Category: Advocacy

Have You Had a Bike Crash?

Posted on by Paul Adkins

Now is your chance to learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a bike rider. On September 24th, 6:30pm-8:00pm at The Atrium Building (Sloat Room), Olive & 10th, Derek Johnson, of Johnson, Clifton, Larson & Schaller P.C., will present and answer questions relating to civil justice, insurance, and liability associated with bike crashes.

It is your chance to ask questions like: “Do I need to get the name and phone number of the guy that pulled right into me while I was riding down…?” or “Am I liable for hit and run if I run into a pedestrian and leave the scene without talking to them?” Your questions are probably something that we all want to know and this is the night to learn — for free. So, grab your biking friends and bring them to the GEARs legal clinic, this Thursday evening. Bring your headlights too.

Empower yourself and attend. Free to the public.

Eugene Celebrates 111th Anniversary of Bike Lights Parade of July 4, 1898

Posted on by Paul Adkins

Greater Eugene Areas Riders (GEARs), Eugene Celebration, and the City of Eugene present the 3rd Annual Bike Lights Parade on Saturday September 5th. This year is also the 111th Anniversary of the first “Illuminated Parade” held on July 4, 1898 in which 300 bicyclists (or ‘wheelmen’ in those days) decorated and lit their bikes with lanterns.

Eugene, Oregon – August 7, 2009 – Started three years ago to promote safe night riding by using appropriate lighting, this parade turned out to be enormous fun with more than 150 bikes going all out to light up the night. The Bike Lights Parade has become a popular feature of Eugene Celebration, the annual downtown music, arts and sustainability extravaganza.

This year we will be offering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes for the categories of “Best Illuminated and Best Decorated Vehicles.” Gift certificates donated by local bike shops in the amounts of $122.59, $73.55, and $49.01 will be awarded in each category this year to reflect the 1898 prizes of $5, $3, and $2 – adjusted for inflation. All human powered vehicles are welcome to participate. Those officially registering for the parade will receive numbers and be eligible for prizes.

Eugene Celebration admission bracelets, and/or parade registrations can be purchased online. All proceeds from sales through the GEARs website will be used to support Bicycle Safety Education courses in local elementary and middle schools.

Eugene Celebration admission and Bike Lights Parade registration HERE.

Crash on Monday is Fatal

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Another cyclist has died on our city streets. Marcellus Tryk, 47, also known as Donald Tryk, was listed in critical condition at RiverBend Hospital on Monday but according to a story by KVAL he died yesterday at the hospital.

I have only found the one news story about it. I have a call into the police department to try to find out more. If anyone has more information please share it with me so we can get the information out.
Here’s the story as reported on KVAL.

——-

**UPDATE- I just got a call from the police department and the investigation is still open and they can’t release many details.
I did find out that the crash occured near 339 W. 17th (just west of Lincoln St- near Cornucopia) and that when responding the officer found no damage to the car or bicycle involved and that there were no witnesses.   Because of that it sounds to me like they are not investigating too much more. Now that he has died that may change but now that one of the most important witnesses is no longer here to tell us what happened I hope that we as a bike community can help to make sure that his case is fully and fairly investigated.  If he was startled by an opening car door then an investigation needs to be done into whether the motorist violated ORS 811.490 which prohibits opening a car door unless it is “reasonably safe to do so.”

Just a few weeks ago a cyclist in Portland filed a lawsuit against a driver for a dooring (information from lawyer Ray Thomas on “dooring” is linked to in the article as well).

Green Bike Tours in Eugene

Posted on by RideCoordinator

This weekend was the kick-off of the Green Home Bike Tours hosted by the Neighborhood Leadership Council’s Sustainability Committee. This first tour was in the FarWest Neighborhood (West of Chambers to City View and around 18th Ave) and the next one will be in the River Road neighborhood. Check the GEARs calendar for all the details. This weekend was also the “Prom” down by the river- maybe we’ll get some photos and stories from that up as well.

Here are a couple photos from the Green Homes Bike Tour.

DeFazio Leads the Pack on Transportation

Posted on by RideCoordinator

I-5 Bike/Ped Bridge Opening
DeFazio at I-5 Bike/Ped Bridge Opening

Local Congressman, Peter DeFazio, is breaking away and headed for the yellow jersey in the race for real change in our transportation system, leaving the most popular and famous ‘change maker’, President Obama, back in the peloton. Congressman DeFazio (D-OR) is attempting to work on a “comprehensive overhaul” of the transportation system while the Obama administration is calling for congress to hold off and create a temporary fix. DeFazio is calling for a “transaction tax on crude oil securities” to pay for the deficiency in the Highway Trust Fund (which is nearly bankrupt) and to pay for the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. On DeFazio’s website a statement about the plan states:

The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 requires $450 billion in funding over 6 years. Because of existing funding mechanisms through the Highway Trust Fund, there is a $140 billion funding gap. A transaction tax on crude oil securities would raise more than $190 billion over 6 years, more than enough to fill the gap.

It goes on to describe the transaction tax in more detail but what is missing is the vision of the changes that this new transportation system may include. In an interview (Full MP3 version) with Rachael McDonald on KLCC DeFazio discusses many issues and towards the end he talks about transportation. He states that ‘legacy infrastructure’ needs to be maintained but he also talks about overhauling the Department of Transportation, reducing greenhouse gasses, giving people transit options, and increasing safety. He doesn’t specifically mention Active Transportation but he has a history of supporting biking, walking, and transit. Here is the portion of the interview regarding transportation:

DeFazio talking transportation

As DeFazio stated yesterday at a media event for the new bridge to connect the Cal Young neighborhood with the Delta Ponds area and the Willamette River money spent on projects like bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are “a heck of a lot better spent than one penny going to Wall Street”.
Delta Ponds Bridge Area-2
It will be interesting to see what action the Obama administration takes on his plan. The next few months could see a lot of action for transportation at the congressional level and all of that will eventually have a big impact on what America’s new transportation model may look like.  $450 billion is a lot to swallow in the current economic climate and a lot of this new transportation plan will certainly continue with a lot of the old ‘highway mentality’ and not enough funding for active transportation but it looks like it might be making a positive step in that direction.  Let’s hope.

Position on "Idaho Stop" Bill, Change in Meeting Time, & Call to Action!

Posted on by RideCoordinator

The GEARs Board met yesterday afternoon and came to agreement that as an organization GEARs supports HB2690, otherwise known as the “Idaho Stop Bill” that would allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs.

The April 13th GEARs Meeting has also been rescheduled to allow Board and general members to make public comments about the cities position at the April 13 City Council Meeting. The new meeting will be held on April 27th at 7:00 pm at the Keystone.

Background:
A letter was written (download PDF) by the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator on behalf of the Inter-Governmental Relations Committee (IGR) without consulting the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) or the bike community at large. In that letter the City stated it’s position as opposing the bill. Because of the reaction from the bike community to that letter the IGR (made up of three city council members) re-evaluated their position and two members changed from “Oppose” to “Neutral”. Because it was no longer unanimous it automatically goes to the full City Council for a vote to support, oppose, or be neutral on the bill. And that is where GEARs members come in.

A CALL TO ACTION:
GEARs members are encouraged to attend the City Council Meeting and share your opinion on the Bill and/or the city’s process in developing their position. They are reconsidering the City’s position and will likely be voting that night. Time for public comment is at the beginning of the meeting- Monday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m. Get there early to sign in. There will also be a lot of skateboarders there to support the new Washington/Jefferson Park so it will be a great show of Active Transportation modes- we’ll be taking over and letting the Council know that we want to see change in priorities to more healthy, safe, and sustainable transportation options and we want the City to communicate with us!

The BPAC will also be discussing this issue and taking a position at their meeting this evening- 5:30 p.m., Atrium Building, Sloat Room.

And finally, there was a Guest Viewpoint in todays Register Guard from our Vice-President, Jay Klein.