Eight years ago today, Rachael Maney became the Director of Bike Law and helped co‑found the Bike Law Foundation, our non-profit arm. Today, we celebrate her success in transforming Bike Law from a national network of bicycle crash lawyers into a leading voice in bicycle advocacy and safety. When Rachael joined, Bike Law’s focus was…
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Rachael: 8 Years At Bike Law!
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Paul, My Brother, Rest in Peace.
If there’s one thing we know at Bike Law, it’s that behind every cycling fatality there’s grief and a longing for justice. And sometimes justice is just understanding what happened. Paul Rucker’s story reminds us of the importance of putting aside assumptions and finding the truth. Paul wasn’t perfect. None of us are. But his family…
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Iowa Bicycle Light Law: An Update
Senate File 424 is working its way through the Iowa legislature. If passed, the bill would require bicyclists in Iowa to use a white headlight and red tail light when riding a bicycle at night. Currently Iowa law only requires bicyclists to use a white headlight with either a red rear reflector or a red…
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The Left Cross: cyclists seen with eyes, but not brain
I/Bruce had 2 new clients come in last week within a few hours of each other. Both had almost identical stories of drivers headed the opposite direction making left turns directly in front of them (aka, the “Left Cross”), causing the cyclist to slam into the passenger side of the vehicle. Both clients were very…
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Bike Law changes afoot in NC?
North Carolina’s Rules of the Road are not very clear in how they pertain to bicycles. That’s why I wrote the Ride Guide. However, we do have favorable laws that allow bicyclists to use the road in a safe manner – taking the lane when the bicyclist determines it is the safest thing to do and…
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Teamwork on the bike and on a case
Teamwork is the fuel that spins the cyclist’s wheels ever faster. The peloton will always be faster than a single rider. A break with numbers is more likely to succeed than a solo effort. And an individual time trial will never be as fast as a team time trial with each teammate contributing an equal…
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The 2015 National Bike Summit
Bicyclists from across the country swarmed Washington D.C. last week to attend the 2015 National Bike Summit. At the event, dedicated bicycle advocates discussed the current state of affairs and the future of bicycling in the U.S. Also, this year’s summit marked the launch of a strategic partnership between Bike Law and the summit’s host, The League…
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Charlotte Bike Advocacy Moving Forward!
Earlier this week we posted an article about bike groups and mentioned the Knight Foundation’s $600,000 commitment to improve and increase bicycling in Charlotte. Back in November, the Knight Foundation brought together about 60 of us who are passionate about bicycling in Charlotte. What happened was that: “Key themes emerged: Charlotte needs more cycling events to…
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More Room for Bikers with the Passage of Another 3-Foot Pass Law
The family of Amy Bennett pushed hard to get the measure passed. Bike Law is honored to represent them. Earlier this week, another state legislature voted in favor of a bill that will protect bicyclists from being clipped from behind by passing cars and trucks. The Wyoming bill dubbed HB-85 requires motorists to give bicyclists at least…
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Some Great Clubs in NC (and a Vacuum)
A few nights ago I/Ann was the speaker for the Boone Area Cyclists’ annual meeting. It was amazing! But I knew that about the club before I went there. One of the things that is so impressive about the Boone Area Cyclists is that they seem to have equally enthusiastic contingents of commuters, roadies and mountain bikers.…
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Mardi Gras in New Orleans (by Bike)
On one Tuesday each year, the streets are closed in New Orleans while parades roll. Mardi Gras Day showcases the krewes of Zulu and Rex, two of the oldest and most iconic parades, rolling down St. Charles Avenue. Not surprisingly, thick crowds turn out to watch Rex’s procession of hand-made floats (assembled this way since…
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Colorado Bike Summit
As a lawyer representing injured cyclists and President of Team Evergreen Cycling, I attended the Colorado Bike Summit on February 9-10, 2015. This is a great networking event for all members of the cycling community that included members of the State and Local Government, Bicycle Shops, Bicycle Manufacturers, Bicycle Clothing Companies, Bicycle Event Planners, and advocates…
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Colorado Bike Legislative Update
Colorado State Senator Larry Crowder (R-Alamosa) has sponsored a bill in the Colorado Senate specifically authorizing the use of state lottery funds towards the construction of bicycle trails throughout the state. This bill specifically adds recreational bicycle trails as one of the enumerated outdoor recreational improvement categories for which state lottery funds may be spent.…
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Educating the Police about Bicycling
NC bike advocate Dr. Steven Goodridge explains how. In her August blog post Police & Cyclists, Ann Groninger described some of the problems faced by cyclists when police don’t understand or respect bicyclists’ legal rights. Because most police obtain no special training about bicycling, they share many of the same misconceptions and biases as the general…
