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Houston driver gets a little too close to a cycling police officer


Here's what happens when a driver makes a close pass on a cyclist who turns out to be a police officer riding a bike equipped with radar for enforcement of the passing distance law.
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http://road.cc/content/news/225048-near-miss-day-9-houston-driver-gets-little-too-close-cycling-police-officer
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Seattle Campaign to #GivePedsTheGreen Would Do Away With “Beg Buttons”


By Angie Schmitt, Streets Blog

Appetition in Seattle is calling on the city to do away with “beg buttons” and automatically give pedestrians a walk signal at every traffic light in its “urban villages” — areas that are walkable and transit-oriented.
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http://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/03/24/seattle-campaign-to-givepedsthegreen-would-do-away-with-beg-buttons/
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Houston Police Set Up Stings To Catch Drivers Who Endanger Cyclists


By Stephen Paulsen, Houston Press

Six bike riders have been killed in the Houston area so far this year, according to advocacy group BikeHouston, but the Houston Police Department is now setting up regular stings for drivers who endanger cyclists.

In March, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo announced he'd start going after drivers who pass bikes without the minimum three feet of space, using plainclothes bike cops equipped with a high-tech "C3FT" device. It's part of a push by a number of local politicians, including Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, to make Houston safer for cyclists.
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http://www.houstonpress.com/news/houston-police-enforce-bike-passing-ordinance-9426696
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CT SENATE: $500 FINE FOR DRIVERS HITTING PEDS & BIKES IN CROSSWALKS


-> Drivers who strike pedestrians and bicyclists in crosswalks would be assessed $500 fines in addition to criminal charges, under a bill that won final, unanimous approval in the Connecticut Senate. The bill, which Stamford lawmakers sought this year after recent fatalities in that city, goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for final review. The new law would raise the current $181 fine to $500. (sHB 5403: An Act Increasing Penalties for Failure to Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalks and Failure to Exercise Due Care to Avoid Hitting a Pedestrian or Cyclist: http://1.usa.gov/26T1uP2)

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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BAIT BIKE PROGRAM


-> Santa Rosa has one of the highest rates of bike theft in the Bay Area. In early 2015, the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition teamed up with NorCal Bike Sport/Bike Peddler and the Santa Rosa Police department to deploy a fleet of GPS-equipped Bait Bikes that allow the cops to track the stolen bikes and catch the thieves. In 2015, dozens of bike thieves were caught, arrested and sent to jail. http://bit.ly/1KcVW4f

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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RI BILL PROPOSES DOT SHOVEL SNOW FROM OVERPASSES & WALKWAYS


-> Two Rhode Island state lawmakers have re-introduced a bill (2016-S 2005, 2016-H 7008: http://bit.ly/1UOugIE) to make it safer for pedestrians this winter by requiring the Department of Transportation to clear snow from state-controlled highway overpasses and overhead walkways with significant pedestrian traffic. Most municipalities require property owners to clear the sidewalks in front of their land. When pedestrians get to an overpass, which isn't in front of anyone's property, they have to walk out in the street or climb over a snow bank. The bill would give the DOT 24 hours after the end of a snowstorm to clear the overpasses and walkways. http://bit.ly/1OhRwNF

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.


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'Decoy' rider puts spotlight on bike safety law


[B' Spokes: Even though Maryland's percentage of traffic fatalities that are pike/ped have been in the nations top ten worst for decades (mostly pedestrian.) And it seems the best we can coax out of the Maryland Highway Safety Office is a series of victim blaming "safety" ads that never ever mentions that it is the duty for cars to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks but seems more to convey the message to be "safe" drive a car and that way you can be part of the "acceptable" 1.5 traffic deaths per day. - We need enforcement, we need this: ]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/traffic-transportation/decoy-rider-puts-spotlight-bike-safety-law-photos
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ST. PAUL, MN: POP UP MEETINGS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT


-> The City of St. Paul, MN’s Pop Up Meetings (http://bit.ly/1TpatPH) uses a decorated Ford Transit van to visit parks, busy intersections and festivals bringing public meetings to people, particularly those whose voices many not typically be heard at a traditional public hearing. The pitch: Take a short survey, get a free ice pop—even in November. During Summer 2015, more than 1,000 people filled out a survey at one of the pop-ups. About 70 percent had never been to a city meeting before. http://bit.ly/1M1pr8w

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

[B' Spokes: I think this is a great idea because those most interested in attending a single meeting are those apposed to the project. This way those who the project will help/hurt have a good say about the outcome.]
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Arizona among most strict on speeding and reckless driving


By Barbara Grijalva, Tucson News Now

Arizona is the second toughest state in the nation when it comes to speeding and reckless driving penalties.

According to a new study by the personal finance website WalletHub, Arizona is also the 9th toughest when it comes to considering speeding a form of reckless driving.

Arizona also ranks among the top 10 states for fines and jail time for reckless driving.
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"... It was $367, so it wasn't a cheap ticket."
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http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29600668/arizona-ranked-very-strict-on-speeding-and-reckless-driving


[B' Spokes: In contrast in Arizona speed cameras in schools zones can issue you a ticket if you are going 6 mph over the speed limit vs. Maryland's 12 mph over the limit and Maryland's fine is only $40. It is also interesting to note in Maryland it is really hard to get a reckless driving charge, speeding is just speeding even if in a school zone with children present and doing twice the speed limit.]
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SEATTLE, WA: POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TO INCREASE PED/BIKE SAFETY


-> For a few days last week, Seattle DOT staffers, police officers, and local street-safety advocates used positive reinforcement to reward drivers (and bicyclists) who did the right thing and stopped to let people on foot cross the street. They handed out $5 Starbucks gift cards at an elementary school, a busy bridge crossing, and a protected bike lane downtown. The giveaways were part of Seattles Vision Zero initiative to reach zero traffic fatalities by 2030. They were funded by a state grant aimed at increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. [http://bit.ly/1dcBjuH]

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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