Mayor wants to increase fines for reckless cyclists, motorists
Mayor wants to increase fines for reckless cyclists, motorists
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com May 7, 2013 6:32PM
On Wednesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to do both.
The even-handed ordinance Emanuel plans to introduce at a City Council meeting would raise fines for cyclists who disobey the city’s traffic laws — from $25 for all offenses to $50-to-$200, depending on the severity of the violation.
The mayor’s plan also would double — to $1,000 — the fine imposed against motorists who open their doors without looking into the path of cyclists. The fine for leaving a car door open in traffic would also double — to $300.
Last year, there were 1,675 bicycle crashes in Chicago, 250 of them so-called “dooring” accidents.
In an attempt to reduce those bone-crunching accidents that send cyclists flying, City Hall is launching an awareness campaign to remind taxicab passengers of the need to look before they open passenger doors.
Stickers to be placed on the rear passenger windows of all 7,000 Chicago taxicabs were designed by MINIMAL design studios.
Neill Townshend, a 32-year-old MINIMAL employee, was killed last fall while biking to work on the Near North Side. He was hit by a semi-trailer after swerving to avoid an open car door.
Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, applauded the mayor for his even-handed approach to making Chicago streets safer and his particular emphasis on preventing “dooring” accidents.
“With more and more people cycling in Chicago [and bike-sharing on the way], it’s imperative that motorists look for cyclists before opening car doors. This needs to become second nature,” he said.
Burke acknowledged that the city currently issues few tickets and mostly warnings against cyclists who text while riding and blow through red lights and that the higher penalties likely mean more tickets.
“We support that 100 percent. One of our over-arching goals is to see fewer crashes and injuries. One important way to do that is to issue tickets. Enforcement is crucial,” Burke said.
Emanuel’s decision to create a ground-breaking network of protected bike lanes in Chicago has increased tensions between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
But Burke said, “It’s not so much bikes vs. cars vs. pedestrians. Unfortunately, there’s a percentage of the population that travels recklessly — whether it’s on foot, on bike or driving a car. The Active Transportation Alliance supports increased traffic fines [across the board] as an important way to improve safety.”
In a news release, Emanuel argued that “everyone is safer” when traffic laws are obeyed.
“If they are sharing the roadway with vehicles, cyclists must obey all traffic laws, including yielding to pedestrians, stopping at traffic signals and indicating when they are making turns,” he said.
“By increasing the fines for failing to obey the law, cyclists will behave more responsibly, increasing safety and encouraging others to ride bikes.”
Like Daley, Emanuel is an avid cyclist who campaigned on a promise to make Chicago the nation’s most “bike-friendly” city.
Emanuel installed Chicago’s first, of what he promised would be 100 miles of protected bike lanes over four years less than a month after taking office.
The city now has 204.1 miles of on-street bike ways. That includes: 18.6 miles of protected or buffered bike lanes; 134.2 miles of standard bike lanes and 39.8 miles of marked shared lanes.
Protected bike lanes are expected to be installed this summer on Milwaukee and on Clybourn.
More than 20,000 people bike to work each day to jobs in downtown Chicago. That’s a 200 percent increase since 2005, according to City Hall.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/19960894-418/mayor-wants-to-incr...
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by tex on
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Thats what Im talking about. I have friends that refused to use lights or helmets...one of them I secretly installed lights on her bike and she still wouldn't use them....then she saw 2 head wound bike crashes in one day and changed her mind. So now geniuses like my dear friend can be motivated by the fine. And dont have to wait to see their first spinal injury or biker brain.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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While that may be true, the no lights problem is completely out of hand. I've never performed a survey which came back at 95% ninja cyclists, but my results are (consistently) substantially more than half. Cyclists without lights are a danger to themselves and others and I believe are "by definition" operating a vehicle in a reckless fashion.
Duppie 13.5185km said:I can tell you need a beer ;)
Serge Lubomudrov said:Well, I can not comment on riding home wasted that late without a helmet on (never done so in that combination), but lights . . .
[snip]
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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Several years ago, I was riding home on the lakefront path late at night with a group of friends, including one guy who refuses to use lights or a helmet. (The rest of us had both.) Our ninja (call him X) rode out ahead of the group and nearly got into a head-on collision with another cyclist who didn't see him. They got into an intense verbal argument that nearly turned into a fist fight. We apologized to the other guy for our friend being an ass and dragged him out of there before things got worse. Since then, I won't ride with X at night. If he wants to put himself (and other people near him) at risk of serious injury, I don't want to have any part in that scenario.
tex said:Thats what Im talking about. I have friends that refused to use lights or helmets...one of them I secretly installed lights on her bike and she still wouldn't use them....then she saw 2 head wound bike crashes in one day and changed her mind. So now geniuses like my dear friend can be motivated by the fine. And dont have to wait to see their first spinal injury or biker brain.
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Permalink Reply by Mr. Ray Joe Hall on
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Burke isn't saying you should sit at all stop signs or lights if no traffic is coming. Nobody on a bike does that, even Chicago bike cops. But I for one am sick of riding down Kinzie, slowing down at a sign to allow the next right of way through, only to have some jerk-ass fly by on my right completely oblivious of anyone around them. Those assholes deserve a ticket because they're giving riders who respect other people around them - whether walking, driving, or riding - a bad name.
Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:Holy crap! If I'm reading this correctly or if Ron Burke wasn't mis-quoted I'm not sure I'll be renewing my ATA membership. I'm all for safety but there are certainly non-reckless ways to go through a red light. It makes no sense to sit at a red light, or come to a complete stop at a stop sign if there is no cross traffic with the right of way.
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Permalink Reply by Jason W on
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We have to stop accepting that we are to blame for other cyclists behavior. I don't care if anther cyclist blew a stop sign, I will allow no one to put that on me. Do you take the blame for what this kid did? After all, he was riding a bike.
Mr. Ray Joe Hall said:Burke isn't saying you should sit at all stop signs or lights if no traffic is coming. Nobody on a bike does that, even Chicago bike cops. But I for one am sick of riding down Kinzie, slowing down at a sign to allow the next right of way through, only to have some jerk-ass fly by on my right completely oblivious of anyone around them. Those assholes deserve a ticket because they're giving riders who respect other people around them - whether walking, driving, or riding - a bad name.
Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:Holy crap! If I'm reading this correctly or if Ron Burke wasn't mis-quoted I'm not sure I'll be renewing my ATA membership. I'm all for safety but there are certainly non-reckless ways to go through a red light. It makes no sense to sit at a red light, or come to a complete stop at a stop sign if there is no cross traffic with the right of way.
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That's a strawman argument. Who's taking blame? I'm not taking the blame, that's why I support this ordinance. Bad cyclists make it very hard for cycling to become mainstream - shared and equal facilities become impossible to implement when the overall reputation of those fighting for them isn't taken seriously.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on
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Once again your anal retentive "obey the law" stance is not helping your cause. I'm not for reckless riding either and running reds on a bike is essentially attempted suicide but following the rules like we're cars when we're NOT is stupid.
Division is/was down to one lane past Halsted over the bridge to just before Milwaukee so you're saying I should wait in line with cars jockying for position trying to make a two lane road which merges into a one lane over the bridge then as they go towards the freeway it turns into a 3 lane road with busses cutting me off just so they can stop in front of me!
Rahm can make all the laws he wants, build PBL's and impose huge fines on motorists but he still has to enforce them.
I was cut off 3 times by motorists passing me on the left, saw numerous people talking on the phone/texting and the bus on Division was honking at me as if to say move out of the way!
A bike hitting a car equals a dent, maybe.
A car hitting a bike equals_______?
Active Transportation Alliance said:Tony,
We support people getting tickets if they are disobeying the law, whether they are driving or biking. We're not calling for a crack down on people on bikes.
As an advocacy organization, we simply can't say "It's OK for people on bikes to blow red lights".
Ron's quotes refer to across the board enforcement. We certainly hope this doesn't push you to drop your membership, we do greatly value your support and your voice. My conversations with you over the past few years have been great in terms of push back, feedback and insight.
We posted a blog about this and Ron wants to add some language to it to clarify his quotes a bit more. Our position on ticketing is focused on equal enforcement and for the most egregious and reckless offenses.
Thanks so much,
Ethan Spotts, Active Trans
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I'd be for that, especially "up north" comeing down Winthrop, Wolcott, or any other road in light traffic. Red lights should be stopped for and I rarely push them but on a holiday weeken or a Sunday, just stop look LRL then go.
spencewine said:It would have been nice if the Idaho Stop Law was tucked into this bill...it probably would look more balanced from a cyclist perspective and would be overlooked by the media because of the distractions with the other content of the bill. It seems like trying to pass something like the Idaho Stop Law outright would be met with a lot of attention and objection. The stickers in cabs is great though. Chicago Tribune is running this front page with the Headline "Hike Fines For Bicyclist who Break Traffic Laws" and I'm sure John Kass is/will start pooping out of his mouth again.
Madopal (7.6 mi) said:We need to get the Idaho stop law in Illinois, pronto.
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I don't know who is more anal and reactionary: John Kass and Mark Konkot or the people who act as though stating a desire for cyclists to stop riding like assholes and yield to people who have the right of way is akin to demanding bikes come to a complete stop at signs or wait at empty red lights.
READ THE BILL. It says nothing of the sort.
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Permalink Reply by John C. Wilson on
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There's a factoid in this thread that is just wrong. If 10% of cyclists hit by cars get killed or sustain major injuries I would've spent my life going to funerals and I'd be spending the rest of today visiting friends in longterm care. And of course I would probably be dead myself. If cycling was remotely as dangerous as viewed in these pages of comments I would not sell my bikes, I would destroy them before someone else was injured.
Cycling is normal. Cycling is fun. Cycling is simple. Cycling is easy. Cycling is safe.
If you want cycling to be deviant, scary, complex, difficult and life-threatening you can make it be that way. Please don't push any part of that on anyone else.
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Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on
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Sadly, this is true. I really can't recall the last time I saw a car pulled over for a traffic violation, which I struggle to understand given that those tickets are seem what a major untapped revenue source.
Ticketing the worst behaving cycling may be overdue, but it's chump change as far as paying for itself in terms of enforcement.
I was also a huge skeptic of the red-light cameras, and while there has clearly been a boatload of corruption related to the contract, it's also clear that they work.
All this said, while I agree with John that cycling is as natural as walking, there are definitely a lot of people out there who believe it's akin to walking on a tight rope without a safety net. I'm down with addressing and correcting whatever legislation and infrastructure helps makes cycling more attractive to the mainstream.
h' 1.0 said:
Enforcement is not forthcoming for either drivers or cyclists in 2013 Chicago to any extent that would be likely to make a difference in anyone's behavior. We don't have the police availability to take it on.
About the only thing out there that's kept things from getting completely crazy in recent years is the proliferation of red light cameras IMO.
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Permalink Reply by Green Machine Cycles on
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It's possible the author or editor decided to put the phrase "so-called dooring" into quotation because the word "dooring" might not connote to general readership the potentially horrific consequences it often causes. I have been doored twice, each instance resulting in recuperation costs over $1,000 and about a week's time lost from work.
If cycling advocates wish to increase the visibility of dooring's seriousness a concerted effort might be made to gather testimonials, create a PSA or similar video, compile statistics in a graphically powerful format, etc. Whether that's ATA's job or League of American Bicyclists or whoever, I don't know.
Potentially injurious behavior surely should be brought to the attention of the general (motoring) public, although a certain amount of interpretation and translation may be necessary before "dooring," with all its attendant risks and costs, finds its way into the vernacular.
Davo said:"so called dooring"? When are the so called "writers" going to validate dooring as a legitimate thing/ This should be part of ATA's message. Whenever one of these "journalists" dismiss dooring accidents, there should be an immediate response about it. I appreciate the work that ATA is doing and hope they take this into concideration.
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