. of Brown County; and serves on the Technical Advisory Board of Inmotion. He is a certified Police Cyclist and an Effective Cycling Instructor-in-Training.
Jim Guthrie is the president of the Bicycle Federation of Southeast Wisconsin. He currently teaches construction electrician apprentices at MATC. Jim is an effective cycling instructor, and a member of LAB and the Spring City Spinners. He is a founding Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin member. His interest in advocacy stems from two close calls with the same truck as a child.
Bill Hauda is director of the Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River (GRABAAWR) and state director of Common Cause, a citizen group that lobbies for open and accountable government. He was a journalist reporting on state government for United Press International for nearly 30 years and writes a column on health and fitness for Silent Sports magazine. A bicycle conference he organized in Madison in 1988 led to creation of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.
Kit Keller is a consultant for the Bicycle Federation of America, located in Washington, DC. Her bicycle advocacy activities include assisting Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission staff in developing the region's first Bicycle and Pedestrian System Plan, reviewing bicycle project grant applications for the Wisconsin DOT, and co-founding the Bicycle Federation of Southeastern Wisconsin. She moved to Wisconsin in June 1993, and nine months later was elected to the Cedarburg Common Council. Kit chairs the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Committee.
Heather Putnam is a year-round bicycle commuter and got her Effective Cycling certificate last year. She also enjoys touring, especially with her husband on their tandem. She is a graduate student in Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison, interested in bicycle transportation planning. In conjunction with BFW and the Madison DOT, she is helping to evaluate Madison's bikeway system. She is an active member of BFW's public awareness committee.
Paula Romeo became interested in bicycling when she moved to the Madison area in 1981. She is the secretary for the Friends of the Glacial Drumlin Trail, and belongs to several local and national advocacy organizations. She has extensive experience with special events, having led moonlight rides for the Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, headed up race registration for the Capitol City Classic, and worked as an administrative assistant for GRABAAWR. She is both a commuter and an avid bicycle tourist. Her spending money comes from working at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Arthur Ross has been the Pedestrian-Bicycle Safety Coordinator for the City of Madison for the past 8 years. Prior to moving to Madison, he worked with the bicycle program in Boulder, Colorado. He is an experienced year-round bicycle commuter. Arthur is a certified Effective Cycling Instructor, and serves on the board of directors of the League of American Bicyclists, Madison's Wheels for Winners program, and the steering committee of the national Youth Bicycle Education Network. Arthur enjoys bicycling and other silent sports with his wife and sons.
Richard Wilson has been a Green Bay area resident for about 20 years and has been active in bicycle advocacy for about 12 years. He has been the president of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin for 3 years. He is a part-time and a full-time volunteer. He serves on the vestry (governing board) and as treasurer of his church. Other favorite activities include canoeing and kayaking, traveling, camping, gardening, and music. His wife is a librarian, and he has two teenaged children.
by Arthur Ross
One of the primary goals of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is passage of AB 96, known as the "Bicycle Bill. Why are the laws governing how bicyclists operate considered so important?
In my work as Madison's Bicycle Coordinator, I am often asked questions about bicycle laws. These questions are posed not only by bicyclists, but also by insurance agents, lawyers, police officers, planners and engineers. Everyone seems to interpret these laws to support their own position. The insurance agent is looking for ways to deny a bicyclist's claim for property damage or medical expenses due to a crash. Lawyers are looking for information to support their case. Police officers enforce laws. If these laws are not based upon safety, consistency and common sense, then we will get ticketed for operating our bicycles in the manner we think is safe and legal, and motorists will not get ticketed for violating our rights. Planners and engineers need to understand bicycle laws in order to design and build roads and paths that provide safety as well as mobility and access for bicyclists. Good laws serve as the basis of education programs for motorists, police officers, planners, engineers and others who share responsibility for our safety.
People who work in roadway safety generally subscribe to what is called the 3-E approach: Engineering, Education and Enforcement. Overall, a safe traveling environment requires a combined effort of designing safe facilities (engineering), educating people on how to use and share these facilities safely, and enforcement to back up the education. Underlying each of the 3-Es is the law. This is obvious for education and enforcement. Let's take a look at how good laws can lead to improved facilities for bicyclists.
First, most bicycling will occur on streets shared with motor vehicles. Bike paths will never provide the degree of mobility and access for bicyclists that roads provide. If our goal is to encourage more people to use bicycles for daily transportation, then we need to ensure that our roads are designed with the safety of both motorists and bicyclists in mind.
Where should bicyclists ride on the road? Current Wisconsin statutes say we "...shall ride as near as practicable to the right edge of the unobstructed traveled roadway ...". Bicyclists, motorists, police officers, traffic engineers, lawyers, insurance agents, judges and juries may all have different definitions of what is practicable. Unfortunately, most non-bicyclists interpret this to mean ride as far to the right as is possible, without any regard for roadway or traffic conditions. This interpretation can lead traffic engineers to the design roadways without any consideration for the needs of bicyclists.
AB 96 lists several situations where operating far to the right is not practicable, for example, "when reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions, including fixed or moving objects, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to ride along the right-hand edge or curb." AB 96 further defines a substandard width lane as "a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane." This has direct implications on how wide right hand lanes on busy streets should be designed and built.
Another reason for good bicycle laws is, unfortunately, the assignment of liability in case of a crash. Picture the following situation. You are traveling downhill and you plan on turning left at the next intersection. You have checked for traffic behind you and moved toward the left side of the lane in preparation for your turn. You are within 100 feet of the intersection and have both hands on your brake levers, slowing down to make your turn. A motorist comes speeding towards you from behind and tries to pass you on your left just as you are turning. You end up in the emergency room, and your bicycle is totaled. You file a claim against the motorist's insurance company but they refuse to pay, claiming you were negligent for not signalling your turn.
Current Wisconsin law states that bicyclists have to signal "continuously during not less than the last 50 feet traveled before turning." AB 96 would change this to add that "A signal by the hand and arm need not be given continuously if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle." I watched the scenario above play itself out while I was living in Colorado ten years ago. Fortunately for the bicyclist, Colorado law at that time included the section that AB 96 would add to Wisconsin's law. The court ruled in favor of the bicyclist.
No one is sure when Wisconsin's laws related to bicycling were last updated. Certainly,attitudes about bicycling have changed significantly since it was. Energy crises in the early to mid-1970s marked the start of a change that viewed bicycles more as a form of transportation for adults than simply as a toy for children. National model laws covering bicycling have kept pace with this changing role of bicycles. Unfortunately, Wisconsin's laws have not. Updating Wisconsin's laws is a necessary step in bringing about other changes in engineering, education and enforcement that will benefit Wisconsin bicyclists for years to come.
by Michael D. Barrett and Jim Henkel
AB 96 "The Bicycle Bill" is a legal housekeeping measure. It does nothing to improve the physical infrastructure for cyclists. And unfortunately, the bill is a diversion from what should be the central goal of bicycle advocacy: encouraging people out of their cars and onto their bikes. Ironing out the nuances of the law will do little toward that end. True, the hard-core commuting cyclist might stand a better chance before a judge, but in terms of numbers of commuter cyclists on the road, legal maneuvers will bring about little or no change.
In order to expand bicycle commuting beyond the politically dedicated, a "safe-feeling" bicycle infrastructure must be created. Perceptions are important. Putting the spotlight on the law will not assuage the fears of "potential cycle commuters;" indeed, it may well make matters worse.
The push for bicycle legislation will undoubtedly increase the public's awareness of legal nuances involved in bicycling. Unfortunately, this heightened awareness on the part of the motoring public will most likely serve to further excuse rude behavior by motorists who will feel justified in bringing a "renegade cyclist" into line. Attention focused on the legal front will also increase police attention and enforcement against bicyclists - a group of people who, given the lightness and low speeds of their vehicles, hardly pose a threat to other road users.
The letter of the law is largely irrelevant to the average (as well as above average) bicyclist who must give much more than take on the roadway in order to just stay alive. Being fully and constantly exposed to poorly guided 3000 lb. chunks of metal is reminder enough that, as a cyclist, one will have to yield when it is due (and often when it is not). Legal maneuverings are unlikely to produce net gains in road safety.
Improved bicycle-only, physically separated infrastructure on the other hand, is likely to produce major benefits for all cyclists. Physical separation between motorized and non-motorized traffic removes one of the greatest psychological barriers perceived by "potential bicycle commuters" - i.e., competing with automotive traffic.
Whether the trepidation of riding in traffic is founded or unfounded begs the ultimate question: what will get "the less bold" cyclist to ride during the week? This is important: the more people coaxed out to bike, the more allies we will have on both sides of the windshield. Even if separate lanes get more people to bicycle commute only part of the time, when they do drive they will have an empathetic understanding of the individual on the other side of the windshield.
AB 96 or no AB 96, as long as there is a perception of unsafe conditions for cyclists, the politically uncommitted cyclist is likely to continue to bike only on weekends and then only on cul-de-sac'ed streets or on state rail-trails (after driving to the trailhead). The priority of bicycle advocacy should be these "potential commuters."
by Steve Meiers
Safety Educator, Madison Department of Transportation
Now that the days are getting warmer your child is likely to be spending more time on a bike. The information below will help ensure their rides are safe ones.
Children have limitations that affect their ability to ride safely. Some are physical while others are due to their limited experience with traffic.
Until about the age of 11, children have a narrower field of vision than adults which means that they may not see an approaching car soon enough. Make sure your child turns her head as far as possible when looking left, right and left for traffic to compensate. And she should search slowly so she can process all of this information.
It's impossible for children to see traffic over parked cars. This is obvious to adults, but few children understand why parked cars present a problem. Ideally the child can go down the block and enter the street where they have a clear view. Since this is not possible in many neighborhoods, teach your child to check the parked car to ensure there isn't a driver in it. Tell him to then go to the edge of the vehicle and do the search. Get down to his eye level and search with him for a dramatic understanding of how different the world view of a child is.
Many limitations are due to children's lack of understanding about how traffic works. Kids think merely using hand signals or looking in front of them will ensure their safety when making a left turn. Of course they are wrong. Looking over the left shoulder before going left is a life saving skill. Fortunately, this is also an easy skill to teach. Tell the child to ride in a straight line down the sidewalk. When you call out her name have her look over her shoulder and tell you how many fingers you are holding up. Impress upon her the importance of looking back every time she goes to her left, make a turn, go around a parked car or turn around.
Many adults and children see sidewalks as sanctuaries safe from traffic. Unfortunately, that's a false illusion. In fact about one in three reported crashes in Madison occur on sidewalks or at crosswalks. Drivers exiting driveways have a difficult time seeing bicyclists when bushes are in the way so trim your shrubs and warn your child to slow down when he can't see a driveway.
Controlled intersections can also create a false sense of security. A cyclist riding down the sidewalk thinks that the driver at the stop sign will let them enter the crosswalk. Few motorists look to their right for cyclists coming down the sidewalk. They both proceed and a collision occurs. Tell your child to wave when they see a stopped motorist; if the motorist does not wave back, stop and let the motorist proceed.
Sidewalks belong to pedestrians so cyclists need to slow down and shout "excuse me" before they pass.
Even the safest bicyclist can get involved with a crash so wearing a good fitting helmet, for your child and you, is a must. Make sure the helmet sits level on your head and that you can get only one finger between your chin and chin strap to ensure a good fit.
Bicycling can provide hours of fun and exercise for your child. With your help that time can be safe as well.
For more information or to schedule a bike safety program for your group call Steve Meiers, Madison Department of Transportation, 266-4761.
Dear Bike Psych,
For years I've been a bike commuter, rolling happily through the streets of Madison, doing my best to avoid any unnecessary use of fossil fuels. "After all," I've said repeatedly, "Madison isn't so big, why do I need to burn dinosaurs just to get across town for a jelly donut?" My principal peccadillo was that I rode irresponsibly, darting through intersections against red lights, and brazenly riding at top speed at night without reflector, lights, or a helmet.
Recently, I decided to "go legit," purchasing those recommended safety accessories. For the next few days I proudly sported my recent purchases as a responsible member of the bicycling community. Then disaster struck: I left my headlight and helmet on the bike while it was parked at work, and when I returned in the evening to ride home they were both gone, and with them my faith in humanity. Who would do such a thing? How can I prevent this from happening again?
Faith No More
Dear Faith,
To best cope with this unhappy incident you must take two lessons home with you. First: make sure the next helmet you buy is ugly. Ugly helmets do not get stolen. I have left my helmet on top of an automatic teller machine and come back the next day to retrieve it. It's that ugly!
Next, your bike light. These powerful lamps are fascinating gadgets for school kids on summer break (the likely culprits). It's no wonder they steal them. Try to establish a routine which will help you remember to remove your light when you lock up your bike. You might try affixing a message on the key to your lock. Or how about creating a short, snappy song you sing every time you dismount your bicycle? Something like,
A long ride on a summer night
means quaking knees and tender rump
And if I should forget my light,
Then once again I'll play the chump.
by Drew Szabo
I went to a recent trade show where researchers exhibited an environmentally superior transportation device capable of operating with higher efficiency than all current technologies. In addition, this device depended on solar energy for 50-100 percent of its fuel. Is this a fantasy from a Jules Verne novel? A modern, technological marvel sure to revolutionize our transportation system? Actually, it was none other than a standard road bicycle, sold in bike shops from coast to coast.
With so much concern these days about pollution of air and water, debates about land use and the alarming dependence of the United States on foreign oil, it's important to get a sense of the relative impacts of cycling vs. driving a car.
Consider energy use and carbon dioxide generation. The combustion of all fuels results in the release of carbon dioxide, whose increasing concentration in the atmosphere is believed to lead to global warming. A motor vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon consumes the energy equivalent of 32,000 kilocalories when it travels 30 miles. The combustion of this single gallon results in the release of 20 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere.
What about your bicycle? Yes, it needs energy to run, but only your own. And where do you get your energy? Ultimately, from the sun. Photosynthesis capures solar energy and stores it in plant matter, which you consume and metabolize. The 30 mile trip which required 32,000 kilocalories of fossil fuel input and caused the emission of 20 lbs of CO2 would require 730 kilocalories of fuel for a corn-fed cyclist, and would result in the release of 0.5 lbs of CO2. That's about 4 % of the impact caused by driving. And the cyclist doesn't have to drive to the health club to get in shape...
Great Newspaper! Glad to see you've got it up and running.
-Mike Miller, River Falls.
Congratulations. I thought it was really polished for an inagural issue and seemed to have just the right blend of news, information, commentary and advertising. The goals and mission statement you compiled were succinct but excellent, while your introductory article was also very informative. After reading about AB 96 it seems clear that the passage of this bill should be of paramount importance at this time. Some sort of helmet legislation, while still a concern, would not seem to merit the same attention. Above all, what we need to do is to protect our rights to use the road. I feel this is especially true with the vast onslaught of trails being constructed throughout the state. I can't help but think that one day some legislator is going to say "now that we've spent so much money on all of these trails, it's time to get cyclists on them and off the roads!" It's a scary thought, but not so far-fetched in my estimation.
The point-counterpoint page between Arthur Ross and Jay Windahl was also very enlightening. Different though they were, after reading each article I said to myself "yup, he's right." Jay's somewhat biting comments seemed to be borne out by the civic center situation in Madison and the lack of temporary bike provisions. Even though this is supposedly one of the most progressive cities for cyclists in this country, when conflict arises the motorists needs will usually reign supreme. Jay points out that as cyclists, we have to act almost apologetically for being on the road, which should not be the case. I hope that the main thrust of our efforts remains the legal use of the roads, and to a lesser extent, bike pathways. I feel this should be our overriding concern, so that we never lose what we've gained thus far.
Continued good luck in preparing the newsletter and intensifying your advocacy efforts. If the first issue was any indication, we should have a bright future ahead of us.
-Doug Kowalski, L.A.B. Area Rep. Franklin, WI
Your suggestions, comments, and letters to the editor are welcome. Please send submissions to:
The Wisconsin Bicyclist
P.O. Box 1224
Madison, WI 53701-1224
by Peter Flucke
If you ride a bicycle, chances are you have a story about a run-in with a cop. Perhaps you got a ticket while riding, even though you weren't breaking the law. Or maybe you felt you weren't treated fairly when you were in a crash, or you got no response when you reported being harassed by a motorist. Every cyclist, it seems, has a story to tell.
Much of the responsibility for a safe and enjoyable bicycling environment falls on the shoulders of law enforcement. Not only are police officers responsible for enforcing laws which affect bicycle safety, but they also respond to and report on bicycle crashes, investigate and try to prevent bicycle thefts, teach bicycle safety classes, and more.
Do the police understand the needs, rights and responsibilities of bicyclists? What about the responsibilities of motorists towards bicyclists? Granted, there will always be some officers who are more responsive to cyclists' needs than others, but the average is not good.
All police officers in the state of Wisconsin are required to complete 400 hours of basic police training. During that initial 400 hours of training, they receive 10 hours of instruction in traffic law. During this 10 hours, there is no time dedicated to the discussion of bicycle laws. Nor is there any mention of bicycles elsewhere in their basic training.
No doubt, 400 hours is hardly enough time to teach a new police officer the basic skills they will need to survive on the street, let alone the skills they will need to excel in their jobs. But police officers will also have to deal with bicyclists on a regular basis, and without recieving specific training, it is unrealistic to expect that they will be able to make good decisions.
So if there is no time in basic training for bicycle education, when and where do officers receive it? For the most part, currently, they don't.
However, this is about to change. The WisDOT Office of Transportation Safety is currently pilot-testing the "Bicycle Education Curriculum For Wisconsin Police Officers.". When finished this 16-hour course will be available to all police officers in the state through the technical college system. Wisconsin is one of the first states in the country to provide this type of training for its police officers.
While this is an exciting development in promoting understanding of bicycling issues within the law enforcement community, the training is not required. It is up to the chief or sheriff in each department to decide if the training is worth investing time and training dollars in. These public officials respond to the needs and desires of the communities thay they serve. As bicyclists, we must demand that the police officers serving them be trained to respond to their needs.
For more information on the "Bicycle Education Curriculum for Wisconsin Police Officers", contact Joanne Pruitt-Thunder at the WisDOT office of Transportation Safety, (608) 267-3154.
by Steve Clark
Norman Peterson didn't start riding a bike until eight years ago when he turned forty. Today, he says he's in better shape than when he was thirty. And, indicative of a convert, he's passionate about his transportation choice:
"I hate cars. I get tired of people who talk nonsense about how they love their cars; they even have names for them. They care more about their cars than their children, I think. Bikes make a lot more sense."
While one might expect such strong sentiments from a bike commuter powered by the toxic fumes of a car-crazed city, it's not something you normally hear from somebody from rural Wisconsin. Especially not from a person in Norman's profession.
Norman makes his living fine-tuning cars.
When he first started using his bike four years ago to pick up car parts for his shop, his arrival was met with "incredulity." Typical comments were, "You mean you're on a motorcycle, right?" or "look at that, the car mechanic can't even keep his own car running." But now everyone he deals with has come to take it for granted, and perhaps even secretly admires him for it.
On a typical trip, Peterson will ride 15 to 20 miles. That might have something to do with the incredulity. He might have as much as 30 to 40 pounds of parts to bring back to his shop with him. "The only things I need the car for are heavy flywheels and head assemblies, but that will change when I get a bike trailer," Peterson says.
Skip Olson, a physical therapist at the nearby hospital, describes Peterson as "a great mechanic -- even if he is partial to bikes."
"I don't disagree with him," Olson continues, "I'm just not as brave."
It pays not to disagree with Norman. Show your support for bicycling and he'll give you a 10 percent discount on both parts and service. Showing your support means displaying a bumper sticker on your car with a "share the road with bicyclists" message. Never mind if you don't know where to get such a bumper sticker. Norman has a supply of them. Before you sign the check he'll ask you if you want to reduce your bill, with a half-peeled bumper sticker in his hand, and a broad smile on his face.
"It's really a small thing, this campaign, but it's something I can do, and I do think it makes a difference. I mean, when I'm riding my bike I'm starting to see more and more cars with those bumper stickers. And of course they're the ones that slow down and wave; it makes it worthwhile."
The Wisconsin Bicyclist is published four times per year by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Send submissions to:
BFW
PO Box 1224
Madison, WI 53701-1224
Ph.(608)251-4456
Executive Editor: Marcia Miquelon
Production Manager: Heather Putnam
Copy Editors: Michael Barrett, Steve Cayford
Layout Editor: Cheryl Seurinck
Calendar Editor: Steve Cayford
Technical Support: Scott Rose
Photography: Marcia Miquelon, Steve Clark
Artwork: Dieter Bingemann, Amy Lynch
Ad Sales: Marcia Miquelon
Contributors: Michael Barrett, Steve Clark, Peter Flucke, Kit
Keller, Rob Kennedy, Doug Kowalski, Thomas Meaux, Steve Meiers, Mike
Miller, Marcia Miquelon, Heather Putnam, Arthur Ross, Tracy Saffran,
Steven Sparks, Drew Szabo, Jack Taft
Here is volume 1, number 1, of the Wisconsin Bicyclist, which was published in Spring 1995.