“You Just Never Know!”
On Your Left!
Tuesday June 20, 2023
From the messy desk of Amanda Eichstaedt…
For many years I as very involved with bicycle advocacy. Yep, you got that right, I was heavily involved with promoting safe bicycling as an alternative to motor vehicle travel. I served on the League of American Bicyclists Board of Directors for nine years, lobbied our elected officials on behalf of safer cycling conditions, and I even rode my bike. I was also a League Cycling Instructor, teaching hundreds of people to ride responsibly, and hopefully safely, in traffic. I even sold bicycles, managing an independent shop on the peninsula. I still ride bicycles, but not as much as I used to. You may see me commuting to work on my bike, or out for a spin, and Ken and I ride a tandem.
George Clyde did a fun West Marin Report story about passing bicyclists. Here is a link. It’s a good one. This was produced many years ago, but the idea is still the same.
I will “take the lane” across the Green Bridge to keep you from smooshing me up against the railing, and will return to the edge of the roadway once safely across. I usually wear a high visibility vest, run a blinking red light on the back, and often a headlight on the front. This makes me easy to see, and recognize (conspicuity).
I know that West Marin is a bicycling mecca for many riders that do not live here. I know that bunches riding together can be frustrating to drivers, especially those chatting away two abreast while you are trying to get where you are going (I get it and feel frustrated, too). The fact of the matter is that bicyclists have a right to our shared roadways. Is it harmonious out there? Not always, but we can all play a part in making it “more” harmonious.
And when I say “we,” I mean all of us, both bicyclists and motorists. I hope that when you pass me, you don’t even register the occurrence, because we were “sharing” the roadway.
In 2013 the State of California passed the Three Feet for Safety Act into law. Personally, I prefer at least 5 feet, but three is the law. On our narrow roadways, this may mean that you have to hold back a bit before passing safely, especially on blind curves. A new law passed in 2022 requires a motorist to move into an adjacent lane, when available, to pass a bicyclist. I think the key here is “when available,” and on our rural roads, while there is another lane, it is for oncoming traffic only on a double yellow. Please only pass when it is safe to do so. And going all the way into the other lane, which is at least 10 feet, can be even more dangerous if you encounter someone coming head on. For everyone involved.
This past weekend on a tandem ride, we were passed closely by a vehicle in an area with so-so sight lines. It might have been three feet, but with a pretty big speed differential, that can feel too close for comfort, but still legal. The car zoomed by, and there was a KWMR bumpersticker on the back. It was not the only vehicle with a KWMR bumpersticker that I saw on that ride. I am always so happy to see KWMR being promoted!
Me at the beginning of my bicycling career. photo: likely one of my parents
This to say that you just never know who you might be passing out there on the roadways, so pass with care, give at least three feet, and when taking to two wheels, be courteous, and single up on narrow roads so we can all get home safely to tune into our favorite radio station! By the way, have you downloaded the KWMR App? Here’s to a safe summer!
Keep the rubber side down!
Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager and Executive Director
And….We have a winner! We have chosen a Calendar Club winner at random for a basket of fabulous gifts from KWMR! We did this regularly prior to ye olde pandemic, and are resurrecting the tradition now that folks are not uncomfortable receiving a gift that someone else has laid their paws on (meaning, we put it together). So CONGRATULATIONS to:
Katherine Hunting!
Please email Alyssa Tanner to arrange for your gift basket!
Head on down to the Editor’s Club to see who won that random drawing! (scroll)