Not that they make much difference, given the woman who ran me off the road a week ago shouting something about me being on “her” roads, but I’m glad to see these articles reminding people about traffic laws in Oklahoma . . .
With a few exceptions, Oklahoma law gives bicycles as much right to use public roads as cars, on the condition that bikes shouldn’t "impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic."
A recent incident involving an Edmond bicyclist hit by a car is sure to stir the discussion about sharing the road.
Nate Gomez said he was out for an early morning ride Saturday when someone in a car pulled up behind him and yelled at him for being on the street. Gomez said the driver then swerved into him causing a collision. He wasn’t hurt, but his $5,000 bicycle was damaged and the driver sped away.
Tulsa has become the first city in Oklahoma to receive a bronze ranking from the League of American Bicyclists, designating it as a "bicycle friendly community."
Given my bad experiences with drivers in OKC this year, I think we aren’t even close to getting something like this. And of course, Oklahoma as a state ranks 48th in bicycle friendliness according to League of American Bicyclists.
Generally, I’m not a big fan of changing laws specifically for bicyclists. I think the best way to improve the relations with bicyclists and motorists is for us to be viewed as normal vehicles on the road and not as special charity cases. However, given the number of poorly set sensor lights out there, I’m inclined to agree with this one . . .
Representative Chuck Hoskins has authored House Bill 1795, which would make it legal for motorcycle drivers [and bicyclists] to continue through an intersection even if the light is red. The only requirements would be that the driver come to a complete stop and then make sure it is safe to proceed before going through the light.
The bill has already passed the house and is currently languishing in the Senate’s Public Safety and Homeland Security committee which seems a bit grandiose for this bill.
I’ve been noticing a lot more fixes around town. It’s taken a bit of time for the hipster bike culture to get here, but hey, better late than never. I’ve never been a fixie guy myself (I still like the option to lazily granny gear it up the occasional hill). In any case, NewsOk.com has an article about a bike polo team in Tulsa:
Dillon lived in Los Angeles for a year before moving back to Tulsa in December. And he thought it was too bad no one had started bike polo here.
In Tulsa, he found space in the back of an old warehouse across the street from where downtown’s new baseball stadium is under construction.
For those who love hills, the Tour of the Wichitas has been scheduled for May 2nd. From the website:
A beautiful ride through Ft. Sill and the Wichita Mountains. You will be leaving the Museum of the Great Plains at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and riding either 2,10, 40, 50 or 60 miles through some of the most beautiful scenery in Oklahoma. We will also have a historic route by the Ft. Sill Museum and some of the most important historical properties at Ft. Sill. The longer rides will have a water stop at the Visitors Center in the refuge. You can pause here and learn about the make up of the refuge along with what types of animals it supports. Also the location of the hiking trails and fishing lakes. From the Visitors Center you may ride back by Mt. Scott through Medicine Park, or on a breathtaking downhill that will pass the Meers Restaurant and loop around Lake Lawtonka back to Lawton. This is a smell the roses ride. Take your time, look around and enjoy!
