Two years ago, on a family trip to Switzerland, my wife and I rented two electric-assisted mountain bikes, or e-MTBs, to tackle some steep trails near the Matterhorn. The salesperson said, in no uncertain terms, that the new e-MTBs were the way of the future, and we should give them a try. So we did. …
-
From Winner to Advocate: One Cyclist’s E-Bike Journey
-
Turning Tragedy into Advocacy
Following a horrific bicycle crash in 2016, Dr. Michael Rifkin has become a new type of bicycling advocate — one who is deeply committed to ending distracted driving. Read his op-ed on Making Distracted Driving in Maine Taboo here. Dr. Rifkin’s piece reminds us that we can be distracted by our phones and other electronic devices even…
-
Ensuring Prosecution Against Drivers in Colorado
From a slap on the wrist to a revoked license. How a thorough investigation resulted in justice. On November 21, 2017, I saw a TV news story about how the Broomfield District Attorney’s Office was routinely offering lax plea deals to drivers that injure cyclists. In bicycle crash cases with injuries, the DA was offering plead deals…
-
JOB OPENING: Atlanta’s Bike Czar
Who is looking for a great job in a dynamic city with a great opportunity to make bicycle advocacy not just a passion, but a full time, rewarding and well-paying job? The City of Atlanta is in search of a a new Chief Bicycle Officer to replace the outgoing CBO, Superstar Becky Katz, who after…
-
Philadelphia Takes Vision Zero Seriously
Joe Reports On Best Practices Piscitello Law – Bike Law PA is pleased to share highlights from the third annual Vision Zero conference, held March 17 in West Philadelphia. The event was hosted by Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition and opening remarks by the Executive Director Sarah Clark Stuart encouraged 250 participants to “listen, learn and be…
-
Are All Bicycle Crashes Reported?
No, they are not. And they should be! The first issue is that many bicycle crashes are not being reported into the State of Maine Crash Database, which leads to incomplete and inaccurate state-wide crash reporting data and arguably also leads to uninformed priority setting and budgetary decisions. The crashes that are unreported and/or underreported…
-
Vision Zero in Philadelphia
Compared to peer cities with established Vision Zero policies, Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of traffic-related deaths per 100,000 residents. Vision Zero (VZ) is multi-nation initiative with a guiding principle that death and serious injury should not be an acceptable outcome of transportation. Vision Zero plans often draw attention to flaws within the…
-
Three-Foot Passing Law in Alabama
Statutory Ambiguity, Double-Yellow Lines, and a Bicycle Unfriendly State I will not pretend to speak for all cyclists, but I feel pretty confident in saying that being passed by cars on the road is a primary area of concern. Most of the time there is no problem and the vehicle passes safely. Nevertheless, I personally…
-
National Bike Summit 2018
Dockless Bikeshare & Proving Safe Passing Through Technology The star of the 2018 LAB Summit was hands down dockless bikeshare. Prior to even picking up their nametags at the registration booth, summit attendees encountered the wealth of dockless options available to them as a result of DC’s dockless bikeshare trial period, which is nearing the…
-
Best Bike Laws in the Country? Check Out Delaware.
In October 2017, Delaware’s governor signed the Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act, placing into state law cutting-edge, pro-bike reforms. We understand the importance of good Rules of the Road when it comes to protecting cyclists in court. Clear and robust traffic laws are not only essential for court cases but also play a crucial role in…
-
Dan Masterson – Winning Twice on a Single Day
On Friday, December 15, 2017, Dan Masterson accomplished something few cyclists have ever achieved. He made two noteworthy and significant contributions to the Michigan Bicycling Community. To understand these contributions, one needs to first understand a little about Dan and the circumstances that placed him in a position to make a positive impact for cyclists…
-
Yes to Road Riding
In his December 7th piece, Aaron Gully (the bike-test director of Outside Magazine) asks whether road riding is worth the risk. Aaron wrote the piece after he was hit by a car on a short section of road between two off-road trails. Fortunately, his injuries were relatively minor, but the experience led him to question whether…
-
The Liability for Failing to Maintain a Bike Path
How much protection do Illinois municipalities have from liability for failing to maintain a dangerous bicycle path? In a decision handed down last week, the Illinois Supreme Court held that cities and towns in our state have quite a lot of protection. However, overturning a 1996 decision by the Illinois appellate court, the Supreme Court…