Sun Times on Steven Vance's "Close Calls."

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on September 15, 2013 at 11:13pm

Ah, so this is why a bunch (well, three) of submissions came in yesterday espousing low "opinions" of people who bike in Chicago. One was from a guy who said his child was hit by someone riding a bike. All three submissions mentioned that bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road. The website doesn't currently accept close calls experienced by people who weren't bicycling (and the website states this) so I deleted them. 

New topic...

I got a Close Call about bicycling northbound on Elston Avenue across Ashland. I bet a lot of you have experienced this: a driver will turn right onto northbound Ashland, across your path, from the through lane. This is an easy design fix – guess we'll have to wait until CDOT and IDOT are better friends. (Elston Avenue north of Armitage Avenue is under IDOT's jurisdiction.) 

I waited to post this Close Call until I could finish my video that demonstrates it (I filmed this video, not the submitter). 

The Elston Avenue right hook. 

Submit your close call. 

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Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on September 16, 2013 at 6:54am

The percentages are so inflated due to the minor amount of cyclists compared to drivers.

Could they give us the numbers that they used for the amounts of cyclists/drivers ? I will bet that you will see that there are QUITE a bit LESS cyclists than there are drivers in the poll/study.

Also, did they do it on a day/month that was storming or snowed in?

Too many variables to worry about this article. They will spin it so their agenda is met.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on September 16, 2013 at 7:29pm

What you are suggesting has nothing to do with the format of the website. However, I see what you were saying about driver education. Therefore, I will no longer accept driver education is a suggested improvement. The suggested improvements should be relevant to the specific incident and location design.



clp said:

I like the concept of "Close Calls."   But I think the format could be improved.  So far, most of the cyclists posting "Close Calls" could be encouraged to think more deeply about "Suggested Improvements."  For instance, the most popular suggestion "more driver education" is a pipe dream.  Are you kidding?  Can you just see those drivers lined up to sit in a Drivers' Ed class?  What can we REALLY do to improve cyclists' safety?

What we really need to support is higher FUEL TAXES!  US gasoline should cost $9/gal as it does in other advanced countries, rather than the pitiful $4/ga (with only 18¢ in Federal fuel tax, unchanged in over 20 years!).   That bonanza of revenue could just about eliminate the current Federal deficit, and fund massive infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years.

But for cyclists, it would mean SMALLER CARS on the roads.  And the volume of traffic would also decline sharply.  As a result, we'd all have much more road space to ride our bikes!

Let's all push for higher fuel taxes: federal, state, county and city!  And write your legislators frequently!

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Permalink Reply by Tom Z on September 16, 2013 at 11:31pm

Shhh... quiet before someone hears you. I just fine with the low taxes on fuel. Remember this will also raise the price of everything, as it brings of the cost of transportation of goods.

clp said:

What we really need to support is higher FUEL TAXES!  US gasoline should cost $9/gal as it does in other advanced countries, rather than the pitiful $4/ga (with only 18¢ in Federal fuel tax, unchanged in over 20 years!).   That bonanza of revenue could just about eliminate the current Federal deficit, and fund massive infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years.

But for cyclists, it would mean SMALLER CARS on the roads.  And the volume of traffic would also decline sharply.  As a result, we'd all have much more road space to ride our bikes!

Let's all push for higher fuel taxes: federal, state, county and city!  And write your legislators frequently!

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Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on September 17, 2013 at 2:10pm

Just raise the tax on gasoline, leave commercial diesel as is; would probably have less of a price increase than we think it would.

Tom Z said:

Shhh... quiet before someone hears you. I just fine with the low taxes on fuel. Remember this will also raise the price of everything, as it brings of the cost of transportation of goods.

clp said:

What we really need to support is higher FUEL TAXES!  US gasoline should cost $9/gal as it does in other advanced countries, rather than the pitiful $4/ga (with only 18¢ in Federal fuel tax, unchanged in over 20 years!).   That bonanza of revenue could just about eliminate the current Federal deficit, and fund massive infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years.

But for cyclists, it would mean SMALLER CARS on the roads.  And the volume of traffic would also decline sharply.  As a result, we'd all have much more road space to ride our bikes!

Let's all push for higher fuel taxes: federal, state, county and city!  And write your legislators frequently!

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on September 17, 2013 at 3:38pm

There is a difference between behavior that is in violation of a law or ordinance and that which is dangerous.  Stopping at a red light at  3 am with nobody anywhere near, looking and proceeding is...illegal. its not necessarily dangerous. Driving through a green light is legal. Doing so when a parent is pushing a buggy through that same intersection, even if that parent made a foolhardy move, is dangerous.  So, it depends. 

If we simply look at who breaks laws, I hate to say that cyclists do it plenty, myself included.  I think pedestrians are worse.  I think its pedestrians, cyclists drivers. If we ask who does the most dangerous  I think drivers are the worst and its a push between cyclists and pedestrians. I really think being in the open makes cyclists tend to be less dangerous.  The other day in my car I drove by a painted walk intersection and a guy was standing there on the side with his dog.  He was not in the street. It didn't register to me that I was supposed to stop. I was.  He raised his hands as if to utter, "WTF dude" and he was right.  I can't imagine I would have done that on a bike. No excuse.  Its just what happened. 

I see these as unscientific trends with scads of exceptions. There are plenty of safe drivers, cyclists pedestrians and there are plenty of dangerous users of each conveyance. 

What do I glean from all this?   Frankly, nothing. That's why the blog is useful.  I hope the guy with the dog wasn't too angry and didn't post my license plate number. I will stop next time.

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Permalink Reply by Will on September 17, 2013 at 3:52pm

I think it's roughly the same. 99% of drivers exceed the speed limit, do not come to a complete stop at stop signs, at least occasionally run a "pink" light, and/or frequently fail to signal a turn or lane change. I'm guilty of them, at least on occasion, and unless you're Barney Fife, you are too. 99% of cyclists do the same stuff (except speeding), at least on occasion, but for some reason, it's more acceptable when drivers do it.

Tom Z said:

Actually look at it as a percentage. I see a higher percentage of cyclists that disobey traffic laws then drivers.

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