Posted on 06/15/2010 6:49:48 AM PDT by MissTed
Jamie Webb thought maybe she was speeding when a police cruiser pulled her and three friends over as they rode their bikes into Black Hawk from Central City.
Actually, the crime was pedaling. She was violating Black Hawk's ban on bicycling through town — the only such ban in Colorado.
"They said we had to walk through town. I think this sets a pretty bad precedent," Webb said. "There's really no reason for it."
Webb was the first cyclist ticketed under Black Hawk's new rule, which prohibits bike riding on nearly every street in town, including the only paved thoroughfare in Black Hawk.
City Manager Mike Copp said the reason for the rule, enacted in January, is safety.
The roads in Black Hawk are narrow and do not have shoulders. They teem with tour buses and delivery trucks that feed the bustling casinos. Demanding that those trucks provide 3 feet of space when passing cyclists — as required by a 2009 Colorado law — means trucks and buses must move into oncoming traffic, Copp said.
"We saw the conflicts going on with buses and with trucks, and we decided to be proactive on this," Copp said, noting that no accidents prodded the ban. "We don't want to be the city that knows we need a traffic light but waited until someone gets killed. This is what our city believes is best for its citizens, its businesses and its guests."
But Webb said she has often ridden on shoulderless canyon roads and has had no trouble with trucks.
"To say we all can't fit on the road together is ridiculous," she said. "We are all moving so slow through Black Hawk anyway, it's not like anyone is passing anyone."
After a period of issuing warnings, police this month began citing cyclists. To date, the town has issued eight $68 tickets.
Cyclists using the road to connect to the popular ride along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway from Black Hawk to Estes Park are decrying the ban, which forces them to walk their bikes a half-mile through town. Another option is to ride over Berthoud Pass — but that excludes most of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.
"This is unbelievable. We are going to do as much as we can to fight this," said Rick Melick, spokesman for the 380-member Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. "Now that cyclists have almost the same rules as motorists, the idea a small town can ban bikes is ludicrous."
Since news of ticketing began trickling into the cycling community, opposition is forming. A Facebook page called "Bicyclists and Tourists Boycott Black Hawk Colorado" launched last week. The website dismountblackhawk.com is peddling shirts protesting the ban. Bicycle Colorado, a nonprofit dedicated to all things cycling in Colorado, is fomenting a grassroots push to get Black Hawk to overturn the ban.
"They are singling out one classification of vehicle," said Charlie Henderson, president of the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. "I wonder if motorcycles will be next."
Black Hawk officials expected the uproar. And they are not going to revisit the rules, Copp said.
"Our council looks at what they think is best for its citizens, for its businesses, which in this case are casinos, and its visitors, which are patrons that come to visit the casinos," Copp said. "We have had positive feedback from citizens, casinos and our guests."
Geez, tricycles can go 10mph.
Normal riders go 12 to 15mph. Someone with a normal road bike easily can average 20-24mph.
I average 25-27 on a 50 mile ride.
Racers can exceed 40 average in a peloton.
>> On the roads here they go 10MPH with several in a knot that is very difficult to get around
Unfortunately true... and as a cyclist who rides alone, avoids roads with no shoulder to ride on, and in general tries to be as little an obstacle to faster traffic as I can, these boobs piss ME off too. They’re the selfish dolts who ruin it for everyone.
Yeah, but the bus operators probably complained to the city about being unable to pass cyclists coming into the town from the direction of Denver.
So, the question becomes, does Colorado law allow municipalities to ban truck traffic on certain roadsways as compared to bike traffic?
These people are no better than Hitler.
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LOL. I must have missed the paragraph about violaters being sent to the ovens.
At least you have this issue in perspective.
>> It takes far more energy overall to ride a bike a mile than it does to use a car.
Simply untrue.
Huh, I can do 10mph on my mountain bike through tight corners in the trees. Cruising speed on a road bike is easily 20mph. With a fit rider even faster. I know a guy who did the Hotter than Hell 100 in 5 hours and 15 minutes when he was 70 years old. That’s just under a 20mph average for a senior citizen on a 100 mile ride.
Cyclists want to be considered as vehicles but ignore the traffic laws. They run red lights and stop lights all the time.
Question: Is therea requirement in Colorado law for passing pedestrians on the street? Is there a foot rule with that too?
Bicyclists drive met nuts, I wish they could use the sidewalks - would be safer for everyone.
Call me when the city hits 100,000 bicyclist killed or at least put into prison camps. (unless that was an attempt at sarcasm and making fun of people who make false comparisons to Hitler. If so, then you'll need a few of these < /s>< /s> < /s>)
Much faster in the Tour. Sprints can top 40mph and downhill sections can approach 70.
In Amsterdam they can and get right of way use over pedestrians.
>> Cyclists want to be considered as vehicles but ignore the traffic laws. They run red lights and stop lights all the time.
Not all of us. I obey traffic laws. It’s a matter not only of character, but also personal preservation. :-)
Given the likely speed limits, they can’t pass them downhill either.s
"the popular ride" sounds like a day outing, a scenic trek. Doesn't sound like they are commuting back and forth to work.
Do you want them to block traffic or not?
>> Bicyclists drive met nuts, I wish they could use the sidewalks - would be safer for everyone.
Forcing bikes onto sidewalks when they are designed to ride on the road is an interesting POV for a libertarian.
I ride the sidewalks (slowly) when I’m riding on the main streets downtown. Buses are really big and heavy compared to me. The sidewalks are the shoulder downtown.
City riding no doubt calls for different rules. I don’t ride much in cities, or even in developed suburban areas. Nearly 100% of my riding is on back roads with nice, wide shoulders. I like it that way.
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