Cyclists’ Rights Improving in Colorado

05/13/09  Print This Post Print This Post    4 Comments      Written by Carlo Alcos
    Share

Photo above: bradleygee / Feature photo: eric.surfdude

The cycling movement just keeps picking up steam.

Right on the heels of my post about How To Be Good (Better) Drivers and Cyclists, I read this article in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Governor Bill Ritter just signed a bill, effective August 5, that should offer more protection to cyclists on the road. It will demand that drivers give at least three feet of space when passing a cyclist, and also make the punishment for throwing an object at a cyclist more severe. (I can only assume this is a common occurrence there.)

Under this new bill, if you’re caught throwing something at a cyclist you could get hit with a fine between $250 and $1000, and face a possible jail term of three to 12 months. Not giving the three feet berth will earn you a $110 fine.

The space considerations are nothing new in some European countries, where you will see signs along the road illustrating that you must have 1 meter of space between your car and the cyclist when passing.

North America could stand to learn more lessons from Europe when it comes to this topic.

What do you think? Will this work?

Share your comments below!


    Share

About the Author

Matador ID: vagabonderz

Carlo is a Contributing Editor of Matador Trips, originally hailing from Vancouver, Canada. After a two-year stint in Melbourne, he and his wife are traveling slowly with their Bike Fridays; they don't know when, where, or if the journey will end. Follow him on Twitter and at Vagabonderz.com.

4 Comments... join the discussion!

  • Julie Schwietert replied on May 13, 2009

    Carlo-
    The US West Coast is really the frontrunning region when it comes to cyclist friendly legislation. The documentary “Veer” (veerthemovie.com) followed the process of securing safety measures like the ones you describe here in Oregon. The cycling lobby had to work vigorously to get the bill passed, but a year after its approval, cycling deaths had gone down dramatically and other outcomes had improved significantly, too.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • David Miller replied on May 13, 2009

    this is great news. there’s a lot of disrespect in CO for ‘peddle-heads’ especially road cyclists. never understood why. . .i guess some people are intimidated by spandex.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • Carlo replied on May 13, 2009

    Haha…well, to be honest, I could do with less spandex in my sightline ;)

    But yes, very good news. And to stress the point, cyclists also need to be wary of their actions. This morning on my ride in to work, at a red light, a cyclist just ahead of me used an idling car to rest on, so he didn’t have to unclip from his pedal and put his foot down. I mean, no wonder some people hate cyclists.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • Lydia replied on July 16, 2010

    Throwing something at a cyclist is never acceptable. The thing is, here in Colorado bicyclists are obnoxiously fond of riding up the twisty two-lane mountain roads that auto enthusiasts love to drive up. If cyclists value their lives they’ll stick to 4-lane roads so we are able to give them 3-feet of space. Veteran cyclists do a fairly good job of keeping out of our lanes, but newbies should stick to trails until they can pedal up a hill without swerving around erratically.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply

Leave a Comment

Get Matador in your inbox and around the web.

Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter.


View full list of RSS feeds

Jump To Category:



Explore the Community



Popular Stories on Matador

Beginner's Guide to Dumpster Diving

In some places, dumpster diving is a means of survival.... 

13 Classic Japanese Junk Foods

Think of a long and perfectly cylindrical Cheeto, with ... 

The Best Condiments in the World Right Now

Tzakiki combines puréed cucumber and strained yoghurt ... 

Call for Submissions: Tales From The Frontier of Expat Life

I'm looking for stories about expats exploring the comp... 

Essential Cookbooks for the Culinary Traveler

The fastest way into the heart of a culture might very ... 

Doc (Not) in a Box

... 

Buenos Aires Binge Eating 101

We gave Tom Gates 24 hours to eat as much as he could s... 

Behind the Scenes at Matador Life

A sneak peak into the surprisingly sordid world of Mata... 

Notes on Backcountry Visa Renewal

Km 14. 7 - "Began limping due to increasing pain in lef... 

The Most Obscene Debate On the Internet

Warning: You may find the photos in this article to be ... 



Focus





Editor Blogs