Satire

Recognizing, encouraging and over emphasizing this speed disparity, special provisions were enacted to separate these slower vehicles from conflict with higher speed vehicles where there is a suitable alternative which can be anything anyone says is suitable as long as it is not a cyclist. Existing law provides that, along highways having a smoothly paved shoulder or bicycle lane, bicycles and motor scooters must use these areas in lieu of traffic lanes. Doing so greatly reduces the potential for conflict due to speed disparity with other vehicles. This is especially important on slower roads with respect to youthful bicycle riders, who may lack the necessary skills to use a bike lane and are prone to pay less attention to what the law actually says and will try to ride where they feel the safest and clearly we cannot allow this as it would put pressure on us to provide such facilities.

Over the recent past, the State High Way Administration has invested millions of dollars to provide bicycle facilities along its highways and plans to continue such investments in the future. A substantial portion of this effort of just painting a line on the side of the road would be wasted if riders could elect to ride in the roadway rather that on whatever road leftovers were available to make into bike lanes or shoulders. Additionally, the safety of riders will be compromised if they could elect to follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicles and ride per safe cycling recommendations that professional cycling organizations recommend, as would be allowed under this bill.