Don’t the police have better things to do than this?
There is trouble in Kenosha … Trouble with a capital T.
And that rhymes with B … which stands for Bikes.
A proposed ordinance is intended to get a handle on the city’s rules for riding bicycles.
The ordinance, sponsored by aldermen Michael Orth and Don Moldenhauer, would rework the city’s language on safe bicycle riding in the wake of several bike riders who were ticketed last year for riding with only one hand on their bicycle.
Q: How did this issue come to the surface?
A: At least three bicycle riders were ticketed in the city last summer for riding with one hand on their bike’s handlebars. Doug Nelson, one of the people ticketed, said he was just reaching to get his water bottle. The tickets were issued during a time the Kenosha Police Department was practicing strict enforcement of traffic and pedestrian safety laws thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Q: Is it illegal to ride with one hand?
A: For the most part, at least right now. The city’s ordinances state it is illegal for people riding bicycles on city streets, alleys, highways or public thoroughfares to ride without both hands on the handlebars, unless they are signaling for a turn. Both feet also must remain on the pedals, unless the rider is disabled and has permission from the police department.
Q: How much does a violation cost?
A: Tickets for these offenses were $82.50. Morrissey voided the three violations that were reported by last August.
Q: What does the new language say?
A: The current text states: “No person operating a bicycle shall remove both hands from the handlebars, or feet from the pedals, or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding.”
Q: Why will this change help?
A: “It could create an embarrassing situation for the city to give citations for something that is not uncommon for riders to do,” Moldenhauer said. “It just clears things up, and I have been assured it will alleviate any situation like we had last summer. We need to correct this and move on.”
Q: Any other changes in the proposed ordinance?
A: There is language that would prohibit bicycles to ride two or more abreast except in a single lane of a street or highway where traffic travels in the same direction in two or more lanes, paths, trails and lanes set aside for bicycles and bicycle tours and races. Bike riders also must always ride on a permanently-attached seat.
Q: Why bring this forward now?
A: “The goal is to get this done before the serious cycling season gets under way,” Orth said.
Q: What still needs to be worked on?
A: “We need to clean up the language to make it consistent with the state,” Orth said. “We have to make sure the police department is on board.”
Q: Is there anything else surprising in the existing bicycle ordinance?
A: Adult tricycles require a “slow vehicle” sign. And no one may operate a unicycle of any size on city streets, alleys, highways, public thoroughfares or sidewalks in business or industrial districts without the permission of the police chief. That permission can only be granted for parades and special events and may be subject to a test of operating skills.
I don’t know who to blame for this situation. Should it be the Kenosha Police Department for accepting, or the State Department of Transportation for funding a program to crack down on outlaw vigilante cyclists who dare to reach for their water bottle? Or both?
As for the new language … it says that a rider must always ride on a permanently attached seat. That sounds to me like standing on the pedals to go faster or up a hill would be illegal. Duh?
Just where could someone go to learn how to ride a unicycle? If you can’t practice on a unicycle how could you pass the operating skills test to ride it in a parade? Double Duh?
And as for the slow moving sign on the tricycle … my tricycle pictured above has multiple speeds and I cruise at 12-15 mph. Faster than many bike riders who lallygag along. Triple Duh?
While most communities are attempting to make their area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, the Kenosha City Council and Police Department are making fools of themselves.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 4:25 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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