Council Considers Allowing Bikes On Sidewalks

Council Considers Allowing Bikes On Sidewalks

COLUMBUS, Ohio — City Council will consider legislation on Tuesday aimed at protecting children on bicycles.

If passed, bike riders younger than 18 years old will be required to wear a helmet with the chin strap fastened any time they are on a bike or non-motorized vehicle, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.

"Obviously kids are not as experienced at riding so it's probably more important for kids to wear a helmet," Matt Lemmerman said.

Pam Marshall told 10TV News that her children know what is expected of them when they get on a bike.

"They know that one of the rules is if you're getting on a bicycle is to make sure they have their helmet on their head," Marshall said. "I think anytime you ride a bicycle and you're moving on pavement you should have a helmet for safety reasons. If you fall, it will help you."

As part of the proposed legislation, City Council also wants to allow bicyclists to ride on sidewalks. That is currently illegal in Columbus, Mallett reported.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/06/24/story_bike_ordinance.html?sid=102

It's too dangerous for drivers to share the road with bikes. As a former bike rider, I always stayed on the sidewalks because it was safer. On the rare occasions I encountered a pedestrian, of course, I yielded to them by riding on the street for just a moment. If traffic made that impossible, then I'd just bring my bike to a stop in a driveway, to let the pedestrian pass.

This is a great law, which I hope other states will implement soon.

You feel safer on a sidewalk or a bike path, but statistics show that you're at much greater risk. Most bike-motor vehicle accidents occur at intersections, and bicycles entering the intersection from a bike path or the sidewalk are at greatest risk.

Motorists hate being behind cyclists on the road. But they see cyclists they're behind, and few motorists are pathological to run over a cyclist they see.

The safest solution -- and best one for everyone -- is to invest in some road paint and mark out bike lanes on the road. Bike lanes, where everyone can see each other, yet the two vehicles are somewhat segregated, are statistically the safest place to ride a bike.

Soon itll be drugged up bikers. Way to go Columbus. Don't say I didn't warn you when you become the biker/meth capitol of the world.

It is 22 square miles and has bike trail and lanes as well as rails to trails across the marsh in the center of town. I can ride nearly anywhere in the city and not have to be on a busy street and tangle with traffic by either riding on the sidewalks (other than downtown most sidewalks have very little pedestrian traffic) or on parallel side streets. All in all I consider it to be a very bicycle friendly city.

sorry, tired of being told to get the 24#$@#$@# out of the !#@$!@# way you #$@$@#$@ by grown men who are too lazy/stupid to learn how to ride on the road like responsible cyclists.

One shouldn't have to look both ways before walking out of a restaurant, shop, clinic, etc, because some idiot is zipping by on his bike.

What rights do pedestrians have anymore?

Sorry but this is my pet peeve.

but I am very careful watching for pedistrians on the sidewalk. I would probably be killed in an instant on our roads here in Orlando. I am 54 and no way can I ride on the highway.

:)