Bicycle laws to become uniform 8in Ohio

Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as simple as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state," said Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes sense."

Until now, local governments could regulate bicycles as they saw fit. As a
result, bicycle rules differ from community to community.

For example, local ordinances in Broadview Heights say all bicyclists must ride
on the sidewalk. In neighboring North Royalton, they must ride on the street.
The sidewalk rule will be invalid when the new state law goes into effect.

Municipalities retain some freedom, but now, when there are special local
bicycling laws, such as requiring riders to wear a helmet or ride in a single
line, communities must post signs spelling those out.

The new law also gets rid of some bad regulations passed government officials
who did not understand proper bicycle operation, said Fred Oswald, an Ohio
Bicycle Federation board member who lives in Middleburg Heights.

"The people who write these ordinances don't understand bicycling," Oswald said.
"They think of them as toys."

Oswald pointed to regulations mandating riding on sidewalks as an example.
Sidewalk cycling - except for the youngest riders - is unsafe, he said, because
motorists are often surprised by cyclists' sudden appearances at intersections
and driveways.

Some years ago, Oswald created a list that graded the bicycling laws of about 65
northeast Ohio communities. Olmsted Falls was among the cities that received an
F-minus, mainly because of an ordinance mandating bicyclists to ride on
sidewalks.



Publication date: 08-31-2006

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....WS01/608310368

"Garrison Hilliard" wrote in message
...
Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as simple
as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances
more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the
Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by
Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state," said
Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the
revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes
sense."

Until now, local governments could regulate bicycles as they saw fit. As a
result, bicycle rules differ from community to community.

For example, local ordinances in Broadview Heights say all bicyclists must
ride
on the sidewalk. In neighboring North Royalton, they must ride on the
street.
The sidewalk rule will be invalid when the new state law goes into effect.

Municipalities retain some freedom, but now, when there are special local
bicycling laws, such as requiring riders to wear a helmet or ride in a
single
line, communities must post signs spelling those out.

The new law also gets rid of some bad regulations passed government
officials
who did not understand proper bicycle operation, said Fred Oswald, an Ohio
Bicycle Federation board member who lives in Middleburg Heights.

"The people who write these ordinances don't understand bicycling," Oswald
said.
"They think of them as toys."

Oswald pointed to regulations mandating riding on sidewalks as an example.
Sidewalk cycling - except for the youngest riders - is unsafe, he said,
because
motorists are often surprised by cyclists' sudden appearances at
intersections
and driveways.

Some years ago, Oswald created a list that graded the bicycling laws of
about 65
northeast Ohio communities. Olmsted Falls was among the cities that
received an
F-minus, mainly because of an ordinance mandating bicyclists to ride on
sidewalks.



Publication date: 08-31-2006

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....WS01/608310368

Three cheers and a tiger for Ohio finally entering the 20th century.
Except for Chicago, we used to have fairly uniform bicycling regulations in
Illinois, but we're going backwards as the suburbs spell out their own
rules.

Charles of Schaumburg.

"Garrison Hilliard" wrote in message
...
Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as simple
as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances
more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the
Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by
Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state," said
Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the
revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes
sense."

Until now, local governments could regulate bicycles as they saw fit. As a
result, bicycle rules differ from community to community.

For example, local ordinances in Broadview Heights say all bicyclists must
ride
on the sidewalk. In neighboring North Royalton, they must ride on the
street.
The sidewalk rule will be invalid when the new state law goes into effect.

Municipalities retain some freedom, but now, when there are special local
bicycling laws, such as requiring riders to wear a helmet or ride in a
single
line, communities must post signs spelling those out.

The new law also gets rid of some bad regulations passed government
officials
who did not understand proper bicycle operation, said Fred Oswald, an Ohio
Bicycle Federation board member who lives in Middleburg Heights.

"The people who write these ordinances don't understand bicycling," Oswald
said.
"They think of them as toys."

Oswald pointed to regulations mandating riding on sidewalks as an example.
Sidewalk cycling - except for the youngest riders - is unsafe, he said,
because
motorists are often surprised by cyclists' sudden appearances at
intersections
and driveways.

Some years ago, Oswald created a list that graded the bicycling laws of
about 65
northeast Ohio communities. Olmsted Falls was among the cities that
received an
F-minus, mainly because of an ordinance mandating bicyclists to ride on
sidewalks.



Publication date: 08-31-2006


http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....WS01/608310368




Now if they in Ohio will deal with the elecion fraud perpetrated with
Diebold and all that.

got that right
total sham

"MykalCrooks" wrote in message
news:CvRJg.10594$nR2.6164@trnddc03...

"Garrison Hilliard" wrote in message
...
Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as
simple
as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances
more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the
state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the
Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by
Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state,"
said
Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the
revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes
sense."

Until now, local governments could regulate bicycles as they saw fit. As
a
result, bicycle rules differ from community to community.

For example, local ordinances in Broadview Heights say all bicyclists
must
ride
on the sidewalk. In neighboring North Royalton, they must ride on the
street.
The sidewalk rule will be invalid when the new state law goes into
effect.

Municipalities retain some freedom, but now, when there are special local
bicycling laws, such as requiring riders to wear a helmet or ride in a
single
line, communities must post signs spelling those out.

The new law also gets rid of some bad regulations passed government
officials
who did not understand proper bicycle operation, said Fred Oswald, an
Ohio
Bicycle Federation board member who lives in Middleburg Heights.

"The people who write these ordinances don't understand bicycling,"
Oswald
said.
"They think of them as toys."

Oswald pointed to regulations mandating riding on sidewalks as an
example.
Sidewalk cycling - except for the youngest riders - is unsafe, he said,
because
motorists are often surprised by cyclists' sudden appearances at
intersections
and driveways.

Some years ago, Oswald created a list that graded the bicycling laws of
about 65
northeast Ohio communities. Olmsted Falls was among the cities that
received an
F-minus, mainly because of an ordinance mandating bicyclists to ride on
sidewalks.



Publication date: 08-31-2006


http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....WS01/608310368




Now if they in Ohio will deal with the elecion fraud perpetrated with
Diebold and all that.

I've ridden in Ohio for 30 years and hadn't there were cycling
laws, let along inconsistent onces.

There's a way of riding a bike inconspicuously, mostly consisting of
obviously being out of the way, that makes you invisible to police.

Run all the stop signs and red lights you want, but courteously.

Don't slow traffic when you obviously can avoid it.

``This is my lane, traffic be damned'' gets you marked as future ticket
bait.

And as you roll through a local speed trap, it doesn't hurt to stop by
the police car and ask how fast you were going.

Makes the screw-you police not want to talk to you.

--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

Ron Hardin wrote:
I've ridden in Ohio for 30 years

.... and I've ridden longer than that.

and hadn't there were cycling
laws, let along inconsistent onces.

I've known there were laws. It wasn't until about five years ago I
learned of the foolish ones that lots of municipalities had enacted,
enforced or no. (Thanks to Fred Oswald for his excellent work on this
issue.) I'm very glad that mess is cleaned up, because I've heard
about times where the foolish laws _were_ enforced, to the detriment of
cyclists.


There's a way of riding a bike inconspicuously, mostly consisting of
obviously being out of the way, that makes you invisible to police.

There's a more effective way of riding a bike, operating as you would
any other legal vehicle.


Run all the stop signs and red lights you want, but courteously.

Again, I ride as I drive - competently. I may not do a dead stop at a
deserted four-way stop, but I'll behave in a way that would not get me
a ticket, car or bike. And under ordinary circumstances, running red
lights doesn't fit my definition of "competent."

Don't slow traffic when you obviously can avoid it.

Depends. I'm cooperative, but not to the point of pulling over to
prevent a few seconds of delay for every motorist. My right to the
road is the same as theirs. They can wait until it's safe to pass.

Yes, if I'm causing a long delay for a lot of cars, I'll find a way to
be courteous - just as I do when towing a heavy trailer with my car.


``This is my lane, traffic be damned'' gets you marked as future ticket
bait.

??? Not in my experience!

I'm not into skulking in the gutter. I find that following the rules
of the road works just fine, and gets me where I'm going with minimum
hassle.

- Frank Krygowski

On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 02:38:28 +0000, Garrison Hilliard
wrote:

Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as simple as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state," said Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes sense."


If this trend spreads to say, California, what are the odds that
mandatory helmet wearing will become the law for all of that state,
rather than the approximately one-third that now must wear foam hats
while cycling?

The very first MHL was passed in CA, afterall; and the percentage of
Californians required to wear helmets has been increasing with every
subsequent California mandatory helmet law.

Per Ron Hardin:
``This is my lane, traffic be damned'' gets you marked as future ticket
bait.

Around where I ride, I'd take that a few steps further and say it marks you as a
future customer for the local morgue.
--
PeteCresswell

Garrison Hilliard wrote:
Bicycle laws to become uniform

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Ohio's cycling laws have been rewritten to make them as simple as
riding a bike.

The changes go into effect Sept. 21 and will help make local ordinances more
uniform and in line with regulations governing motorists across the state.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol and the Ohio
Department of Transportation supported the changes, signed into law by Gov. Bob
Taft in June.

"The big thing is that it makes for uniformity throughout the state," said Chuck
Smith, president of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, which pushed for the revisions.
"With the uniformity, you know what to expect. It really only makes sense."

Until now, local governments could regulate bicycles as they saw fit. As a
result, bicycle rules differ from community to community.

For example, local ordinances in Broadview Heights say all bicyclists must ride
on the sidewalk. In neighboring North Royalton, they must ride on the street.
The sidewalk rule will be invalid when the new state law goes into effect.

Municipalities retain some freedom, but now, when there are special local
bicycling laws, such as requiring riders to wear a helmet or ride in a single
line, communities must post signs spelling those out.

The new law also gets rid of some bad regulations passed government officials
who did not understand proper bicycle operation, said Fred Oswald, an Ohio
Bicycle Federation board member who lives in Middleburg Heights.

"The people who write these ordinances don't understand bicycling," Oswald said.
"They think of them as toys."

Oswald pointed to regulations mandating riding on sidewalks as an example.
Sidewalk cycling - except for the youngest riders - is unsafe, he said, because
motorists are often surprised by cyclists' sudden appearances at intersections
and driveways.

Some years ago, Oswald created a list that graded the bicycling laws of about 65
northeast Ohio communities. Olmsted Falls was among the cities that received an
F-minus, mainly because of an ordinance mandating bicyclists to ride on
sidewalks.



Publication date: 08-31-2006

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....WS01/608310368 Sounds like a great move for the better of cycle world out there. Toy, if they would get off their fat asses and pedal Toy no work out yes.