Hi All,I have been reading about this and tempted now to finally respond.To Ginger--you are so lucky not to be hurt and I am so sorry you had this traumatic experience. Aren't school bus drivers trained to watch out for bikes?I also feel terrible about the Tufts professor who died unnecessarily! I am a car driver who watches very carefully for people on bikes and am very scared that one day I will hit one by accident--not in Lincoln, but on my daily drive to work down Mass Ave in Somerville and Cambridge. The streets are terrible. Although Mass Ave has bike lanes and bus lanes, cars now only have one lane to drive in, and it is a mess. Bike riders go through red lights when cars stop. Once I was turning left on Mass Ave and had a green arrow to do so, when a bike rider came straight through the red light in the bike lane and missed my car turning by inches. I was so traumatized by this that I now take the long way home and have never turned left on Mass Ave since!The other problem that scares me are bike riders with young kids--some times more than one on the back of their bikes and not all kids wearing helmets and also moving around and swaying the bikes. There should be some rules about safety for children as passengers on bikes. I am not one of those distracted bad drivers that some of you have mentioned about. I hold my stearing wheel tightly and never use my cell phone while driving even though it is connected to my car. I am constantly vigilant and respect people who ride bikes to work. However, I wonder also if it would make sense to license bike riders as we do car drivers and have rules that they need to follow on roads they share with cars? Its not just a problem for Lincoln to solve, but rather this whole Boston region.Be safe--whatever you use for transportation!Best/Lynn DeLisiSouth Great Rd On Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 11:21:50 PM EDT, Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: The use of spreed bumps is limited by topography and sightline.Somerville g=has wide, straight streets, unlike Lincoln’s narrow , winding country roads. And, speed bumps maybe not be the best for bikes ------ Sara Mattes
On Aug 31, 2023, at 10:49 PM, gail o'keefe <gailoke...@gmail.com> wrote: Hi John and all, I'm curious why your list of ideas didn't include increased enforcement on our road, or speed bumps? It wouldn't take much to reinstate the reputation of Lincoln as being strict on speed. Bakers Bridge Road is another to add to the above list of Sandy Pond, Weston Road, Tower Rd and Lincoln Rd. An article in the Globe just highlighted the extensive use of speed bumps in Somerville. Towns are catching on that the car culture has run its course.Gail On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 2:40 PM John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> wrote: Here's a handful of ideas: Come to the next BPAC meeting on September 28 at 7:30pm on Zoom. Speak to your friends and neighbors about the need to slow down and focus only on driving when behind the wheel. Encourage your local and state representatives to prioritize public and alternative forms of transportation. Volunteer as a crossing guard during Walk, Bike, Roll to School Week in the Spring. Walk back and forth along Lincoln Road between Town Hall and the 5 way between 7:45-8am to observe how many people are on their phones behind the wheel. Attend an RTC meeting and voice your support for infrastructure improvements that lower speeds and prioritize walkers and cyclists. Try to eliminate 1 vehicle trip per week and walk or ride instead. Thanks, John On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 2:21 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: This is terrible.It should NOT be happening…but, I for one will do whatever I can to protect myself, including wearing that ugly vest.At this time, that is all I can do.We can come together, as a region, and discuss how we might be proactive, as communities.How can we turn outrage from finger-wagging and furor into practical constructive actions? ------ Sara Mattes On Aug 31, 2023, at 2:12 PM, John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> wrote: People, a SCHOOL BUS hit a cyclist in broad daylight. This is not about what anyone should be wearing but rather about the fact that driving entitlement is reaching epidemic proportions here in Lincoln and all across the country. Much like gun-violence, there is plenty of outrage and lots of thoughts and prayers and high-vis clothing suggestions but until we are willing to confront the fact that traffic safety is a uniquely American problem and a result of high vehicle speeds, larger cars, and road structure deficiencies, nothing will change. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-11-03/why-us-traffic-safety-fell-so-far-behind-other-countries The US underperformance in road safety is especially dramatic: 11.4 Americans per 100,000 died in crashes in 2020, a number that dwarfs countries including Spain (2.9), Israel (3.3) and New Zealand (6.3). And unlike most developed nations, US roadways have grown more deadly during the last two decades (including during the pandemic), especially for those outside of cars. Last year saw the most pedestrians killed in the US in 40 years, and deaths among those biking rose 44% from 2010 to 2020. On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 2:01 PM Laura Koller <laura.kol...@gmail.com> wrote: I’m also a long time road cyclist, and I feel much more visible since I’ve added front (white) and rear (red) blinkers to my bike. Passing cars seem to give me much wider berth. It’s an extra step but seems very worthwhile. I also wear a day-glo green helmet. Visibility really does make a difference, imo. Laura On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 1:54 PM V Saleme <bmwkbi...@gmail.com> wrote: As a cyclist who resides in this town and accrues on average 250 miles a week between trails and the road, I believe it’s important to devise a way of getting out of this echo chamber and speak to the broader group of people who, let’s face it, use this town as a cut through. They are the problem, not the local residents. If I had to hazard to guess, they’re (non Lincoln residents) not on Lincoln Talk and as they execute twice the speed limit minimally, on Tower Rd., Deerhaven Rd., Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln Road, Bedford Road (where there’s an actual sign that states “cyclists may use entire lane” if you can believe it) thus head nodding amongst ourselves is not going to be effective. Vic On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 1:41 PM John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> wrote: And I would strongly urge drivers to slow down, obey the law, and pay attention to what is in front of them at all times when behind the wheel of a large, powerful object capable of inflicting terrible injuries to walkers, cyclists, and other drivers. There is no clear consensus that high-visibility clothing makes a difference for pedestrian nor cyclist safety so let's please avoid any potential victim-blaming. See: https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/document/2023/08/21-03_ca_hi-vis_brf_1.pdf (includes multiple peer reviewed studies) and https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/bikes-and-biking/hi-viz-clothing-cyclists/ Thanks! John On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 1:21 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: I would strongly urge all walkers and bikers to wear some sort of neon/ reflective safety vest.They are lightweight and cheap and they really help drivers see us. Dark clothing, esp at dusk or in mottled shade, makes us disappear. ------ Sara Mattes On Aug 31, 2023, at 12:47 PM, Lynne Smith <ly...@smith.net> wrote: Fascinating article! As a helmet and goggle wearing cyclist, I’m now going to be extra careful since some drivers might not recognize me as human! Lynne Smith5 Tabor Hill RoadLincoln, MA 01773 781-258-1175Sent from my iPhone On 31 Aug 2023, at 11:24 a.m., Ginger Reiner <ginger.rei...@gmail.com> wrote: Julianne, That was me. I actually was hit by the school van in the interaction although I stayed upright and am not hurt. Thanks for reaching out and I’d love a witness statement. To the rest of LincolnTalk, I write this as a reply-all because people on bikes are sometimes viewed as “less human” or seen as being “not from Lincoln” (which shouldn’t matter), and I hope that attaching my name to Julianne’s story might help to counteract both of those impressions. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823001018 Ginger On Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 8:59 AM jsug--- via Lincoln <lincoln@lincolntalk.org> wrote: Hi There, If you are the cyclist who was nearly hit by the school van on Lincoln Road this morning just before 8 am, and you were hoping to report this, I wanted to let you know I would be happy to provide witness statement if needed. Best,juliannej...@aol.com-- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. 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