I found it interesting that in one issue of your paper there were the following two headlines: “Bicycle pack riders need to stick to their lanes,” and “Biking A1A: a scenic and scary ride.”
I’m a 68-year-old man who has been cycling on A1A for over half of my life. I have lived in Ocean Ridge for over 27 years, and have been in disagreement with the town over its stance on bike lanes for years. Many of you may not know that the bicyclist finally won in court and the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) now has to provide bike lanes as roads are updated. Unfortunately, our towns and cities were able to hang the issue up in court long enough to have A1A completed before the case was finally resolved.
I ride 50-plus miles a week and range between Deerfield Beach and Palm Beach. I ride by myself and have purposely been run off the road numerous times by cars. Almost every time I ride, I have cars pass within inches of me, which is illegal.
In August 2007, I wrote the town of Ocean Ridge and asked if the Police Department was enforcing the Florida law that requires motorists to maintain a three-foot minimum distance from bicyclists. At that time I was told that no local police department had issued a ticket for a car passing too close to a bicyclist.
I inquired again in January 2009 and was advised that the Ocean Ridge Police had issued one ticket (Jan. 30, 2008) for passing too closely. Police in Delray Beach, Manalapan, South Palm Beach or Gulf Stream had issued no tickets. Between Deerfield and Palm Beach, only Boca Raton and Delray have bike lanes on A1A.
Elsewhere bicyclists have to contend with cars that often will not give room and towns that apparently refuse to enforce laws that were put in place to protect us. I also ride a motorcycle; sadly, it is a lot safer than my bicycle.
I agree that bicyclists should obey the law where bike lanes are provided, but I also believe that motorists must understand that we have a right to use the roads and that the various towns’ police departments need to enforce the 3-foot minimum limit law.
Earl Jones Ocean Ridge
You need to be a member of The Coastal Star to add comments!
Replies