Here’s the code:

“Section 9-05-001-0015 Right of Way At Intersection: Upon approaching an intersection, any person riding or operating bicycles in a bicycle lane shall yield the right of way to all vehicles within or approaching such intersection; except, that all vehicles which must stop or yield before entering an intersection because of a stop or yield sign and all vehicles making a left-hand turn at an intersection shall not proceed into such intersection nor make such a turn without first yielding the right of way to all bicycles within or approaching such intersection, and shall proceed only when it is safe to do so.”

Translation: if you are in a car you don’t need to be concerned about any cyclists to the right of you when making a turn — it’s their job to avoid you. And if you are on your bicycle and run down by a car in this fashion, don’t expect to collect from the driver’s insurance company, because you were “per se” negligent under the law.

My favorite part about this is that bicyclists even have to yield to cars that are behind them, approaching the intersection but overtaking them.

It’s pretty much not possible for a cyclist to cross an intersection in Flagstaff without putting herself at risk, because she would need to know the intentions of the drivers that may overtake her (and run her over) on the way through the intersection.

–Erik Ryberg

Why do we tolerate this in our city? Our freeway interchanges have far better landscaping — and shade — than this.

–EBR

Milford bicyclist heard words ‘kill him, run him over’ before being hit by car, cops say

By Brian McCready, Milford Bureau Chief
bmccready@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrbmccready

MILFORD — The 42-year-old bicyclist told police he heard the words “kill him, run him over.”

Then the car allegedly hit the bike the man was on, police said.

The man was thrown from the bike but was not seriously injured, police said.

But then the motorist turned the car around and this time allegedly ran the bike over, police said.

When police responded to the incident in the area of Edgefield Avenue at the intersection of Yale Avenue around 5:30 p.m., the bicyclist was able to recall the license plate number on the car and that led investigators to arrest a 20-year-old Bird Lane resident, police spokesman Sgt. Vaughan Dumas said.

Louis A. Melfi III, is charged with evading responsibility, and reckless driving, police said. Melfi told police there was a problem with a bicyclist but denied striking the bike, police said.

But the bicyclist, who was not identified, told police he was on a leisurely ride Wednesday evening when he heard a female voice shouting from a car “kill him, run him over,” Dumas said.

The bicyclist was driving in the shoulder of the road eastbound on Edgefield Avenue and told police he also heard a male voice yelling, “I’m gonna run you off the road,” police said.

The vehicle hit the bike’s rear tire and the man was knocked off the bike, he told police. He also told police the car continued a short distance, and then stopped, backed up and ran the bike over a second time before being driven off, police said.

In addition to the license plate number, the bicyclist provided a description of the vehicle. The vehicle was located at Melfi’s residence. Investigators determined based on physical evidence from the car that it did strike the bicycle and Melfi was arrested. He was released after posting $500 bail and is due to appear in Superior Court in Milford Aug. 11.

–EBR

Everywhere you turn in that town there’s somebody riding by on a bicycle, surrounded by a crowd of motorists scrambling to slow down, move over, and let the cyclist pass. There are bikes and bike racks and bikey things everywhere. Good grief, there is even a Park Tool stand mounted in the airport for assembling your bike!! Advertisements throughout town picture cyclists.

It all seems pretty great at first, to be sitting there sipping cappuccino and watching the bicycles go by, but after awhile I started wondering, is it real? Am I in a real place? For one thing, every single person in town seems to be young, beautiful, rich, white, and eerily happy. They are all riding very hip bikes or driving brand new Mini Coopers. Even the ones smoking cigarettes look healthy in a suspicious kind of way, and it seemed like everyone’s clothes fit them better than ours do in Tucson. I started feeling kind of nervous and began having paranoid thoughts about how maybe there is some kind of army that comes out and clears away all the regular people, and how maybe I wouldn’t make the cut and should clear out of there while I still could. So I did.

Late update: I see now that what was meant to be facetious in this post actually comes off as kind of negative. Let me be clear that I think Portland would actually be a pretty good place to live if it weren’t for the near total lack of winter sunshine and Sonoran hot dogs. –EBR

–Erik Ryberg

After a four-day jury trial, the rider was awarded over $500,000.00.

–Erik Ryberg

After being hired by the cyclist, preparing for trial, and showing up for trial, the case was dismissed because the officer failed to show.

Now, perhaps he was called to some terrible emergency en route to the courthouse. Or perhaps something tragic occurred that prevented him from appearing. I hope not. But it seems to have been happening a lot lately with these tickets, and I am starting to suspect that cyclists are getting ticketed for things the officers wish were illegal, but are not, and which the department then fails to prosecute should the cyclist challenge them.

–Erik Ryberg

I had to tell him that generally speaking, probably no. I do remember a time when people would bring their young kids on the TNBR, but that was back when the routes were a little more carefully chosen and the ride started earlier. Most parents would probably prefer not to guide their nine-year-old down Sixth Street at 9:30 PM on a bicycle.

Why isn’t there a ride in Tucson that would accommodate my friend and his daughter? It seems like there should be one. Right now the best I can think of is the annual Ciclovia and the BICAS bike-in movie rides.

–Erik Ryberg

A client of mine sent me this wondering if I knew anything about it — which I don’t.

Watch the officer in the middle of the screen very carefully at 0:26. Exactly what is he doing? And if he just did what I think he did, is he still on the force?

Update: I just found this article in the LA Times.

LAPD officers accused of clashing with bicyclists relieved of field duty during probe
June 2, 2010 | 11:34 am

Four police officers involved in a clash with cyclists in Hollywood during a mass bicycle ride have been removed from the field while investigators review the incident, an LAPD official said Wednesday.

Police launched an internal investigation into the Friday night episode after a video circulated that appeared to show an officer kicking at a passing bicyclist during a protest ride against BP’s role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, said Cmdr. Andrew Smith.

Officers were at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue to ticket cyclists who failed to stop at red lights, he said.

The video, which was posted on YouTube with the title “Hollywood Cops Attack Bike Riders,” inflamed many bicycle activists, who have complained about mistreatment at the hands of the LAPD. Several dozen cyclists complained to officials Tuesday at a monthly meeting of the city’s bicycle advisory committee.

Among the attendees was LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who told cyclists the investigation would be a “high-priority issue,” said Aurisha Smolarski of the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition. Officers took statements from witnesses at the meeting.

At a meeting with bicycling activists in February, Beck vowed to make the LAPD more responsive to the rights of cyclists and to have officers crack down on motorists who disrespected cyclists’ right to the road.

–Erik Ryberg

–Erik Ryberg

Groups of bicycle-riding vigilantes have been repainting 14 blocks of Williamsburg roadways ever since the city sandblasted their bike lanes away last week at the request of the Hasidic community.

The Hasids, who have long had a huge enclave in the now-artist-haven neighborhood, had complained that the Bedford Avenue bike paths posed both a safety and religious hazard.

Scantily clad hipster cyclists attracted to the Brooklyn neighborhood made it difficult, the Hasids said, to obey religious laws forbidding them from staring at members of the opposite sex in various states of undress.

Lauren also recommends Bike Snob NYC’s snarky take on it.

And here’s video!

–Erik Ryberg