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Page A6
March 8. 2006
In Portland, Bikes Are Here To Stay
continued
from Front
north Portland reduced car trips there by
nine percent.
Creating more bike commuters means
those behind the wheel must get used to
. cyclists and share the road.
Ray Thomas, one of the city’s top bike
advocates, has legally represented cy­
clists since 1981. He’s tried to push pro­
gressive bike laws through Oregon legis­
lature for more than 20 years, only recently
succeeding. 2005 saw substantial changes
in bike laws, allowing cyclists to pass cars
on the right and leave bike lanes to make
' a left turn.
Thomas attributes the new laws to a
shift in the politically conservative atti­
tude. Republicans ride bikes now, jo in ­
ing the ranks of the formerly alienated.
15 years ago, the bike scene included
hard-core racers, down and out types
who couldn't drive and the pre-pubes-
cent. Now even the mayor rides in C riti­
cal Mass, an activist cycling group.
“As the demographics change, what
you see is that people treat us differently,”
Thomas said. “It’s not just some bike freak
covered in Lycra coming into my office
whining at me.”
Expect more progression on the Port­
land bike front, especially as the weather
improves and people drag their 10-
speeds out of the garage. M eanwhile,
visit ww w .BikePortland.org for politi­
cal updates, w w w .Shifttobikes.org for
pure biking joy, and www.zoobomb.org
if you’re insane about cycling.
photo by I saiah
Bicycle Safety, Resources Help
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
Thfere are an overwhelming number of
resources for cyclists on the Web, but the
Bicycle Transportation Alliance website
is a good p lace to sta rt. V isit
www.bta4bikes.org andclick on the legal
resources page to download “Pedal
Power: A Legal Guide for Oregon Bicy­
clists.”
Written by bike advocate Ray Tho­
mas, the guide is an excellent tool cover­
ing laws, maps, guidebooks, classes and
i
B ouie /T he P ortland O bserver
A cyclist in north Portland passes one of several new signs for bicycle commuters giving distances and timelines for nearby landmarks. The bike-friendly street
signs are a new standard; one the city hopes will encourage people to ride more often.
other things to ensure an easy ride.
If you would rather not delve into the
legalese of bike culture and just want a
painless ride across town, the following
cardinal rules of urban biking could dra­
matically decrease accidents and driver
aggression:
W ear a helmet and a headlight. Weara
helmet, enough said. As for lights, when
riding at night, you can’t be visible enough.
Oregon law requires bicycles to have a
white light in front, and a red reflector or
light to the rear during “limited visibility
conditions.” It’s best to carry more than
the minimum. You can also affix special
lights to bicycle spokes and tire valves.
Reflective strips come on ankle straps,
vests, jackets and bike-specific bags.
Overdo It, look like a flying circus, and
light up at dusk and on dark days.
Honk. Riding without a horn or audible
bell can leave you silently skidding, white
knuckles on your handbrakes, into a car
that has no clue yop exist. A motorist on
a collision course with your bike may not
see you, but at least they’ll hear you.
Ride farther left. This keeps you the
most visible in traffic. When you ride
very close to the curb you send the
message to drivers that they d o n 't have
to share the road. A carcan intimidate or
nearly knock you over when zipping
past while you’re in a tight space. If you
find yourself placed you between the
twin dangers o f the curb and heavy
traffic, choose another street. Chances
are, there’s a quieter route nearby with
more room for a safer ride.
Mind car doors. This is acommon acci­
dent that never ends well. Car doors fly
out, even into bike lanes, catching speedy
bikers off guard. Drive slowly on streets
lined with parked cars and keep an eye on
each window as you pass.
Give ‘em the eye. As a cyclist you
should assume, when passing in front of
a car, the driver doesn’t see you until you
lock eyes. Eye contact is especially im­
portant if the driver is too busy looking at
cars, waiting to pull out into traffic.
Carefully respond to driver aggres­
sion. If a driver seriously harasses or
injures you, call the cops. If the situation
isn’t dire, Thomas suggests taking their
license plate number and contacting the
bicycle alliance, which can obtain the
driver’s name and address. You can write
the driver a letter, drafting your own
version or ifsing a form provided by the
organization.