Upcoming adventures in lobbying and legislation

Well, it's about time to get into the busy season of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy. It looks like we're going to have the opportunity to really make a statement about Cincinnati's commitment to bicycles being used for transportation with a push to get City Council to adopt a comprehensive set of bicycle safety ordinances. The personal is definitely political on this one: I had a car door opened into me while riding my bicycle home from work when I lived in Chicago. If Chicago had not passed a set of bicycle safety ordinances a few weeks before the crash, I would have been left holding medical bills in excess of $8,000. Cincinnati has almost no protection for bicyclists in the event of a crash, and in order for people to feel safe on the road they need to know that the City supports their right to be on the road. Bicyclists hit by automobiles lately have been labeled as "pedestrians on a bike in a crosswalk" when making left turns. I am not out to excuse anyone's bad behavior on the road, but having protections in place and educating the police force is important for our community's attempt to become a bicycle friendly community.

Here's a copy of what we're trying to make happen, courtesy of the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Active Transportation Alliance:

Chicago bike safety ordinances (2008)

View as a PDF

These ordinances are located in the Municipal Code of Chicago, Title 9: Vehicles, Traffic and Rail Transportation.

Penalties for Bicycle Safety Violations 9-4-025

• This section establishes fines for violating the following proposed ordinances.
• Each violation will be classified as a petty offence with a $150.00 fine, increasing to a $500.00 fine if the motorist violation results in a bicycle crash.

Failure to Exercise Due Care 9-40-160

• Includes bicyclists under the existing ordinance that protects pedestrians from careless driving.
• Brings consistency with a similar Illinois statute. See 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.
• Simplifies procedure for police to issue tickets and for prosecutors to bring charges when bicyclists are struck by motorists.

Turning Left or Right in Front of a Bicyclist 9-16-020 (e), (f)

• Clarifies that motorists must yield to bicyclists when turning left at an intersection, as they would to any other approaching vehicle.
• Prohibits a right turn in front of a bicyclist, similar to the Illinois statute prohibiting a right turn in front of a mass transit bus. See 625 ILCS 5/11-801(c).

Overtaking a Bicyclist at an Unsafe Distance 9-36-010 (c)

• Defines 3 feet as the minimum safe distance for motorists to leave when overtaking any bicycle or person on the roadway.
• Brings consistency with a similar, new Illinois statute. See 625 ILCS 5/11-703 (d).

Opening a Vehicle Door into the Path of a Bicyclist 9-80-035

• Brings consistency with a similar, existing Illinois statute that prohibits opening a vehicle door into moving traffic. See 625 ILCS 5/11-1407.

Driving, Standing or Parking in Bike Lanes or Marked Shared Lanes 9-40-060

• Increases the existing fine for driving, parking or standing in bike lanes (see bottom left) from $100.00 to $150.00, the first increase for this violation since its establishment in 1999.
• Establishes a $150.00 penalty for double parking in a marked shared lane because of the danger to bicyclists.

We'll also be starting a big push to improve "broken windows" policing in Cincinnati, which will hopefully include more on street traffic policing.