The crashes came about in a rare rapid succession. From June 8 to June 14, seven cyclists were injured or killed.
ELIZABETH M. CLAFFEY / DMN
Two were killed while pedaling near Grand Prairie. Another remains in intensive care after being hit on Mockingbird Lane. Three others were struck and injured in Carrollton while riding in a larger group. And an 8-year-old was hit while walking her bike across a Dallas street.
Now an area cyclist advocacy group is seeking more protection for riders.
Bike DFW launched its petition Sunday to raise awareness of the two-wheel riders – and to encourage local governments to find ways to increase safety, such as bike lanes on some roads.
More than 3,600 people had signed the petition as of Thursday night, but the group hopes to rack up 100,000 signatures.
"Cyclists are like an invisible population," said Chris Phelan, one of the petition's authors and founder of the annual Ride of Silence, which honors cyclists killed while riding. "They're just not seen by motorists or city government."
In a recent issue of Bicycling magazine, Dallas was rated one of the worst cities in the country for cyclists, based on factors such as traffic congestion and lack of traffic laws to protect cyclists. For example, a proposal to require motorists to give cyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing didn't make it through the state House in 2007.
Changes to protect riders need quick attention, advocates say, because the cycling community is growing quickly.
At Richardson Bike Mart, the largest bike retailer in the area, with three stores, owner Jim Hoyt said he's selling as many as 500 bikes a week, which he said is unprecedented.
With gasoline prices soaring, more and more people are hopping on a bike rather than getting behind the wheel – whether to go to the corner store or to work – Mr. Phelan said.
No car-stopping paint
Dallas has 90 miles of biking trails. But it's the increasing number of cyclists on the city's 800 miles of roads marked for bikes that makes it necessary for local governments to be more safety-conscious, said Michelle Holcomb, another architect of the petition and the secretary and treasurer for Bike DFW.
P.M. Summer, transportation alternatives coordinator for Dallas, said the city is examining areas that could be good candidates for bike lanes.
"We always look at what we can do better," he said.
But in general, bike lanes are "not a physically viable operation" in a city such as Dallas, where the street grid is less consistent and people don't yet embrace cycling as much as in other cities, Mr. Summer said.
And a strip of paint on the road doesn't mean cyclists will be safe, he said. "The streets are serious business. We still haven't found that paint that stops cars from crossing the line."
Progress seen
While Dallas hasn't found a way for cyclists and motorists to get around in complete harmony, Bud Melton , chairman of the Texas Bicycle Coalition, sees progress.
He disagrees with the description of Dallas as unwelcoming to cyclists.
Some measures are already in place to ensure cyclists and motorists don't get in each other's way, Mr. Melton said.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, for instance, allows bicycles on buses and trains at all hours. And the agency will begin installing bike racks on its bus fleet and at bus stops this summer.
The North Texas Council of Governments is working on a "veloweb," a planned 644-mile hike-and-bike route that would lace Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties via off-street trails.
As of October 2007, 112 miles had been completed; the initiative began in 1994.
"It's making pretty good progress," Mr. Melton said.
Any progress – whether through infrastructure or education – is a victory for those who have signed the petition.
"If awareness is the next step, it's past due," said Randy Silvagni, a cyclist for 25 years who has seen friends injured or killed in crashes.
"There has to be a little more cooperation with people we share the road with," Mr. Silvagni said. "There has to be something better than the way it is right now."
KEY POINTS: Texas bicycle law
•Ride near the curb, unless passing, and go in the same direction as other traffic.
•Use hand and arm signals.
•May ride two abreast as long as they don't impede traffic.
•Carry only one rider per seat.
•Keep at least one hand on the handlebars.
•Have brakes capable of making the braked wheel skid.
•Shouldn't carry any more people than the bikes are designed for.
•Cannot attach a bike to a streetcar or vehicle on a roadway.
•Must have a white light on the front and a red reflector or red light on the rear when riding at night.
•Have the same rights as motor vehicles to use roads and highways as long as they follow the standard traffic laws.
SOURCE: Texas Legislature
AT A GLANCE: Cyclists killed
North Texas cyclists killed by passing vehicles in recent years include several accomplished and safe riders:
MEREDITH HATCH, 38, and MICHAEL ALFARO, 36, were killed shortly before 8:30 a.m. on June 8 as they were riding on Camp Wisdom Road near Grand Prairie when a Lincoln Navigator hit them from behind. The friends from Mansfield died at the scene. The driver told Grand Prairie police that he had been at a bachelorette party that ended about 2 a.m., then stayed up the rest of the night visiting friends. His blood was drawn at a local hospital to determine his blood-alcohol level. Ms. Hatch was an accomplished triathlete, a former president of the Mansfield Rotary Club, a member of the Methodist Church and a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program. She owned Primrose School day care centers in Mansfield and Grand Prairie. No additional information was available on Mr. Alfaro.
PHYLLIS HASSAN, 73, was killed in May 2004 by an inattentive driver. Ms. Hassan had served on the Texas Bicycle Coalition's safety panel. The case has not been brought to trial.
LARRY SCHWARTZ, 42, rode 260,000 miles on his bicycle in 2002. He was killed in May 2003 north of McKinney when the side mirror of a passing school bus hit him. The bus driver was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail and five years' probation for leaving the scene of the crash. Chris Phelan founded the Ride of Silence after the death.
CARLOS S. RODRIGUEZ, 66, cycled for more than 40 years. A speeding driver hit and killed the one-time competitive cyclist in October 1999 in East Dallas. The case was brought before a Dallas County grand jury, but no charges were filed against the driver.
Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062108dnmetcycling.435d86a.html
ELIZABETH M. CLAFFEY / DMN
Two were killed while pedaling near Grand Prairie. Another remains in intensive care after being hit on Mockingbird Lane. Three others were struck and injured in Carrollton while riding in a larger group. And an 8-year-old was hit while walking her bike across a Dallas street.
Now an area cyclist advocacy group is seeking more protection for riders.
Bike DFW launched its petition Sunday to raise awareness of the two-wheel riders – and to encourage local governments to find ways to increase safety, such as bike lanes on some roads.
More than 3,600 people had signed the petition as of Thursday night, but the group hopes to rack up 100,000 signatures.
"Cyclists are like an invisible population," said Chris Phelan, one of the petition's authors and founder of the annual Ride of Silence, which honors cyclists killed while riding. "They're just not seen by motorists or city government."
In a recent issue of Bicycling magazine, Dallas was rated one of the worst cities in the country for cyclists, based on factors such as traffic congestion and lack of traffic laws to protect cyclists. For example, a proposal to require motorists to give cyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing didn't make it through the state House in 2007.
Changes to protect riders need quick attention, advocates say, because the cycling community is growing quickly.
At Richardson Bike Mart, the largest bike retailer in the area, with three stores, owner Jim Hoyt said he's selling as many as 500 bikes a week, which he said is unprecedented.
With gasoline prices soaring, more and more people are hopping on a bike rather than getting behind the wheel – whether to go to the corner store or to work – Mr. Phelan said.
No car-stopping paint
Dallas has 90 miles of biking trails. But it's the increasing number of cyclists on the city's 800 miles of roads marked for bikes that makes it necessary for local governments to be more safety-conscious, said Michelle Holcomb, another architect of the petition and the secretary and treasurer for Bike DFW.
P.M. Summer, transportation alternatives coordinator for Dallas, said the city is examining areas that could be good candidates for bike lanes.
"We always look at what we can do better," he said.
But in general, bike lanes are "not a physically viable operation" in a city such as Dallas, where the street grid is less consistent and people don't yet embrace cycling as much as in other cities, Mr. Summer said.
And a strip of paint on the road doesn't mean cyclists will be safe, he said. "The streets are serious business. We still haven't found that paint that stops cars from crossing the line."
Progress seen
While Dallas hasn't found a way for cyclists and motorists to get around in complete harmony, Bud Melton , chairman of the Texas Bicycle Coalition, sees progress.
He disagrees with the description of Dallas as unwelcoming to cyclists.
Some measures are already in place to ensure cyclists and motorists don't get in each other's way, Mr. Melton said.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, for instance, allows bicycles on buses and trains at all hours. And the agency will begin installing bike racks on its bus fleet and at bus stops this summer.
The North Texas Council of Governments is working on a "veloweb," a planned 644-mile hike-and-bike route that would lace Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties via off-street trails.
As of October 2007, 112 miles had been completed; the initiative began in 1994.
"It's making pretty good progress," Mr. Melton said.
Any progress – whether through infrastructure or education – is a victory for those who have signed the petition.
"If awareness is the next step, it's past due," said Randy Silvagni, a cyclist for 25 years who has seen friends injured or killed in crashes.
"There has to be a little more cooperation with people we share the road with," Mr. Silvagni said. "There has to be something better than the way it is right now."
KEY POINTS: Texas bicycle law
•Ride near the curb, unless passing, and go in the same direction as other traffic.
•Use hand and arm signals.
•May ride two abreast as long as they don't impede traffic.
•Carry only one rider per seat.
•Keep at least one hand on the handlebars.
•Have brakes capable of making the braked wheel skid.
•Shouldn't carry any more people than the bikes are designed for.
•Cannot attach a bike to a streetcar or vehicle on a roadway.
•Must have a white light on the front and a red reflector or red light on the rear when riding at night.
•Have the same rights as motor vehicles to use roads and highways as long as they follow the standard traffic laws.
SOURCE: Texas Legislature
AT A GLANCE: Cyclists killed
North Texas cyclists killed by passing vehicles in recent years include several accomplished and safe riders:
MEREDITH HATCH, 38, and MICHAEL ALFARO, 36, were killed shortly before 8:30 a.m. on June 8 as they were riding on Camp Wisdom Road near Grand Prairie when a Lincoln Navigator hit them from behind. The friends from Mansfield died at the scene. The driver told Grand Prairie police that he had been at a bachelorette party that ended about 2 a.m., then stayed up the rest of the night visiting friends. His blood was drawn at a local hospital to determine his blood-alcohol level. Ms. Hatch was an accomplished triathlete, a former president of the Mansfield Rotary Club, a member of the Methodist Church and a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program. She owned Primrose School day care centers in Mansfield and Grand Prairie. No additional information was available on Mr. Alfaro.
PHYLLIS HASSAN, 73, was killed in May 2004 by an inattentive driver. Ms. Hassan had served on the Texas Bicycle Coalition's safety panel. The case has not been brought to trial.
LARRY SCHWARTZ, 42, rode 260,000 miles on his bicycle in 2002. He was killed in May 2003 north of McKinney when the side mirror of a passing school bus hit him. The bus driver was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail and five years' probation for leaving the scene of the crash. Chris Phelan founded the Ride of Silence after the death.
CARLOS S. RODRIGUEZ, 66, cycled for more than 40 years. A speeding driver hit and killed the one-time competitive cyclist in October 1999 in East Dallas. The case was brought before a Dallas County grand jury, but no charges were filed against the driver.
Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062108dnmetcycling.435d86a.html