The 10-member Boise Cycling Safety Task Force was formed by Mayor David H. Bieter with support from the Boise City Council in the wake of three tragic cycling deaths earlier this summer. The panel, chaired by Boise Police Deputy Chief Jim Kerns and with representatives from several city departments, the Ada County Highway District and Idaho Transportation Department, developed its draft recommendations with the assistance of three dozen citizens representing cyclists, motorists and public safety advocates.
The task force will host two open houses to outline the recommendations and solicit public comment:
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 6 to 8 p.m., Boise City Hall Council Chambers (3rd floor)
Thursday, Aug. 27, 6 to 8 p.m., City Hall West Sawtooth Room (333 N. Sailfish Place, off Emerald between Maple Grove and Five Mile roads)
A copy of the recommendations is available online. Comments are also being accepted at SafeCycling@cityofboise.org. After gathering public feedback, the task force will forward its final recommendations to Mayor Bieter and the city council in September.
Mindful of the need for all users of the city’s roadways to share equally in responsibility for safety, the task force developed a set of balanced changes to city ordinances that would affect both motorist and cyclist behavior. The task force’s recommendations include:
- A new law making it a misdemeanor for a motorist or any person to intentionally intimidate or harass a cyclist by threatening physical injury or throwing an object at him or her.
- A new prohibition on reckless operation of a bicycle in a manner “as to endanger or
be likely to endanger any person or property,” also a misdemeanor. - A requirement that, whenever possible, a motorist provide a minimum safe distance
of three feet when passing a cyclist. - Specific rules for riding bicycles on sidewalks, including a requirement that the cyclist dismount “when the number of pedestrians using the sidewalk renders bicycle riding on the sidewalk unsafe.”
The task force also recommends creation of “heels down” zones on specific, highly congested sidewalks (such as downtown) where cyclists would be required to dismount at all times. Other suggested ordinance changes would clarify that motorists at intersections must yield to oncoming cyclists when turning left and cannot cut off cyclists traveling in the same direction when turning right.
The task force suggests several steps designed to improve the structural safety of roads and intersections Among the recommendations: evaluation of intersections with the highest frequency of bicycle accidents for possible upgrades; acceleration of bike lane and shoulder-widening projects called for in the Ada County Highway District’s Roadways to Bikeways plan; and increased frequency of maintenance and sweeping of existing bike lanes.
In the area of education, the task force calls for creation of a branded, multi-jurisdictional “safe streets for all” campaign, in cooperation with cycling groups, that would include events, public service announcements, education programs and a Web site. The panel recommends mandatory instruction on cycling laws, with emphasis on safe interaction between cyclists and motorists, in all driver education programs and the state’s driver’s license exam. And the task force urges a comprehensive bike safety curriculum for all students in grades three through six.
The task force also urges establishment of a more sophisticated voluntary bicycle registration system to aid in recovery of stolen bikes; eventually, if the city council decided to charge a registration fee, the resulting revenues could be used to fund bike-related programs and improvements.
Over the past five weeks, members of the citizen “sounding board” reviewed the task force’s recommendations as they were being developed and provided suggestions. The feedback was particularly helpful in ensuring that the language of the proposed ordinance changes was clear and applicable to real world situations.
BOISE CYCLING SAFETY TASK FORCE
Chair: Deputy Chief Jim Kerns, Boise Police Department
Capt. Pete Ritter, Sgt. Clair Walker, Officer Tony Dotson, Boise Police Department
Karen Gallagher, Transportation Planner, Boise Planning & Development Services
Ralph Blount, Pat Riceci, Boise City Attorney’s Office
Michael Zuzel, Boise Mayor’s Office
Justin Lucas, Ada County Highway District
Kevin Sablan, Idaho Transportation Department
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