Come Jan. 2, there will be plenty of fear and loathing in the St. Louis metropolitan area. That's the day when Highway 40 -- that's what the locals call Interstate 64-U.S. 40 -- closes for a major construction project. The highway will not be completely open again until Dec. 31, 2009.
Since Highway 40 is a major traffic artery for the St. Louis region, there is much concern about how people are going to get around. Traffic experts hope that people will turn to Metro, the St. Louis area's mass transit system, hope that employers offer work-at-home or flexible schedules or use alternative means of transportation, including the bicycle.
But they also suspect most people will simply find different routes to drive their cars. Highway officials already have or are making plans to create more lanes for vehicles.
And that's what concerns many members of the cycling community. An article in this week's Suburban Journals addresses that issue. One cyclist who regularly commutes in St. Louis County already reports more difficulties in riding his bike on Clayton Road, one of the roads that will be carrying part of the load from Highway 40.
Stephanie Leon Streeter, manager of the highway planning division of the St. Louis County Highways and Traffic Department, said roads the are being remarked to add lanes will remain available to bicyclists because they have a legal right to be on road because of state statutes.
"These roads are certainly open to bicyclists, but this does not mean these routes are ideal, especially with the amount of traffic, which will be historic, when Highway 40 closes," Streeter told the Suburban Journals.
Trailnet is working with St. Louis County officials to develop alternative bicycle routes between Spoede Road and Forest Park in St. Louis that are safer than the roads that are being remarked.
The increase of motorists on roads that are now popular with cyclists, and the possibility there will be more people riding their bikes as a means of transportation, raises concerns about conflicts between motorists and cyclists.
A recent letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Along for the Ride column shows the conflict. One writer, Jerry F., wrote this:Conway Road seems to have become the exclusive path of bicyclists on weekends and many late afternoons. Many times they refuse to move to the right of a very narrow two-lane road so cars can get by. When Highway 40 shuts down, putting more automobiles on Conway, I am quite concerned about the safety of both bicyclists and drivers. Is there anything that can be done to restrict the bicycles to certain times on Conway, or restrict bicyclists to parts of Conway that might be a little wider?It's clear from this letter that motorists need to learn to know that Missouri allows bicycles on most roads in the state. The Missouri Bicycle Federation has plenty of resources that explains state bicycle laws and how they pertain to cyclists and motorists alike.
A recent case in Webster Groves, Mo., has raised some doubts whether law enforcement officials in St. Louis County are aware of the laws. The case was bantered over in the STLBiking.com forum, and the Suburban Journals took a look at it:Rachel Abbott of Glendale had an experience all her own that she thinks went against state statutes that allow her to be on the road with motorists.My take on that and other similar situations is that the police officers in question may simply be ignorant of traffic laws and how they apply to cyclists. I'm sure there are a few officers who don't like bicyclists and would rather see us stay off the road, but I'm inclined to cut the vast majority of officers slack. They have an awful lot they have to remember, and cycling traffic laws likely are a low priority for them.
She said that on Dec. 3 she was cycling home from work on Kirkham Road, just East of Elm Avenue in Webster Groves.
"At 5:40 p.m. a police officer turned on his lights and pulled me over," Abbott said. "When I questioned about my offense, he said I can't be riding on the street 10 miles per hour impeding traffic, and that I had to ride on the sidewalk. This was confusing to me because I was riding all the way to the right, and there are two lanes of traffic flowing in each direction."
She told the officer her understanding of what he was saying was that she could not ride on the road.
Abbott told the officer she had been commuting for years and had never been informed of this law.
"When I questioned him, he threatened me with a ticket. He asked for my identification and in a controlling manner said, 'Now, are you going to ride on the sidewalk?'"
She just shook her head yes and got out of there, she said.
Abbott did not obtain the name of the officer.
Webster Groves Police Chief Dale Curtis said Abbott's complaint is legitimate if the officer suggested that she ride her bicycle on the sidewalk.
"Telling someone to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk is not correct," he said.
Curtis said the police officer does have the right to instruct bicyclists to get off the road if they are impeding traffic.
He said after hearing about this incident, the supervisory staff is reviewing the state statutes on bicycle use with officers during briefing sessions.
Patty Vinyard, the acting executive director of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, agrees.
"Individual police officers, like the public at large, may or may not be fully aware of the law as it pertains to bicycling on the roadways," she said in a recent e-mail statement to me. "Training materials and courses for law enforcement are available from NHTSA and other sources, and we would be happy to assist local police departments in making bike safety training available to their officers."
She pointed out resources for police officers that are available through the League of Illinois Bicyclists. I wrote about those recently. While they are written especially for Illinois law enforcement officials, there are enough similarities between Illinois and Missouri law that the principles could benefit officers in Missouri.
Patty and I are in full agreement that more, and more effective, bike education is needed for bicyclists, motorists and police.
I also would add in closing that is if we cyclists expect motorists and police officers to accept that we have a right to the road, we in turn must be responsible cyclists and follow the law as well.Labels: advocacy, commuting, cycling, safety, St. Louis
Roger 3 comments links to this post 12:09 AM
Find out about the latest cycling news here!
Bicycle racing feeds
» Mistimed sprint costs Gerrans at Paris - Nice
03/06/12 22:41 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» Devo Wrap: Guarnier garners recognition
03/06/12 21:50 from USA Cycling News Headlines
» Pro Bike: Lotto-Belisol's Ridley Noah FAST and Helium
03/06/12 21:15 from VeloNews
» Colombia-Coldeportes excited for Tirreno-Adriatico WorldTour baptism
03/06/12 21:10 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» The revised inside ride
03/06/12 20:38 from VeloNews
» Cancellara to prioritise Olympics over Tour de France
03/06/12 19:50 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» Valverde wins Paris-Nice 3rd stage; Wiggins leads (AP)
03/06/12 18:35 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» Relaxed Valverde's efforts paying off on Paris-Nice (Reuters)
03/06/12 18:27 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» Nuyens to miss Tour of Flanders
03/06/12 18:20 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» Hushovd getting race rhythm at Paris-Nice
03/06/12 18:12 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» Paris-Nice third stage result/standings (Reuters)
03/06/12 18:10 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» Wiggins retains Paris-Nice lead
03/06/12 18:00 from BBC Sport | Other Sports | Cycling | World Edition
» Graham Watson gallery: Paris-Nice stage 3
03/06/12 17:37 from VeloNews
» Valverde: Weâre going to take it to them all the way to Nice
03/06/12 17:33 from VeloNews
» Scinto: we don't need Cipollini
03/06/12 17:24 from Cyclingnews News Headlines
» 2012 Masters Track National Championships date changed
03/06/12 17:21 from USA Cycling News Headlines
» Nuyens doubtful for Flanders with hip fracture
03/06/12 17:13 from VeloNews
» Valverde wins stage as promised, Wiggins retains lead (Reuters)
03/06/12 16:12 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» âSuper Marioâ making comeback?
03/06/12 16:08 from VeloNews
» Valverde takes stage, Wiggins still ahead
03/06/12 15:47 from Yahoo! Sport - Cycling
» Lance Armstrong Added to UB Distinguished Speakers Series - UB News Center
03/06/12 20:13 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» When nonprofits become fundraising behemoths - Minnesota Public Radio
03/06/12 04:09 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong Foundation Celebrates New Four Star Rating by Charity Navigator - Marketwire (press release)
03/05/12 11:03 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» LiveStrong's Trademark Bullying Record Revealed - Daily Beast
03/05/12 09:50 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong & Matthew McConaughey get on board, the Roses hit Broadway and ... - CultureMap Houston
03/02/12 20:26 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Red Sox vs Lance Armstrong: Which lead does your program follow? - Colloquy.com (blog)
02/27/12 15:02 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong Gives Ironman Impetus for First Live TV Coverage in U.S. - Bloomberg
02/21/12 05:23 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong campaigns for California cigarette tax measure - Los Angeles Times
02/16/12 04:47 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong charity gives $1.5 million to support state tobacco tax initiative - San Jose Mercury News
02/15/12 19:18 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong finishes second in Panama triathlon - USA TODAY
02/13/12 15:41 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Cycling gains momentum in Elk Grove Village
03/06/12 22:41 from activetrans.org
» BTA leader calls out UO football players' dangerous driving record
03/06/12 21:23 from BikePortland.org
» Nuts & Bolts: March 2012 Adventure Cyclist
03/06/12 19:00 from Adventure Cycling Association
» In Washington County, advocacy happens during happy hour
03/06/12 18:15 from BikePortland.org
» Senate to Vote on MAP-21
03/06/12 13:49 from Bikeleague.org Blog
» A Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day
03/06/12 12:00 from Adventure Cycling Association
» Builders boost business at NAHBS
03/06/12 00:42 from BikePortland.org
» PBOT goes back to the drawing board on Terwilliger/Condor fix
03/05/12 21:54 from BikePortland.org
» More from NAHBS: Hunter's mountain trekker, MAP's old/new rando, and the 'Alcohauler'
03/05/12 19:39 from BikePortland.org
» Tahoe on Her Mind
03/05/12 19:00 from Adventure Cycling Association
» Thank you for making the Chicago Bike Swap a success!
03/05/12 17:03 from activetrans.org
» The Monday Roundup
03/05/12 16:35 from BikePortland.org
» Chicago gears up for 2012 Cultural Plan
03/05/12 15:39 from activetrans.org
» Inn-to-Inn with a Twist
03/05/12 12:00 from Adventure Cycling Association
» Meet Shinya Tanaka; America's handmade bike ambassador to Japan
03/05/12 09:25 from BikePortland.org
» Ride with the Lord Mayor of Dublin Ireland
03/06/12 19:30 from Cyclelicious
» W.L. Gore recalls bike brake cables
03/06/12 19:00 from Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring and More
» Summer jobs and bikes
03/06/12 18:34 from Cyclelicious
» Leipheimer off to a good start at Paris-Nice with new team
03/06/12 16:07 from Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring and More
» The Streets of New Lisbon
03/06/12 04:04 from The Spokesrider
» Canon, Calvinball and Bikes
03/05/12 18:00 from Cyclelicious
» Bicycle builders win awards in Sacramento
03/05/12 16:32 from Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring and More
» SPD casual street shoes at NAHBS
03/05/12 16:17 from Cyclelicious
» Japan crew at NAHBS 2012
03/05/12 16:00 from Cyclelicious
» Gates carbon belt drive in colors!
03/05/12 15:00 from Cyclelicious
» 1888 full suspension replica bike
03/04/12 21:43 from Cyclelicious
» Allesandro Pizzuti – Pitz!
03/04/12 20:47 from Cyclelicious
» NAHBS: Square and Profane
03/04/12 20:10 from Cyclelicious
» NAHBS 2012 weekend photos
03/04/12 16:00 from Cyclelicious
» Bikes As Transportation blog
03/03/12 16:30 from Cyclelicious
» I Believe I May Be The Best Cyclist In The World
03/06/12 17:29 from Fat Cyclist
» A Shadow of our Future Selves
03/06/12 10:15 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Behind the Scene
03/05/12 05:00 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Rise and Shine
03/04/12 21:14 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Steady progress
03/04/12 17:45 from Up in Alaska
» Attitude Adjustment
03/04/12 02:13 from Dan On Bike
» Beat heads into the Burn
03/03/12 19:07 from Up in Alaska
» Taking this show on the road
03/03/12 07:17 from Up in Alaska
» Walk'in
03/03/12 05:00 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Broadcast Your Love
03/02/12 13:16 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» My fault
03/01/12 21:20 from Up in Alaska
» First Round
03/01/12 20:03 from Fat Cyclist
» Left, Right, Centre
03/01/12 18:36 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Under the Covers
02/29/12 21:27 from Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen. Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels
» Little Sister
02/29/12 19:21 from Fat Cyclist
Cycling blogs
Other blogs of note
Archives