[Grovenet] Biking in Forest Grove (WAS: Kevin Van Dyke? Is that name familiar?)

Fri Oct 6 20:36:14 PDT 2006

I do miss the bike paths in Davis, but on the other hand, not long before I 
left there was a collision between two bicycles that left one rider in 
critical condition -- not sure if they survived or not. Another rider was 
struck from behind, fatally, by a farm implement hanging over the side of a 
truck. Of course if you look at it in terms of accidents per bike-mile, 
Washington County is the loss leader.

On Friday 06 October 2006 09:20, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> One of the things Cobi and I planned to do when we moved here was to get
> bicycles.
>
> A few days of observing the almost total lack of bicycling facilities
> convinced us that riding a bike here was hardly safer than playing marbles
> on the traffic lanes of I-5.
>
> California has a lot of things wrong with it, but I'm still in awe of
> Davis, California where they addressed the issue with an innovative program
> called "Street Smarts" that is billed not as a "traffic management" program
> but as a "traffic CALMING" program. What a neat idea. It is described like
> this:
>
> "Street Smarts is a traffic calming program from the City of Davis Traffic
> Engineering Division.  It is designed to make our streets safer, to reduce
> the number of traffic-related accidents, injuries and deaths.
>
> "Street Smarts addresses traffic problems at their source:  in the minds of
> drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.  Its intent is to raise public awareness
> about our attitudes and actions on the streets.  It is to remind us that
> laws are laws.  It offers new ways of thinking about the role each of us
> can play as part of a Street Smarts solution."
>
> As one writer observed:
>
> "Davis became a pioneer in the implementation of cycling facilities,
> particularly bike lanes and bike paths. As the city expands, new facilities
> are usually mandated. As a result, Davis is covered in bike paths, and
> biking is one of the more common types of transportation, used especially
> by UC Davis students because of bicycling's relative inexpensiveness and
> the relatively large size of the campus. Davis has been referred to as the
> "most bicycle friendly town in the world," as the streets are wide, most of
> the bike paths are in good repair, and one can get just about anywhere
> without leaving bike paths or bike lanes in streets (except to make left
> turns, cross intersections, avoid debris, pass slower traffic, etc.)."
>
> The City of Davis says:
>
> "It is the goal of the City of Davis to create and maintain an integrated
> system of bikeways. The City recognizes the need to encourage bicycle
> travel for both transportation and recreation and works to promote bicycle
> use as a viable, attractive, non-polluting form of transportation and
> assure safe and convenient access to all areas of the city."
> http://www.city.davis.ca.us/topic/bicycles.cfm
>
> Here in Forest Grove we are literally on a highway to nowhere. Very few
> people driving through town are "passing through" to anywhere beyond Forest
> Grove and the immediate area. We're well suited for a traffic "calming"
> program because we have little true "tourist" traffic through town.
>
> There are many opportunities open to Forest Grove, but it takes the people
> of Forest Grove demand action. Our good Mayor and City Council isn't likely
> to spearhead any such activity: their job is to respond to the citizens
> here, not to run off on their own telling everyone else what's good and
> what's not.
>
> And if they don't respond, "throw the bums out!"
>
> It's what we do on election day <G>.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of STEVE JERRETT
> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 10:11 PM
> To: Forest Grove local interests list
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Kevin Van Dyke? Is that name familiar?
>
>
> I was sorry to hear about Kevin, my former neighbor. Some of you may
> remember a few years back when he posted on Grovenet as "outdoorsman."
>
> Incidents like this are exactly the reason that I have gone from several
> hundred highway miles on my bike  each of the last few summers to 0 this
> last summer.
>
> I should have quit earlier when I was cut off and hit by an inattentive
> driver in FG and knocked to the pavement. Only minor injuries. I was lucky.
>
> It's unfortunate that bikes and motor vehicles  can't coexist more safely.
> The risk of accidents due to inattentiveness is compounded by aggressive
> drivers with personal vendettas towards bikers. Most bikers can share
> incidents where aggresive motorists have failed to give proper clearance on
> highways, cut them off at intersections, etc. I have had that happen on
> numerous occasions.I have also had objects thrown at me,while riding
> legally in the bike lane or near the shoulder of the highway.
>
> Just a couple of weeks ago, two males in their twenties in a motor vehicle
> crowded a lone female cyclist riding  on a rural highway near Hillsboro. As
> they passed by her dangerously close, one of them reached out and tried to
> hit her, then gave her the finger and yelled something. I followed them to
> a nearby convenience store and approached them. When I asked them why they
> were behaving so dangerously (not my exact words ) they peeled out like a
> couple of cowards.
>
> I now ride on my stationary bike in the basement. Not quite as enjoyable
> but much safer.
>
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bob Browning
> To: Forest Grove local interests list
> Sent: 10/5/2006 11:29:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Kevin Van Dyke? Is that name familiar?
>
>
> I'm not going to touch that one, though I did once kick a TriMet bus that
> was trying to run me over downtown on the Mall!! The driver then had the
> gall to yell at me!!
>
> bob "when you're little and soft, you gotta keep your eyes open for big,
> hard things" browning
>
> David Morelli wrote:
>
> On Oct 4, 2006, at 9:50 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
>
>
> ...
> Sometimes they're crowing through just after it turns red, but not
> always.  Sometimes they are making a right turn. No one stops for a
> red light if they're turning, right? At least that's what one
> driver told me after I jumped out of his way in the crosswalk.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire
>
>
> Perhaps one of our attorney types can provide the judicial spin.  If
> I carry a steel headed walking stick, and enter the crosswalk on my
> green/walk signal, may I strike any driver's car who assaults me?  As
> a warning and to provide evidence that they are not following the
> state mandated yield to pedestrians in crosswalks who have a valid
> walk signal?
>
> Personally, I believe that, if I can hit their car while I am in a
> legal cross walk while making a legal crossing, that should be
> sufficient evidence that they were breaking the law prior to my strike.
>
> David
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet

-- 
----------------------------------------
Just happy to be here, but speaking 
only for myself!
Meredith Bliss --- www.rdrop.com/~mbliss
----------------------------------------