vision2020@moscow.com: Re: bicycle fatality

Re: bicycle fatality

Miles Moore (moor9717@uidaho.edu)
Fri, 2 May 1997 10:51:54 -0700 (PDT)

The Palouse Bicycle Touring Club has set the date for a memorial
ride for May 10th, 12-noon at the Tidyman's parking lot. We will ride
through down town Moscow and through down town Pullman, so that we are
more visible.
I think it is time we start educating motorist that when the trail
is built, cyclist will still use the Moscow-Pullman highway. We are talk
about an 8 mile path, I usually ride from 50 to 300 miles a trip (I'm a
long distance cyclist), 8 miles is not even a warm-up to me. I do feel the
Trail is an important addition to both communities, but it is not a fix
for car and bicycle relations.
Someone told me that a particular person is going to outlaw
bicycles on the Moscow-Pullman highway onces the path is finished. I will
fight this, because once they close one road they will close other roads.
Isn't it time that we as cyclist stop talking about being involved, and
become involved. "so here's your chance, come on the ride with use May
10th."
Remember people that ride together, stay together!

Miles G. Moore


On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute wrote:

> Lois,
>
> I think these are both good ideas. Thank you for raising the topic. I am
> inclined to offer PCEI as an organizing tool for such an event (#1). There
> may be a few individuals here interested in spearheading it.
>
> I am of the opinion that even with the Chipman Trail, bicyclists riding
> fast between Pullman and Moscow (eg, those doing it for transportation
> rather than a leisure stroll) will continue to ride on the highway
> (particularly when there are lots of people on the trail). We need to keep
> (make) the highway safe for bicycle commuters.
>
> Incidently, on the Thursday before the recent Triathlon. I contacted the
> Washington Department of Transportation requesting that they sweep and
> stripe the highway before the event (Sunday, April 20). The Spokane
> regional office had me call the Colfax shop office who told me that they
> were scheduled to sweep and hose the highway (shoulders) that week, but
> that they had "no control" over striping schedules.
>
> Deborah Budwig was killed on a section of highway with an inside bend where
> cars traditionally hug the shoulder. The stripe was all but gone on that
> piece of the highway. While a strip is not going to stop a drifting car,
> it does act as part of the communication between bicyclists and motorists.
>
> Tom
>
> >I've been thinking a lot about the recent death of Deborah Budwig. I think
> >all of us who bike the Pullman highway know that it could have been any of
> >us. Two thoughts occurred to me:
> >
> >1. a memorial ride from Pullman to Moscow to call attention to the number of
> >people who bike that road and the need for cyclists and auto drivers to be
> >vigilant. (But this requires organization and I'm not sure I'm up for it.)
> >
> >2. having cyclists wear a black arm band on their left arm (the side the
> >cars are on) during the month of May.
> >
> >If you think #2 is a good idea, I will do some spreading of the word. If #1
> >appeals, someone else will have to organize it.
> >
> >Lois Melina
>
>
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> Moscow ID 83843-1096
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