Car Less Ohio

Promoting the bicycling lifestyle in The Buckeye State

Thanks and so long, Greg Bachman

Leave a comment Posted by Kevin on November 19, 2008

Greg Bachman was appointed as Summit County Engineer in 2003, and ran unopposed for re-election in 2004. As an avid cyclist, he did his best to consider the needs of bicyclists as part of his County Engineer duties, such as making sure that several recent road improvement projects included widening of the shoulders. He also led group rides at different locations around the county throughout this past summer.

He was defeated in this month’s election by Democrat Alan Brubaker. Was it mainly due to the current anti-Republican backlash, or is there more to the story? Please comment on this post if you have any insight. Either way, we appreciate the efforts of Greg Bachman to promote cycling in Summit County, and hope that his work will serve as a platform for continued improvements in the county, as well as the state.

Alan Brubaker has a campaign web site, and his Position Statement page lists “Added emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle facilities” as a main bullet point. The Platform page lists “County Improvements,” and every one of the bullet points there makes some mention of cycling, walking, and/or “multi-model” transportation. So it looks like at least from a promise standpoint, Mr. Brubaker will continue the good pro-cycling work of Mr. Bachman.

Events election, government, oh-northeast

"Sharrows" on Akron streets

1 Comment Posted by Kevin on November 14, 2008

According to this article in the Akron Beacon Journal on Oct. 28, new symbols painted on the streets are causing confusion among drivers. That’s exactly the point, many people think, as confusion leads to discussion, and discussion leads to awareness. Throw your helmet into the fray in the comments section at the bottom of the article. The current opinions run the usual gamut, from “Way to go!” from the pro-cycling crowd, to some who think it was a good idea but maybe not worth the $30,000 price tag, to the usual “Why don’t they ride on the sidewalks?” from the anti-cycling crowd. What do you think?

News oh-northeast

Ohio Ride Share / Ohio Bike Buddies

Leave a comment Posted by Kevin on November 5, 2008

OhioRideShare is a cooperative service offered by the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS), the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (Eastgate), and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). It gives residents from 13 counties in Northeast Ohio the ability to identify potential carpool partners quickly and securely. Registering with OhioRideshare is free and gives you the power to conduct searches for potential carpool partners online.

http://www.ohiorideshare.com

OhioBikeBuddies is a feature within OhioRideShare available to commuters in the NOACA 5-county area (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina) that will help you find a partner to share your bike ride to work.

Resources carpooling, government, oh-northeast

Adventure Cycling Association

Leave a comment Posted by Kevin on November 4, 2008

Adventure Cycling Association’s nonprofit mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun, and self-discovery. Founded in 1973 as Bikecentennial, Adventure Cycling is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with 44,500 members nationwide.

http://www.adventurecycling.org

The ACA researches and produces cycling maps for their Adventure Cycling Route Network, one of the largest route networks in the world at 38,158 miles (and growing). Three of these routes pass through Ohio: the Northern Tier Route, the Underground Railroad Route, and the Lake Erie Connector.

Resources advocacy, education, maps, national

Ohio Revised Code 4511.55: Operating bicycles and motorcycles on roadway

1 Comment Posted by Kevin on November 3, 2008

(A) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable obeying all traffic rules applicable to vehicles and exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.

(B) Persons riding bicycles or motorcycles upon a roadway shall ride not more than two abreast in a single lane, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles or motorcycles.

(C) This section does not require a person operating a bicycle to ride at the edge of the roadway when it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. Conditions that may require riding away from the edge of the roadway include when necessary to avoid fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, surface hazards, or if it otherwise is unsafe or impracticable to do so, including if the lane is too narrow for the bicycle and an overtaking vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

(D) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004; 09-21-2006

Laws

The Dirty Dozen ’07

1 Comment Posted by Kevin on November 24, 2007

Today I rode in The Dirty Dozen, a 50-mile bicycle stage race over the 13 steepest hills in Pittsburgh, PA. It was my second time participating in this event.

This was the 25th anniversary of this event, which is organized by Danny Chew; his web site contains a complete history of the race, the route, past results, etc.