Bike

I think all the laws should be changed to allow non-motorists to use all roadways with due care and respect for other users.

The implication being that anyone that’s not in a motor vehicle can do whatever they feel is safest for themselves, while yielding to other vulnerable road users.

I’m not proposing a reckless free-for-all - but an end to the expectation that bicycles must adhere to rules intended for motor vehicles.

Here’s why …

• People can see and hear much better when they are outside a vehicle, so they have more information to make better decisions with respect to their surroundings. They can scan a 4-way stop as they approach, they can hear cars behind them on the road
• VRUs use the road differently than motor vehicles. If possible, I ride on the right shoulder. If I must, I claim the lane. In rare cases, I’ll use a center lane for a left. In every case, my goal is to reduce my exposure to motor vehicles. Thus - to make a left turn, I might stop on the right shoulder and wait for a break in traffic to cross. If there isn’t much traffic, my turn might be rounded earlier - to cross when there is an opening. In very rare instances I salmon on the shoulder.
• The risks to VRUs are almost entirely to themselves, unlike motor vehicles. If I make a bad decision, I’m unlikely to harm anyone else. Every bicyclist knows this.
• The built environment favors motor vehicles. It’s an unfair allocation of resources that cannot be quickly balanced (because no one wants to inconvenience motorists). It is time to change the laws to make it easier for VRUs.

• VRUs are exposed and more likely to be harassed by law enforcement, especially youth and minorities. Removing restrictive rules may reduce some of this.

I spent #BikeMonth 2018 tweeting about NHDOT #41754. This is a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) project intended to reduce emissions through the intersection of NH3AS and onto the Sagamore Bridge in Hudson NH. The chosen solution is to add a second turning lane, but there are no provisions for pedestrians or bicycles to cross safely.

I commute through this intersection on a bicycle every day. There is no alternate route. I am asking for a single cross walk or a bike lane, some way to get safely across the ramp. I'm not the only bicyclist.

Before I turned to Twitter, I contacted the town engineer, requested to speak with the town planning board (minutes), NHDOT, the NH Governor's office, NH FHWA and sent several emails to FHWA offices in DC. I got nowhere.

The stated reason my request for consideration of pedestrians and bicycles was refused was that the calculated reduction in emissions which was approved for the CMAQ funding did not include bicycles and pedestrians and because the approval was based on computations without bikes and people, the plan could not be changed without losing the funding.

The town engineer and planning board recommended I ride my bike on the sidewalk or against traffic on the other side of the road. Both are against the law.

Let's think about this. The intent of CMAQ is to reduce emissions. Why weren't pedestrians and bicyclists included in the calculations to begin with? They are zero emissions. The addition of a second turning lane means that bicycles will have to take the lane ahead of the motorists and impede traffic for about 200 yards from Flagstone Drive past the on-ramp. It seems to me that impeding traffic will have more of an effect on emissions than allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross safely with a cross walk. There aren't that many non-motorists because the intersection is already dangerous.

I can't imagine why the town of Hudson NH is so opposed to providing safe passage through a very busy intersection for the few pedestrians and bicyclists. This does not even address people with impaired mobility who may need a little extra time. The southern end of this intersection is another huge intersection which lacks sidewalks, crosswalks and walk lights. In short, when the second turning lane is added, this section of NH3A will be extremely dangerous for non-motorists.

Someone suggested that I try to use social media to gather support and I decided to use Twitter, since I had a Twitter account but not facebook.

I had fun making images and my GIMP skills improved greatly.

I have no idea whether my tweets had any impact.

But I'm posting the images here because I had a lot of fun with them.

The first image is what I want - for pedestrians a sidewalk up Flagstone Drive and a full crosswalk, across all four junctions at the intersection between Walmart and Sam's Club. For bicyclists, a single, signaled crosswalk across the southbound on ramp to the Sagamore bridge. Although there are four crossings through this intersection, it is only the south bound on ramp that is difficult to cross.

Some of the images are silly, some are hijacked from FHWA bike month propaganda (I found this very ironic since they would not help me with my request for a bike lane), and there is the CMAQ calculator which I had a lot of fun making.

My favorite image is the 'green rectangle/citizen edit' and my favorite tweet is the chicken tweet. I learned a lot.

I'm done tweeting about this issue. I'm not done working for the safety of people and bikes through the intersection.

Safe travels all!

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Most days are #BikeToWork days for me. I'm lucky to live about three miles from work and the road is okay (but not entirely ideal).

Like many activities, commuting on a bike requires some stuff.

• A bike
• A helmet
• Front and rear lights. Rechargeable batteries are nice.
• Safety vest and high visibility or brightly colored mittens/gloves
• An anorak. Any color.
• (Winter riding) Something to keep your ears warm. A hood, hat or headband.
• (Winter riding) Windbreaker pants to keep your legs warm
• Hiking boots or other sturdy footwear. Keen sandals are great because they protect your toes
• A backpack. Choose this very carefully to meet your needs.
• A bike lock
• A pump and enough tools, parts and supplies to allow you to fix the bike well enough to get where you're going if you get a flat or something breaks
• A rack and bungee cords

Now that you are ready to ride your bike, you need to consider your attire for work. You may be able to wear the same clothes you ride in, you might want to take a shower at work if there is one available. Regardless of how you plan to freshen up at work, you'll need more stuff. This will go in the backpack, or maybe be left at work. The stuff you choose is entirely up to you.

My next goal is to use rain gear, so I don't need to use the motorized raincoat when the weather is miserable.

Go ride!

I use my bike instead of the car as often as possible. I am fortunate that I can commute to work on a bike and close enough to many stores that this is possible.

Here's why

• Biking is zero emissions transport.
• It's fun
• It saves me money on gas and wear and tear on my car
• It's possible, meaning most of the roads are safe enough (although not always idea)
• I want to encourage others to ride
• You're more connected with other people and the earth
• It's a challenge
• It is good exercise
• Walking is boring and slow, I don't run
• It is an assertion of alternatives
• Being outdoors helps me appreciate fresh air when it is nice out, and being indoors when it is not
• To set an example for kids
• One must think differently when riding a bike
• Downhills
• I can usually park my bike within 25 feet of entrances
• I can!
• I like to