Advocacy

BRBC Members,

There are many ways to advocate for safe cycling. Each and every one you advocate for cycling safety by the way you ride and how you talk with your neighbors. BRBC is involved with local cycling advocacy groups and government committees. BRBC is a member of the NC level and national level advocacy organizations - Bike Walk NC and The League of American Bicyclists.

If you would like to be more involved with our advocacy efforts - in your local community, in Western North Carolina, at the state level, or the national level - let me or Joe Sanders, our BRBC Advocacy Chair, know.

Dawn Barr

BRBC, President

president@blueridgebicycleclub.org

Mr. League,

I totally agree that cyclists can make themselves more visible by using (front and rear lights). It’s arguable the bright clothing makes one more visible; it might in the absence of lights, but there have been numerous studies that have shown that brighter cycling kit only makes cyclists marginally more visible, and are far less effective than lights. But I suppose better than nothing.

However, I vehemently disagree that cyclists should ride in single file, as well as it oft-cited companion admonition “…and on the far right.” Legally, cyclists are considered “vehicles” and are also legally allowed to ride two abreast. When you think about, this makes a group of cyclists more like a vehicle, which also travels two (at least) abreast. (i.e., operator and passenger). It also makes the group more visible. Most cycling safety experts recommend that a single rider or the right-most cyclist travel in the same space in the lane that would be occupied by the right wheels on the vehicle. This improves visibility, particularly on winding or hilly roads like those common here.

But the biggest reason that cyclists need to occupy the middle right of the road is that it forces vehicles to break the center of the road to pass, just as though the cyclist *was* a car. Far too many drivers believe that if a cyclist is far right in the lane that they can pass safely between cyclists and the center lane without crossing the center of the road. This is a myth, and often results in the cyclist(s) being forced off the road. Also, riding two abreast halves the time required for motorists to pass a group. Group size is a separate issue, but “riding single file” is bad advice.

I have been collecting emails and will send out a proper response when specific action items are identified. I have reached out to some folks already doing work in this area and am hoping we can support and accelerate change via existing channels that have brought successful outcomes before. 

Cyclists have the right to be on the road and often riding in the middle of the road or 2-by-2 promotes safety by discouraging unsafe driving. This is allowed by state law as was communicated to members of the club on day 1 of the Td’Trans. 

When a vehicle hits an object in front of it, unless that object reckless pulled in front, is at fault. Full stop; literally and figuratively. 

When an operator of a commercial vehicle breaks a traffic law, they have committed a crime and demonstrated professional incompetence. We as the people of the society need to hold bad actors accountable. Laws don’t exist without consequences. 

A bigger showing of BRCC members would have been nice but that doesn’t matter. The memorial service yesterday was standing room only. It’s was as inspiring as sad. The community showed up. The BRCC is a part of that community.

What matters most is we show up when we speak with our representatives in government and our neighbors. That we reject the victim blaming and don’t accept that because we ride bikes a vehicle may murder us and that’s ok. ITS NOT! 

People will die unnecessarily if we don’t - likely people we know. It could be you, or worse, someone you love. 

I spent a week in the ICU looking at the person I love the most. I’ll never forget the deathly color of her beautiful face. The lifelessness of it all. The noises of the hospital. The absence of silence in my head. It’s haunting still and brings tears to my eyes. 

She made it. She rides again. She’s beautiful. We were lucky. Nobody should go through that. This a problem with solutions - are we strong enough to fight for them? 

I to am saddened by the tragic death of these two young men and have been thinking on how this could have been prevented. I’ve been thinking about road bike safety for awhile now as I’ve personally had two very close calls with the latest being last week in a group ride on Wilson Road when a driver crossed a double yellow line into a blind bend with another car coming the other way! The passing car came within a foot of me. Thankfully this did not become yet another tragic event and statistic.

With the population growing in the area, amount of new homes being built, and pressure on infrastructure it might help if we get in front of the various councils, Mayors, and planning boards to voice our concerns and advocate for changes. Getting municipalities to adopt the Safe Streets Initiative might help as it opens up funds and grant money for safer streets for all users. I did a quick search on Asheville, Brevard, and Hendersonville and while they support Safe Streets, none of them have officially adopted a Safe Streets policy 🙁 If they did it could help make new road projects safer for all. Wilson Road project being one and the road discussed in this thread.

I'm sorry if some people took my comments to be mean-spirited or divisive. It was not meant that way. Perhaps I did not express myself well.

I meant to make two points. Yesterday, a large group of cyclists took to Old Marshall Hwy (OMH) to honour two fallen riders who were killed when a motorist in a large haulage vehicle crossed the yellow center line and collided with them. These are indisputable facts. The estimate is that this procession, during which time NO VEHICLES PASSED US, contained over 200 riders. Why did no vehicles pass? Because we had numbers. And you need numbers if you want to advocate for change. That was my first point. If we want change, we need to show up and express ourselves. My second point was my own disappointment that I saw very few BRBC jerseys in this procession. Perhaps there were more BRBC members there wearing other jerseys (as I did), but in a club this size, it was disappointing *to me* that I saw so few. There's a saying that "if you aren't at the table, you may be on the menu." IMO, cyclists are "on the menu" (just look at some of the comments on the WLOS news story), and if BRBC wishes to advocate for change, it needs to make its presence known. End of story.

Mr. Thomas is proposing an advocacy below for a better corridor for cyclists between Asheville and Marshall. I think this is admirable, but I also think it is a big rock to push up the hill. I have doubts as to its feasibility given the terrain and current existing infrastructure. Sam White from Liberty Bikes pointed out yesterday that cyclists have been using OMH for over 40 years but that we are getting pushed off it, just as we are getting pushed off of many of the roads that have been used for years by cyclists in other areas. Even if a cycling corridor could be made along OMH, we will have likely been pushed aside long before that happens. In the meantime, I think we *could* advocate for some changes that would make OMH safer for cyclists and prevent us from being pushed off of it..

1. Greater police presence and enforcement of existing speed limits. Of course, this would mean that cyclists would also have to obey the law. It is a two-way street. I rarely have seen law enforcement on OMH, and I've never seen anyone stopped although vehicles routinely travel along that road at speeds much higher than the posted limits and often pass cyclists and other vehicles in an unsafe manner.
2. Limits on vehicle sizes (I'm looking at you, big black debris trucks hauling big black debris trailers). There has been an observable increase in vehicle size and volume since Helene. IMO, this needs to be curbed.
3. Limits on usage of the road by large vehicles during specific periods. Ever wonder why there are fewer large vehicles on OMH on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. The landfill is closed. Although one would have considered that the time at which the two young men were killed would have also been safe... the landfill closed over 2 hours before! I would propose limiting large trucks on OMH on Saturdays, too, although smaller hauling trucks would not have the same restrictions.
4. Longer term, create an alternative access to the landfill for trucks to take them off of OMH.

My own observation is that OMH was never meant to carry the type and volume of truck traffic that it currently hosts. But then, Buncombe County put its landfill near it, and here we are. The landfill isn't going to move in the near future, nor is more cycling infrastructure going to be built. But there are things that can be done in the short term that would make cycling OMH much safer. I'm sure there are others with better ideas. Just throwing a few things out there.

Sorry to pontificate, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my earlier post. I agree with Mr. Thomas that in areas in which roads are being expanded to accommodate housing and commercial growth, BRBC *should* be advocating for these roads to include accommodations for cyclists. This recommendations above are specific to OMH although better law enforcement applies everywhere.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and I would appreciate not being flamed. :-)

If you want to advocate, you need to show up.

I'm sorry, but this is personal to me because I knew one of the young men who was killed very well. There were close to 200 riders today for the memorial ride, and a dearth of BRBC jerseys. The ones I saw were on people who ALWAYS show up. I know it was the first day of TdT, but as a member of BRBC, and considering that BRBC is one of the largest clubs in the US and certainly the largest in WNC, it was conspicuous to me by its lack of visibility.

I greatly appreciate those who did show up. Thank you.

This week two young cyclists were brutally killed by the driver of a commercial motor vehicle right here in our local community. This could have been any one of us or someone we loved or cared about. These victims may already fall into that category for some of you. This is another sickening tragedy and sadly one that will absolutely repeat itself in short order.

It doesn't have to be this way! The state is spending billions right now to make that corridor faster for motor vehicles. These are our tax dollars. It's our right and responsibly to demand action and improve the despicable conditions we are forced ride on the only practical north/south route in that area.

Our choice is simple but hard - we must demand change; we must demand real cycling infrastructure connecting Asheville with Marshall. The alternative is to let the status quo of convenience for motorists' reign and resign ourselves to another inevitable tragedy.

Words, thoughts, and prayers are meaningless without action. We can choose to express love through positive change in their honor; or not.

May the victims rest in power and their families find peace.

jeffinmontford@gmail.com - email me with the subject "I'm in"