Comments on: Healdsburg to consider ordinance to help bicyclists, pedestrians

By: Snarky

Snarky — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:06:10 +0000

I just witnessed a man attempt to spit at a bike rider who had stopped at a stop sign.

The man was in his car moving the opposite direction through a residential stop signed intersection.

The bike rider was looking at traffic and didn’t notice what had happened.

The man was driving a pick up truck with some type of company lettering on the door.

I am in favor of allowing bike riders to litigate against such criminals. After all, if its good enough for the police to be able to charge a person with a criminal offense for spitting, the bike riders should also be able to sue.

I recommend that all bike riders use a helmet cam or other video device to record such attacks. That will also get the license number as well as a photo of the criminal driver.

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By: Phil Maher

Phil Maher — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:22:59 +0000

While in town yesterday, in less than five minutes spent downtown, I witnessed two cyclists flagrantly blow red lights and another completely fail to yield right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Funny, what I didn’t see was any motorists doing anything illegal, or even remotely as callous and disrespectful. So please tell us again Mr Helfrich and esteemed members of the Council, where is it that we should be focusing our attention in the name of the law, safety, and common courtesy? While cyclists should rightfully fear two tons of steel, there are those of us that fear what 30lbs of aluminum being operated irresponsibly is capable of causing for us as drivers and as pedestrians. The “poor me” approach sits badly and loses all meaning when it’s largely the result of your own totally avoidable bad behaviors

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By: James Bennett

James Bennett — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:32:06 +0000

What kind of ‘Social Justice’ is that?

It seems only socially ‘equitable’ that the motorists have a special provision to report cyclists.

That would only be Democratic considering there are more motorists.

Any West County driver can tell you what a nuisance/unsafe condition it presents to have cyclists blocking the small rural two lane road and forcing drivers to cross the center devide.

If you go slow behind them is that cycle harrassment?

In fact this seems ‘off-center’, not ‘equitable’.

Seriously, we already have laws in place. Bikes are to adhere to the same traffic laws as cars, right?

You’d never know it in Sonoma County, where registration and traffic laws don’t seem to apply to bikes.

Any motorist that doesn’t treat cyclist safety seriously with their 3,000+ lb. car should be dealt a firm hand. But this is more anti-auto social engineering/propaganda crap.

This Agenda is a full court press. With the press as a starting forward.

The crowd should be yelling foul.

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By: Sonoma County Native

Sonoma County Native — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:04:27 +0000

Healdsburg has definitely changed over the years, and has done an excellent job of bringing properity to town with the tourist trade. That being said, however, attempting to drive through town or around the plaza on a weekend is nothing other than an exercise in frustration. Bicyclists and pedestrians ignore traffic signals, traffic, and crosswalks as they blithely walk or ride through intersections or across streets. On more occasions than I care to remember I’ve looked ahead and seen up to a dozen or more pedestrians or bicyclists in front of me in the roadway, angling or crossing with total disregard to the vehicles. Dangerous for them, frustrating for the motorists, and I certainly don’t see any being cited, or even stopped and warned. Under this ordinance will motorists be liable for honking at these folks? A very scary thought!

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By: j galt

j galt — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:03:54 +0000

Positive identification is so yesterday! Just like the U.S. constitution! God Bless the bicycle coalition!

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By: Steveguy

Steveguy — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:28:21 +0000

In Germany it is illegal to ‘flip someone off’ while driving. Punishable by your ability to pay. True.

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By: Steveguy

Steveguy — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:53:56 +0000

Healdsburg has a small city limits. Those that speak of Westside Road are ill-informed. Healdsburg has ZERO influence there. Notta, None.

This is a useless point by useless politicians. Same as most every weird nanny feel-good whatever that they love and pat themselves on the back.

I saw that at least one here ate up their drivel word for word, and rides on Westside !

By the way, I lived on Pozzan Road in the Dry Creek Valley for some years. Rode a bike too !

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By: The Hammer

The Hammer — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:05:47 +0000

I don’t see the logic in mixing vehicles with bikes. When someone gets hurt I’ll bet most of the time it’s the person on the bike.

The real money is citing bikers for violations. The police can find violations all day. Bikers just don’t obey the vehicle code, period.

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By: GAJ

GAJ — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:28:34 +0000

It should be a two way ordinance and require cyclists to have a license plate so they can be reported by auto drivers.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

The kind of yahoos that engage in stupid behavior on the back roads won’t be deterred by an unnecessary ordinance of course.

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By: Phil Maher

Phil Maher — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:59:16 +0000

Healdsburg is not Sebastopol. Thank God! From their comments, the Healdsburg City Council is not the Sebastopol City Council. Thank God!

I travel Westside Rd daily. All in all, I see motorists and cyclists doing a pretty good job of working things out for themselves. However, while I fully support the idea that we can all “share the road”, I do honestly see more infractions of the vehicle code by cyclists than by the motorists they feel that they need enhanced protection from. As it stands, it really isn’t a broken system with an overwhelming preponderance of incidents that are anything but isolated in nature. Why take an action that isn’t really necessary? Echoing to some degree what Susan Jones says: There are plenty of incidents where the cyclists are the ones causing the problems. If the bike coalition is seeking attention, I would strongly urge the HPD to give it to them, for nothing other than the sake of responsible cyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike. A classic case of being careful what you wish for, because you may just get it.

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