pyranometer's comments:

on Blowin' in the Wind

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding customers "buying" wind power from their utility. My impression is that customers who pay a premium for green package like PAC's Blue Sky think their homes are powered by wind and will thus avoid the coming electrical rate hikes cause mostly by fossil fuel price spikes. Can someone explain in simple terms why all rate payers will see a rate increase, even when they participate in green programs?

posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Where Bikes and Cars Intersect

When it comes to increasing cyclist safety what is most helpful is getting more cyclists out on the roads and clearly bike lanes are a means to this end. My guess is that without bike lanes a large number of cyclists would never venture out.

With that said, bike lanes are certainly the recipe for the dreaded right hook. Practical ways to fix this include better education of both drivers and cyclists, and, more importantly, increasing the number of cyclists riding with the confidence and smarts to take the full traffic lane when conditions warrant. Contrary to statements in this discussion a cyclist can legally leave the bike lane for several reasons including ?preparing to execute a left turn? and ?avoiding hazardous conditions?. This pretty much covers all urban conditions and I?ve never heard of anyone being challenged on this act. As someone who has commuted through downtown on Broadway everyday for years I often opt out of the bike lane and have never had a problem.

Bottom line, while re-engineering intersections, re-striping lane lines, and re-working hard fought pro-cyclist laws are certainly worthy undertakings that may increase safety, the more effective and expedient approach is to promote the safety achieved by existing laws and engineering. Call me simplistic, but it seems that lanes beget riders and riders beget safety. I believe the numbers support me.

ps: here is the Oregon Vehicle Code pertaining to this issue:

814.420 Failure to use bicycle lane or path; exceptions; penalty. (1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, a person commits the offense of failure to use a bicycle lane or path if the person operates a bicycle on any portion of a roadway that is not a bicycle lane or bicycle path when a bicycle lane or bicycle path is adjacent to or near the roadway.

(2) A person is not required to comply with this section unless the state or local authority with jurisdiction over the roadway finds, after public hearing, that the bicycle lane or bicycle path is suitable for safe bicycle use at reasonable rates of speed.

(3) A person is not in violation of the offense under this section if the person is able to safely move out of the bicycle lane or path for the purpose of:

(a) Overtaking and passing another bicycle, a vehicle or a pedestrian that is in the bicycle lane or path and passage cannot safely be made in the lane or path.

(b) Preparing to execute a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(c) Avoiding debris or other hazardous conditions.

(d) Preparing to execute a right turn where a right turn is authorized.

(e) Continuing straight at an intersection where the bicycle lane or path is to the right of a lane from which a motor vehicle must turn right.

(4) The offense described in this section, failure to use a bicycle lane or path, is a Class D traffic violation. [1983 c.338 ﾧ700; 1985 c.16 ﾧ338; 2005 c.316 ﾧ3]

posted 4 years ago
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