In search of a champion to win over the (Anti-)Environmental Matters Committee

I sincerely hope this does NOT end up being a well publicized "named bill", that is, a bill that is finally passed due to the death of a person who might have lived had it passed earlier. Keep that in mind as you voice your concerns to your state representatives. An excerpt from my letter.... I am sadden to hear that this bill is having difficulty passing. In a day in age that our government seems preoccupied with matters unrelated to what matters most, the safety and wellness of the members it represents, I can not fathom why there is difficulty in passing a law that: (1) Saves lives. (2) Incurs little or no financial burden on the people they represent or local / state government. (3) Helps direct the state onto a pathway for cleaner air, reduced global warming gases. (4) Helps reduce medical costs and increases average state productivity scores. Passing this law will help save the lives of cyclists in this state. This is not conjecture, but statistically proven. And by supporting this bill you help reduce the fear non-riders have about cycling on Maryland roads and help promote this healthy commuting and recreational activity. Just this past week, I was almost killed by an 18 wheeled vehicle on Woodbine Rd in southern Carroll county. While riding as far right as possible, this massive truck decided he could pass me without crossing the yellow line. As its front wheels passed me at no more than 6 inches from my face the driver then proceeded to move back over to the right side of the lane, forcing me to swerve off the pavement and into a ditch as his right wheels crossed over the white fog line and off the pavement themselves.... -TH

Dear X, Thanks for your e-mail in regard to safety on the highway with bicyclists. I agree with your reasoning about the health activities associated with bicycling, but I get a lot of mail and calls in regard to how vehicles have to come nearly to a stop because a cyclist is riding near the yellow line. I feel society needs to work together on this issue. Paul Stull

Just for additional ideas, we shouldn't all send the same email or they get discounted but here is the email I sent to my reps, Bobo and Malone. If you have different reps, perhaps you might want to adapt if for your own emails: Greetings Representative Bobo, First of all, thank you for being so responsive in the past when I have brought up issues which are important to your constituency. I think that House Bill 143 is a big one and while I only contact you every few years, this bill designating a 3' passing space or "bubble" for cyclists is important to me and should be to everyone. I am assaulted on virtually EVERY single ride in Howard County at least once by someone in a truck or SUV (mostly) who ignores me on my bike and barges past way too close. Yes, we need to educate our drivers better on how to overtake but there also needs to be legal protection when car/truck drivers endanger or harm cyclists. I really do not understand how there could be so much resistance to such a bill except that all of those against it have never ridden a bicycle for fun or transportation on Maryland secondary roads and experienced the problems first hand. I ride my bikes 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year, mostly in Howard County. I just returned from a two-plus week to Los Angeles and rode my bike out there. In direct comparison, there are a number of observations. In Orange County (South of LA) which is an area very similar to the suburban areas in Howard County, there are actual bike lanes on most roads to the right and (very important) they are kept clean so they can be used properly. OK, so that is great and probably a very, very long way off here (but a goal to be sure). Second, even in LA city proper, they clean EVERY street (to the curb), EVERY week (they require cars to be off one side, one day each week) and therefore cyclists can actually ride far to the right without the overwhelming amount of debris, broken glass, sticks, road trash we have virtually EVERYWHERE on Maryland roads which prevent riding on "the Fog" (white line) or to the right of it in the few places where there is actually a shoulder/quasi bike lane there. Trust me, you wouldn't drive your car on what is found on the shoulder in Maryland or you would be stopping to fix flat tires every five miles. Clearly, we can't use that space either unless action is taken to address cleaning our roads. We need to encourage MORE people to use bikes instead of cars for short trips around town. My wife will not ride because of close calls. I use my bike around Columbia often to go to the banks, post office, etc. and, quite frankly, it is about the same amount of time as doing it in a car, much more fun and better for me and the environment. If I get hit by an overtaking car or driven off the road, it negates all of the benefits. I want to highlight two aspects of cycling and cars in HC, MD that many may overlook. First, is that the overtaking vehicle has a choice. Any delay by pausing until oncoming traffic clears and passing with a 3' buffer zone is TOTALLY insignificant in their arrival time. Education is necessary. I can't tell you how often someone "barges" past me way too close on our rural two-lane roads (I can literally "feel" their "hurry" as they overtake me) only to watch as they catch up to and are then stuck behind the same car they were behind when they endangered my life. This almost always is the case, therefore, they gain NOTHING. Second, and often overlooked is that with the "Tar & Chip" or "Chip & Seal" technique that has been used for many years now on our secondary roads, the underlying condition of the roads continues to deteriorate often making cyclists move out into the lane to avoid cracks, fissures, holes and generally disintegrating road structure just to avoid crashing and this puts the cyclists in clear danger when people do not wait for an appropriate opportunity to overtake. I cannot stress how much we cyclists HATE this stopgap type of road maintenance instead of actually paving when needed. Many of the roads I regularly ride (Homewood, Folly Quarter, Tridelphia, Ten Oaks, Howard, Roxbury, Sharp, Hobbs, McKendree, Carrs Mill, Daisy, New Cut, Morgan Station, etc.) have been sprayed and chipped over and over again now for years. They are positively dangerous on our narrow tired bicycles and the "overcoat" technique actually disguises the underlying cracks and holes which remain making the roads not only VERY uncomfortable to ride on (vibration and buzz) but more dangerous than before they were sprayed and chipped. So, while you may hear many legitimate arguments which I agree with completely, such as: global warming, $4/gal gas -saw this in California last week-, kids biking to school like I did as a kid, biking to work - could be a huge benefit -, that motorcyclists already can't be passed in the same lane, clearly cyclists should have similar rights only using 1/4 to 1/3 of a lane at most, Maryland ranking 9th in cyclists/ped fatalities, and many more I think this is just a clearly needed protection for cyclists. As fuel costs and pollution rise, we can hopefully get many more people riding their bikes, but we must create a road environment to encourage this needed transition. There is no argument against this bill which holds any legitimate water. No one is asking for anything on multi-lane freeways and interstates, this is simply a proper protection on slower and smaller roads. Heck, I actually AVERAGE 17.5 mph year around which means I'm actually only taking twice as long to reach my destination as cars are on my same routes (if they obey the speed limits). This law costs NOTHING and only formalizes a completely LOGICAL use of the roads allowing the proper SHARING of the road. What will and should cost money would be an education program to make drivers aware that cyclists need to be given some room and this should happen regardless of this bill's future. I am sure that the Baltimore Bike Club's 1,700 members and Baltimore Spokes advocates would be more than helpful in producing Public Service announcements for radio/TV and/or roadside signs to help make motorists more aware of their responsibilities. Finally, I can tell you that the process for driver's education in Maryland for new drivers is just terrible. Watching my step-son and his friends go through our terrible, rip-off, private system was just amazing. I grew up in North Carolina and had to take a whole semester long class in school to qualify to get my license at 16 instead of 18 and as boring as it was for me, it made a huge difference for those not so mechanically inclined or interested in "the details". This issue needs to be addressed as well because the vast majority of idiots who run me off the road don't seem to realize that I really do have the right to ride my bike on the same road they drive their Escalade on! I would really appreciate anything you can do to influence the discussions in the Environmental Matters Committee. You would think a committee with that name would be interested in PROMOTING more cycling, not more automobile use as they seem to be doing. Thank you for your help with this important issue. Regards, Stuart Lamb [1234 Street] Columbia, MD 21044 [phone number] [email address] [Moderator edit]

Amen.... my thoughts when I mentioned I hope this never becomes a "named bill".

FYI. Somehow my BBCTalk post ended up making it as a comment on www.baltimorespokes.org on this issue. Not that I mind, was just surprised today. However, check the response by Paul Stull (District 4A, Frederick County rep). I would suggest that Mr Stull first check where the yellow line is in respect to the rider. I'd wager to say that in almost all cases, the driver considers anywhere left of the white line to be "near the yellow line". Admittedly, if the cyclist *IS* left of the white line (but still relatively close to it), the traffic may well come to a crawl. This is what drivers do not like. But then I think my life takes precedence.

Mr. Stull, as do others, need to understand that by NOT passing the "Bubble law". What they are telling us seasoned cyclists that you pretty much HAVE to ride between 25% - 33% into the lane. Without the protection the 3 foot bill would provide, drivers will continue to scrap the paint off our bikes to try to fit between us and the yellow line. Since this is extremely dangerous for the cyclist, he / she HAS to ride further to the left and into the lane to prevent drivers from trying to pass without having to cross the yellow line. While in lane, the driver is now forced to cross the yellow line. Of course, they are much more careful about doing this since it is their neck on the line now.

Now don't misunderstand. I'm the first to ride on the shoulder if I can. And I even "ride the white line" when I know I should right left of it for my own safety. But after last weeks near death experience with an 18 wheeler scraping my paint as he went by while I road the white line (there is no pavement right of it), I now know I MUST take control of the lane more often for my own safety.

Should such a law ever pass and the average motorist heed it, I will be more than happy to ride the white line again when I cannot right right of it. Till then, expect to see me in your lane as you approach.

And the saddest thing of all. This law only puts teeth into what the state already recommends drivers to do. Unfortunately the number of cyclists injured or killed will continue to mount until the police have something they can cite the motorist on.

FWIW. Check out Mr. Stuart L.'s comment also on Baltimore spokes.

And yes, you can forward this.
-TH

Dear Legislator. Thank you being a co-sponser of the HB 143. I was dismayed to hear that the so called Bubble Bill - mandating vehicles to give 3 feet clearance to cyclists, is in difficulty being passed. We all know that the law will not change over night the inconsiderate attitudes which are passed down through generations of drivers. However there will be a slow cultural change. The 16 year old will have it drummed into him when he applies for a drivers permit, and when an adult slows down to pass a cyclist it will teach the children in the rear seat to respect all road users Does a driver careen down a country lane pass a farm tractor unless it is safe to do so? No! If he does he knows that he is endangering his own life. But many drivers will not do the same for a cyclist. Why? Because "Might is Right" in the drivers physic. The only way is for a re-education. I am one of the many victims of a careless motorist. I was knocked off my bicycle when riding down a hill at 30 mph. The road had a double yellow line in the middle. It had no shoulder and the width of the lane was only 9ft 6in. I was as close to the white line as possible. The driver had no possibility of passing me safely without crossing the double yellow line. So the pass was illegal. He should have waited until there was a safe passing width His wing mirror hit me. I ended up in shock trauma and my life was in the balance for a while. I will never be able to cycle again, and probably walk with a severe limp for the rest of my life. and will not enjoy playing with my grand children. I am unable to work and have been taking pain killers for the past 6 months. The police let the driver off Scott-free not even a citation. For every cycling fatality the are 30 severe injuries. What does this represent in personal loss, burden the victims place on relatives, health care cost. and loss to the community of a contributing member. These are immeasurable, but must be in the billions of dollars nation wide. If even from the point of economics this bill must have a positive effect. Incidentally there a 3 ft clearance laws in 14 States right now. Yours sincerely -HM

Addendem to -HM's post. HM passed away recently. It is my understanding that while the cause of his passing was not directly related to the accident he described, his health never recovered from the incident. At a minimum, his encounter with the motorist accelerated his passing. We need a bubble bill, period. Someone died this year because a driver passed so close he hit the cyclist. That driver received no ticket from the officer for it even though there were plenty of witnesses that reported the cyclist was indeed riding to the right. Had there been a bubble bill, at least the driver would have been cited. Is a driver allowed to pass within inches of a motorcyclist? No. In fact, to pass legally, he must move completely into the opposing lane. Why is it OK then for a driver to pass within an inch of a cyclist? Is your child next?