Cyclists fare best when they act, and are treated as, drivers of vehicles.
Cyclists fare best when act, and are treated as, drivers of vehicles. - John Forester
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The 5 Principles according to the League of American Bicyclists are:
- Ride on the right
- Always ride with the flow of traffic
- Do not ride on the sidewalk
- Allow yourself room to maneuver around roadway hazards
- Yield to traffic in busier lanes
- Roads with higher traffic volumes should be given right-of-way
- Always use signals to indicate your intentions to switch lanes
- Look behind you to indicate your desire to move and to make sure that you can
- Yield to traffic in your destination lane
- Traffic in your destination lane has the right-of-way
- Making eye contact with drivers lets them know that you see them
- Signal and make your lane change early, before you need to
- Directional Positioning
- Position yourself in the right-most lane that goes in the direction of your destination
- Ride in the right third of the lane
- Avoid being overtaken in narrow-lane situations by riding in the right third of the lane
- Speed Positioning
- Position yourself relative to the speed of other traffic
- Left-most lane is for fastest moving traffic, right-most for slower traffic
- Yield to faster moving vehicles by staying to the right in the lane
Lisa, thanks for the heads-up.
I’m moving your comment to the Santa Ana River Trail page because it pertains to ongoing issues we’re having with OC Parks regarding the SART.
On one hand they want to impose a 10MPH speed limit, ostensibly for safety; on the other hand they permit motor vehicles on a major non-motorized path.
Concern: Cars are driving on the bike path by Featherly Park. At the far end of the park, someone propped open a gate that leads to the bike trail.
This first time, I was forgiving as it was Christmas Eve at dusk and the driver looked like a worried woman whom I thought made a mistake and drove through the open gate that leads to the bike path. Christmas stress, I thought. Its wide open, that gate. NO SIGNAGE. Yet, it happened again, December 26th around 5PM, this time a pinched face man with a clenched jaw. No wave of apology for taking over my bike lane. His big truck, my tiny bike. This leads me tonight, December 28th, and I’m not so forgiving, one car while heading east bound and two cars while heading west bound took over my bike path. It’s dusk. I stormed into the Featherly Park office at the end of my ride to inquire who I make my complaint, both workers, lackadaisical, I don’t know. Caltrans?
I provided my original complaint to Featherly Park employees this evening December 28th around 5:30PM, and honestly I don’t think they cared. I believe they’d be concerned if they saw a monstrous SUV barreling in their direction ON THE BIKE PATH. I asked who to direct this complaint, as it’s happened now five times, like I said they both said, Caltrans. But, I don’t know if that’s true?
Apparently a road in the park has damage, or bridge, not sure, from the recent rain. Caltrans is doing work there. The only route now for cars is ON THE BIKE TRAIL. However, there are NO SIGNS WARNING bikers. Yet there is a sign a short distance from the gate that reads, “Motor Vehicles and Motor Scooters Prohibited on Trails.” I think on the bottom of the sign it reads, “OCCO. ORD. SEC 2-5-296”
Yet Featherly Park is allowing its paying extended visitors to ride on the trail and failing to provide notification to ANYONE USING THE BIKE PATH.
I ride at a moderate pace and can image if one those bikers in excellent shape with the decked-out gear zooms at lightening speed around that blind corner, not good.
If they had signs warning bikers…something. Instead it’s a shock to see headlights aiming for you.
Update January 1: I sent an email to Caltrans on December 28th. No return email from Caltrans or phone call. Rode on the trail today and the gate is still open and there’s no signage to warn bikers of cars maneuvering on this tiny bike path with a few blind corners.
I speculate Featherly Park is telling its extended RV residents to use the bike trail after dark when the trail is least in use. Because each time I’ve met one of those big stray trucks on the bike trail, it’s dusk.
I don’t know who to direct this concern as I’ve already notified Featherly Park and Caltrans. Hopefully, a reader of this site will have more power than I to shake things up and get proper care.
Thanks,
Lisa Marie
I would like to learn more about having classes taught in HB. Got to hear Pete and Jim speak tonight…excellent information.