Remove all Stop Signs!!

I propose all the 4 way stop signs be removed. If there is high traffic density, they can be replaced with a smart computer controlled traffic light with camera sensors. If low or moderate traffic, two of the four stop signs can be replaced with "Yield" signs. This would make the right of way less ambiguous. Of course, there would still be cross-walks and pedestrians would still have the right of way. This new policy would effectively turn every car into a hybrid (all of the advantage of a hybrid is in stop and go driving). Additionally, with good sensors and better programming all the stop lights should be improved to maximize flow. These 2 solutions would cost much less, be less disruptive and better improve the flow than building more roads or any government "cash for clunkers" program. We need to think differently. Stop signs kill the flow of cars, waste energy, and do not improve safety.

Cost of NOT Driving a Car

No question that cars are expensive. There is even a cost to NOT using them. I noticed my parked car was dripping oil. I took it in to my trusted mechanic to fix as I didn't want it to pollute while not even being used. It turned out that my engine seals needed to be replaced at a cost of $650 (about the cost of a respectable new bike). It turns out that engine seals dry out and start to leak if you don't start the car up and drive it often enough. During the summer I many only drive my car 50 miles a month which didn't seem to have done the trick.

3 foot bike rule

In response to the recent death of a cyclist due to a truck dangerously passing, there is legislation in the works in California to require vehicles to be a safe distance to the left of a bicycle before passing. Believe it or not there are actually people against this law and think anything short of hitting a cyclist should not be against the law. There was a recent letter to the editor in our local paper that stated it pretty much exactly as so. Below is my letter to the editor in response that was published in the April 5, 2006 issue of the Santa Barbara Newspress:

This is a response to a March 30 letter headlined "Put Brakes on Nava's Bicycle Bill". The letter speaks against the proposed law making it illegal for an automobile driver to dangerously pass a cyclist. He claims to be a cyclist and goes on to state that anything less than contact should not be punishable. My bicycle is my primary means of transportation and I ride all over Santa Barbara and Goleta. The only thing protecting me from injury is often a painted line and the law. The recent tragic death of local cyclist Kendra Payne was due to a dangerous passing situation, but there are numerous close calls every day. None are punished as far as I am aware.

One of the best ways to prevent accidents is to punish risking behavior. The intent is to curtail the behavior by punishing it. Speeding tickets are not only written to generate revenue, but to punish a dangerous behavior that can lead to accidents. Similarly, weaving drunk drivers are punished for driving drunk even if they don't cause an accident. Why is it such a stretch for someone to understand that a person protected by belts and airbags enclosed in a 3,000 pound steel object nearly killing a cyclist should also be punished?

If the writer extended his thinking he would soon conclude that a Terrorist who plants on bomb on an airplane with the intent of killing everyone is only guilty if the bomb explodes.

Pedro Nava should be commended for his vision and commitment to bettering the lives of the people he serves.

Handlebar Camera

During a bicycle ride today a car full of teenage boys blew by me at about 80mph and swerved into the highway shoulder I was riding and screemed. It occured to me that it would be very handy to have a digital camera mounted on my handle bar, so I could take a quick photo of the license plate to forward to the Highway Patol. If enough cyclists had cameras, it would deter this type of of aggressive driving.

Poles (Bollards) on Paths are a Hazard for Bikes

Poles (technically called bollards) are often placed on bicycle paths at entrances and bridges to keep automobiles off of the bicycle paths. The unintended consequence is to put the bicyclist in danger of crashing into the pole. This type of accident is very common. The poles are especially dangerous for people riding at night (the reflectors are only effective if you have a bright light), for triks, racing wheel chair riders, and people that tow tag-a-longs and/or trailers. The problem of cars driving on bicycle paths is not even a problem that needs solving as I have never known of a case of a car colliding with a bicycle on a bicycle path even though most paths are not "protected" by bollards.

It has also occurred to me that the problem of bicycles crashing into bollards at night could be greatly reduced by mounting flashing LEDs on them. They could be powered by a super capacitor changed up during the day by a solar cell mounted on top. The reason for the capacitor instead of a rechargeable battery would be that it could last virtually forever without replacement.

Recumbent

Currently, I am researching recumbents and am seriously considering getting buying one. They seem to be a bit of a novelty as I have rarely seen them on the road. There are so many different companies and models available. I have a hunch that most of them that are sold are not riden much. People buy them because they are attracted to the soft comfortable seats annd don't realize it still takes hard work to get it to move. Because of the low volumn the prices are much higher than conventional bicycles. Actionbent seems to be the "Dell" of the industry. They sell direct from the internet and have great prices.

Distributed Transportation System

As I read about how the current NY mass transit strike has impacted the entire city, I see yet another argument in favor of bicycles for transportation. Any centralized transportation system like a subway or airport hub can easily be disrupted by accident or malicious intent. Either can even be shut down by a phone call threat. The Internet was created by the military to decentralize communication and make it more robust and reliable in the event of a war. If a hub is down for whatever reason, your email is automatically routed around it to reach its intended destination. Similarly, roof top solar panels make us less dependent on the electrical grid and central power plants. In contrast, our transportation system is much too vulnerable to single point failure. Subways and airports are the worst, but cars are not much better. Cars can give people the illusion of power and independence, but as we recently experience when the recent hurricane took several critical refineries off line, they are very dependent on a centralized petrochemical infrastructure. A bicycle based transportation system is completely decentralized and robust.