For this month’s Safety Corner, I’m bringing forward a discussion on the CRW e-mail list, about the installation of  “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signs on roads in Lincoln and Bedford – elsewhere too.

 

Terry Gleason, of the Bedford Bicycle committee, posted to the list:

 

Back in 2018, Bob Wolf asked how successful BMUFL signage was in other towns. I assume there were enough positive responses that the Town of Lincoln and their new Bike Safety Comm. then installed them on every road leading into Lincoln. (Yeah)

I saw a new one in Sudbury near the Concord Rd/Hudson Rd (Route27) intersection. Does anyone know how this came about and if there are other ones in Sudbury?

 

Bob Wolf, co-chair of Lincoln's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, replied:

 

The request was only part of our due diligence, but, yes, the responses were positive. As has been most of response in Lincoln. Most, since everyone likes traffic calming when others are being calmed. 

There is at least one more on Hudson Rd not far from Haskell Field. No idea of the Sudbury process.

In this connection, may I recommend a video that I recorded, by coincidence, in Lincoln? It's embedded in the following article:

https://cyclingsavvy.org/2020/11/control-release-for-safe-passing/
 

Note that the law requiring you to pull aside and allow motorists (and other bicyclists) to pass when that is safe still applies where "bicycles may use full lane" signs have been posted. On the other hand, there is no requirement to allow unsafe passing. In fact, the rules are the same with or without the sign. The sign serves only as a reminder of what the rules are everywhere. No sign was posted where I shot the video,

 

Bicyclists should apply the right to use the whole lane consciously, communicating with motorists and releasing control when passing is safe, as shown in the video. Almost all motorists will cooperate if you use this strategy consciously. It helps to use a rear-view mirror to help you decide what to do and to maintain two-way communication with the driver behind you, without having to divert attention from the road ahead.

 

Also -- meet Your Safety Coordinator! California CyclingSavvy Instructor Gary Cziko and I will host a live question-and-answer Webinar on Wednesday, March 31.  You are fine to attend it if you didn’t watch the other Webinars described in the March Wheelpeople.  There’s still time for those too, till the end of the month, and the first of them will be available indefinitely..

 

The live Zoom meeting at 7:30 PM March 31 is scheduled to run for an hour but it could run longer.  Login information is below. Also check out cyclingsavvy.org for additional safety-related materials.

 

John Allen is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting

 

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