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Right to the Road Petition
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Tell the Senate that bikes have a right to the roadThe draft of the Senate's transportation authorization bill, S. 1813 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, includes language that would introduce a mandatory sidepath law on roads in our National Parks and other Federal lands. It requires cyclists on Federal lands to use a path or trail, instead of roads, if the speed limit is over 30 MPH and a trail exists within 100 yards, regardless of its condition or utility of the path. The provision sets a terrible precedent. Passing it would send the wrong message to transportation agencies that these policies are acceptable. Laws like this have been taken off the books in states over the past 30 years. This takes us in the wrong direction. For more information, read Andy Clarke's blog post. The League is working on many other aspects of the transportation reauthorization bill. This petition relates specifically to the mandatory sidepath law, which we felt deserved special attention. Stay tuned for news and action alerts related to this and other aspects of this critical legislation. Please join us in telling the Senate that the mandatory sidepath law is a bad idea - Dear Senators, We ask you to remove the mandatory sidepath language (Section § 203 (d)) from the transportation authorization bill, S. 1813 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. The law unfairly and unreasonably restricts cycling at a time when we should be encouraging bicycling for transportation, health, recreation, air quality and a host of other reasons. Signed, |
14450 Signatures Clemson Smith Muniz “I can only think that this provision was put in by the request of some industry or government department that will profit from it.” “I believe that many times bike paths make bicycling safe, but fast cyclists are usually safer on shared road facilities. I encourage more bike lanes and paths, but it should be up to the cyclist to determine whether the trail is adequately maintained and safe. ” “Bicycles are a valid form of transportation and should have equal right to the road!” “Mandatory is not the key. Depending on the recent weather, local off road paths in our area may have flooding or ice while the road remains clear and dry. ATV users of off road paths do not tend o follow safe, defensive , predictable driving patterns and thus make off road riding hirer risk where there is a lot of ATV use. Educated riders and drivers , predictable riding/driving patterns, off road well maintained alternatives are the key to increased human safety for riders and drivers.” “If you are banning cycling from Federal lands, you should also ban hikers, motorcycles and anything else that the couch potatoes don't like slowing them down. After all, only they are really citizens in this country.” “If cars are driving too fast in National Parks to avoid cyclists (and wildlife and hikers and rockslides and stalled cars...), they are driving too fast. Don't ban cyclists from National Park roads. ” “I find it shocking that we would discourage alternate forms of transportation, particularly non-motorized transportation such as cycling, as our society works to develop viable alternatives to gas-dependent cars. Cars are not the only form of transportation that belong on the roads. The United States needs to learn to share the roads, rather than relegate cyclists (who pay taxes just like everyone else) to inadequate alternatives.” “Unless the government plans to provide a parrallel bike roadway everywhere there is a current vehicle roadway, then language like this must be struck down. Bicycles are vehicles that have every right to the vehicle roadway system.” “We should watch this in South Dakota, especially for the National Forest Service and National Park Service lands in the Black Hills and Badlands. Prime areas to enjoy as a bicyclist.” 
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