On its last day the General Assembly approved “safe passing” bills H7243A (sponsor: Gemma) and S2706A (Connors) which the Governor has allowed to become law without his signature. Al Gemma took the leadership to get something passed and so it was basically his version of 3 similar bills that essentially calls for motorists to pass… read more
Search Results for: frank's law
Frank’s Law – City of Warwick Resolution
The Warwick City Council met back on October 20th to vote on whether or not to pass a resolution requiring motorists to give cyclists a reasonable amount of room when passing. The resolution passed unanimously! I managed to get my hands on a copy of the resolution, the most important portion of which reads: NOW,… read more
Rhode Island Bike Laws
RI Bike Laws No Parking in a Bike LaneNo person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic control device, in any of the following places:…(16) On any bicycle lane, trail or path.…(c)… read more
New Bike Laws in Massachusetts
Back in January, Massachusetts passed new bicycle laws that should help to better protect cyclists. The MassBike website does an excellent job of summarizing the new laws, which among other things: Making “dooring” a ticketable offense Requiring motorists to stay a safe distance to the left of cyclists and, when passing, to return to the… read more
LaHood, lawmakers hype mass transit and sustainability
From Today’s Environment and Energy Daily (03/13/2009) Josh Voorhees, E&E reporter Increasing mass transit options around the country is a priority as the nation moves toward more sustainable transportation and land use, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told lawmakers yesterday. “To me, it is clear that our transportation system and the development it enables must be… read more
Florida passes 3-foot law
According to a Pantagraph article, Florida is the latest state to pass a 3-foot law, whereby vehicles are required to give cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing. Violators face fines up to $500. Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, stressed the new law merely spells out what earlier… read more
Yet Another Law
While driving along a highway over the weekend, I happened to notice one of those roadside signs stating, “New driving law, tune to 1630”. It piqued my interest, so I switch over to hear what this was all about. You can read the entire law online, but in a nutshell it states motorists, when approaching… read more
What does being 39th mean?
There has been much more media attention paid this year to the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly States rankings, with seemingly every local news program focusing on Rhode Island being ranked 39th among the states and last among New England States. In trying to come to terms with could be interpreted as an indictment… read more
Move Over Law – Not Working
According to to a report posted on the Target 12 website, the recently passed Move Over law, requiring motorists to change lanes or at least slow down when passing an emergency vehicle, simply isn’t working. Target 12 wired up a state police cruiser and went undercover to put the law to the test. We also… read more
Idaho Stop Law
As some of you might already know, multiple states have been considering the implementation of an “Idaho Stop Law“. Orgeon’s current attempt was pronounced dead in the last few days. I’ve also heard that California, Montana, and DC have considered such laws. Would such a law legalize what is already common behavior or would it… read more
Concern regarding lawsuit over Kennedy Plaza redesign
We at the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition are dismayed the to read about the lawsuit filed by a group of downtown property owners against the City over the Kennedy Plaza redesign. In particular, we object to the lawsuit’s contention that “increased bicycle traffic” was a negative by-product of the proposed plan. We believe that diversifying… read more
“Share the Road”; Frank’s Ride
On September 4th, 2007, Frank Cabral took his last bicycle ride. Frank was struck and killed by a motorist on Route 1 in Charleston RI. He was 41 years yong. He loved life, and truly lived it. Frank’s memorial will start on September 13th, at 10am at Matunuk Beach School. A beautiful 22.5 mile loop… read more