BRATTLEBORO — The new bike lanes on Putney Road have caused some concern among motorists. I am passing along some information on them, current safe traffic practices of Sharing the Road, and the new Vulnerable Users Law passed in July 2010.
• The use of bike lanes on Putney Road is intended to dedicate certain space on the road for bicyclists so that car drivers know where to expect them. The goal of both the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Windham Regional Commission is to increase the number of bicyclists using roadways throughout the state and in the county.
Most of the concerns expressed recently by motorists centered on the sections where the bike lane is located to the left of right-turn-only lanes. The rationale for placing the bike lanes there is so bicyclists continuing straight are not trapped at the edge of the road in direct conflict with right-turning vehicles. The lanes were designed in accordance with national standards and with the goal of increasing safety between motorists and bicyclists.
• The Vermont Driver's Manual calls for a minimum of 4 feet of clearance when a motorist passes a bicyclist. More important than the actual amount of clearance, however, is the need for the motorist to pass all vulnerable roadway users with due care.
• Vermont statute requires bicyclists riding at night to have a white light on the front of their bicycles, and a red rear light or 20 square inches of rear-facing reflective material.
• Bicyclists have the right to ride two abreast, but only when they are not impeding the normal and reasonable flow of traffic. The number-one motorist complaint about bicyclists is the failure to ride single file. Bicyclists can do a great deal to improve public perception by observing the law and riding single file when in traffic.
• Prior to the new law, if a driver or passenger in a vehicle threw an object at a vulnerable roadway user, the only legal recourse was to charge the offender with littering. The penalty for such an act now comes with a fine and a loss of four points on the motorist's driver's license.
The Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition is happy to respond to questions and comments about the new legislation. Feedback may be directed to Executive Director Nancy Schulz at 802-225-8904 or [email protected].
As we say in the bicycling community, may the road always be smooth and may the wind always be at your back!