Community Highlights:  Norman’s current Bicycle Advisory Committee has come a long way in the past decade to reinstitute old bike lanes while also extending the network with the addition of new lanes.  There is broad support for policies and programs suggested by the Bicycle Advisory Committee and from citizens and new ideas are always encouraged.The city hired an engineering firm to design the first phase of a 10 mile multi-modal path along State Highway 9 that will connect urban Norman to rural east Norman.  Norman puts a strong emphasis on keeping cyclists safe and educating its youth.  For example, Norman’s Public Schools participate annually in the International Walk and Bike to School Day. The city adopted a three foot passing law as a city ordinance so it can be enforced at a municipal court level.  The city sponsors Safety Town classes annually during the month of June for children under the age of six.  There are numerous bike clubs and groups, including youth and beginner, all the way up to road-racing teams that offer weekly group rides and annual road races and mountain bike trail competitions.

Compelling Accomplishment: This city has begun a pilot program in a few areas of town to demonstrate the need for and use of bike lanes in the city. This first phase of adding new bike lanes is being funded for its full amount ($55,216) by the city’s capital budget. After this stage, the city plans to pursue a Complete Streets policy and continue to expand the bicycle network beyond the existing 12 miles of paved shared us path and 18 miles of singletrack.

via League of American Bicyclists * Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma as a state still ranks as 43 out 50 states according to the LAB rankings.  We fail in all categories measured except for a D in Enforcement and a C in Education and Encouragement.

A hit-and-run incident left a Norman man seriously injured Friday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Troopers said Brian Dressler, 32, was struck from behind about 4 a.m. while riding his bicycle on the shoulder of the Interstate 35 bridge over the Canadian River in Cleveland County.

via Norman bicyclist was knocked off Canadian River bridge | NewsOK.com.

Dressler and his bike then fell 25 feet from the top of the bridge.  He was transported to Norman Regional Hospital where he was last listed as being in serious condition.  The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is asking anyone with information on this crash to contact them at 405-425-2323 or *55 on their cellphone.

While this is a clear-cut case of a hit-and-run crash, I am curious about what the rules are about cyclists being on Interstates?  Not that I ever want to ride on one . . .

The Norman Bicycle Advisory Council hopes to combine federal funds for more bike lane striping with a local bike lane expansion project, which would include connecting south campus to the National Weather Center.

OU has a project in the works to make campus more bike-friendly, too.

The Norman campus is preparing an eight-month project, according to Jonathan Vann, UOSA Student Congress vice-chairman and Bicycle Ad Hoc Committee member. He said the project would create a bicycling route from the research campus to Jenkins Avenue and State Highway 9.

via OUDaily.com | More bike-friendly measures on horizon.

Yellow “Share the Road” signs to urge motorists and bicyclists to coexist peacefully and safely will be popping up around town as the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee works to make roads safer for both.

Read the rest at: The Norman Transcript – City’s bicycle routes being updated

Photo By: Juan-Luis