- Hi, my name is Bill Smith.
And on behalf of Arkansas State,
the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition,
and The League of American Bicyclists,
I want to welcome you to some safety tips for students
using their bicycles in and around
the Arkansas State University campus.
First and foremost, I want to point out to you
that on our campus we have the PAC Paths,
the pedestrian and cyclist paths that are mixed use
for both pedestrians and bike riders.
And we'll talk a little bit about the rules for those areas.
When you venture off of the Arkansas State University campus
however, you'll be under the traffic laws
of the state of Arkansas.
We'll cover some of the basics there
as well as a concept known as vehicular cycling
which should make your travels safer when you leave campus.
First is a little background.
Arkansas State University is the first
bicycle-friendly campus in the state of Arkansas.
We've done things like create the PAC Paths,
an almost nine-mile long system of shared roads, lanes,
and coming soon, separated cycle paths on our campus
to make it easier for you to get around with your bicyble.
We've also been a key player in the
How! Yes! Give Them Three Feet campaign
in the city of Jonesboro and across the region
to educate drivers on safety issues related to bicyclists.
Notably, that in our state you're supposed to give
a minimum of three feet beside a bike rider when you pass.
When you're on campus, there are many different places
you can ride and you need to look for certain markings.
On Arkansas State's University campus,
we do have a traditional bike lane.
That's located on Aggie Road.
So while you're riding on that, that's for you to be in.
But we will caution you, watch out for the door zone.
This is that space where a parked car might open their door
into you as a cyclist.
So be mindful of the cars that are parked
along the bike paths.
Most of our campus, however, is marked with what are called
Sharrows, stands for Share the Road Arrow.
And those have two meanings for us.
There are Share the Road Arrows on mixed-use paths.
These are PAC Paths that are marked
and typically are 10 to 12 feet wide
which means they're wide enough to accommodate
both bike riders and walkers.
There are also Sharrows on our roads
which mean that the car operators need
to share the road with the cyclists.
Here's an important thing about Sharrows.
As the word implies: sharing.
So the vehicle that is more dominant has to share
and yield to the operator that is in a lesser position.
This means on a shared-use path in the middle of campus,
such as the one in front of the library
or near the Memorial Arch, the bike riders are to yield
to the pedestrians.
However, out on the roadways, the cars need to yield
to the bike riders.
They need to share with the cyclists.
So remember, when you're riding in the middle of campus
and you come up on folks that are walking,
you need to give them right of way.
And the same is to be expected for those of you
when you are driving on campus and you see a bike
in the road, make sure that you're sharing
and giving them the three feet on passing
and the roadway that they need as well.
Another type of accommodation that will be coming
to campus soon is a cycle path which is a separated,
two-way bike and pedestrian path next to a roadway.
You'll see these near University Loop
and off of Aggie Road on the west side of campus initially.
But there are plans for them to be spread out
across the footprint of Arkansas State University.
As much as where to ride, we need to talk a little about
where you should not ride on campus.
The PAC Paths are marked for a reason.
They are wide enough to sustain both the traffic
of the cyclists and the walkers safely.
Traditional sidewalks are not to be ridden on on campus.
You can tell because they are the four, six,
or eight-foot wide regular pedestrian sidewalks.
I'd also point out to you that sidewalks are not
a good place to be riding in the city of Jonesboro either.
First and foremost, the city does have an ordinance
against riding on a sidewalk in a business district.
And it is kind of difficult to figure out
exactly where the business districts are.
That said, riding on the sidewalk is also
where you're not expected to be.
If that's your only option, or you feel unsafe,
we're not going to recommend
that you don't use the sidewalk.
But if you do use the sidewalk, do ride with traffic.
Do not ride against traffic.
Unfortunately, we have a very graphic example
of what happens, and statistically how it backs it up,
when you ride against traffic on the sidewalk.
If you're approaching a building
and you're ready to park your bike,
dismount, walk with the bike to the building.
Keep in mind, every paved place on campus
is not necessarily a roadway, a highway,
a byway, or a bikeway.
Some of them are for the pedestrians
and you need to honor that.
Speaking of parking your bicycle,
number one thing we're going to recommend
on your personal bicycle is that you lock it,
and you lock it securely.
Make sure that you've got a U-shaped lock,
or a very substantial cable lock when you go
to secure your bicycle.
We want you to use the racks that are provided on campus.
And there are basically three different types.
There's the standard bike rack that is a U-loop style.
You place your bike through the loops
and then lock to the vertical stanchions.
There are hybrid racks and these are notably located
near the Student Union where the idea is
you put the seat of your bike on the T-bar
and then you lock into the middle spaces.
And then, of course, there are some
of the older school type bike racks
where you place the front or the rear wheel
in the rack and then lock it with your bike.
Keep in mind if you have quick-release wheels,
you're gonna need to lock both wheels to your bike rack.
As important as where to park, again it's where not to park.
Please, please do not park your bike and lock it
to the handicap railings near some of our buildings.
This is an obstruction to our students
that need that type of access.
And you might find your bike removed for being locked there.
Also, don't park your bike in building access points.
This means leaving them in front of doors,
in front of walkways that lead directly to buildings.
It is a fire and a rescue hazard.
And again, you may have your bike removed.
And above all, don't lock your bike to gas meters.
That's just dangerous.
One last note on parking.
We'll be having a new bike share here on the campus shortly.
And those bikes self lock.
So you don't have to put them in a bike rack.
And really, if you'd like to park those bikes
near the bike racks, that's a good idea.
Again, don't park them in front of doorways
and access ways, in ways that are going to get
in the way of others.
As another Lime parking reminder.
Don't leave your Lime Bikes in handicap areas
such as the one shown here.
And when you leave them in the middle of sidewalks,
keep in mind that others may have trouble
walking through there.
Last of all, there are no bicycles allowed
in the north parking deck,
personally owned or Lime Bikes.
So please avoid going in the parking deck on your bike
or parking a bike in the parking deck near the Union.
And one reason that we're gonna encourage you not
to place those bikes in the racks
is those that have purchased and possess their bike
need a way to lock it.
If you're putting the self-locking shared-use bikes
in the rack, you're taking a place that a student
might need to lock up their regular bicycle.
So they'll appreciate it and we will as well.
Traveling around campus, you're gonna come to intersections.
And knowing how to yield and where to stop
is very important.
Any time you come to the end of a path
and it intersects a street, you need
to consider that a stop sign that's not there.
You're required to yield to the vehicles
in the larger street.
So please, always stop when you come to those points.
When you reach intersections between different parts
of the PAC Paths, it's a good idea to be slowing
and be ready to yield in case there is another cyclist
or there's a walker that is going to be in your way
in that area.
As a rule ...
No, frankly, as the law, all stop signs,
all traffic lights, all traffic signage
applies to the cyclist just as if they were a car or driver.
So you have to come to a full stop at stop signs.
You have to come to a stop at stop lights
and wait for them to turn.
This is what the people in town will be expecting.
This is the state of Arkansas law.
Remember, you can receive a ticket as a cyclist
for going through a stop sign or stoplight.
In the area of general bike safety, I want to take
a little time to talk about being predictable.
There's several key factors that make you
a predictable cyclist, a good vehicular cyclist,
and it keeps you safer out on the roads.
First and foremost, follow traffic laws.
This means riding with traffic,
stopping at signs and signals.
You are required to announce your intent:
hand signal, right, left, yield.
Maintaining your position on the road is very important.
Weaving in and out of cars, for example,
is not allowing vehicles the opportunity
to pass you easier.
It's making you unpredictable.
They'll hang back and not know what you're going to do next.
So you're gonna frustrate a driver
by not maintaining a straight line.
Finally, one of the more important things
about being predictable is making eye contact.
Look at the drivers as you see them on the road.
When you come to a stop sign,
make sure that driver sees you.
Distracted driving is becoming one of the number one threats
to pedestrians and bike users across the country.
If a driver is looking down,
they're probably looking at a device.
You need to pay special attention
to what that driver is going to do next.
And be vigilant and aware
when you're not making eye contact with drivers.
They may not see you at all.
A lot of what we've talked about today
is how to navigate the Arkansas State University campus.
And we know that you'll enjoy your bike
or the new bike share bikes as you go around campus.
But I do want to take a minute to talk about
when you go off of campus into the surrounding area.
Remember, once again, the state of Arkansas
traffic laws apply.
You are a vehicle.
Follow the vehicular, cycling concepts
and follow all the traffic signals and signs.
That means stopping at stop signs,
stopping at stop lights, using your hand signals
to indicate where you're going.
Be visible.
This is the campaign of the Northeast Arkansas
Bicycle Coalition to make sure that riders remember
to ride in the road in a way that they are seen.
That means bright clothing.
That means road positioning that makes sure
the cyclists are seen.
And it also includes having lights and probably using them
as daytime running lights as well.
We want you to be safe when you're out in the community.
Ride with traffic, not against it.
If necessary, take that lane to be safe.
While on campus, it's important when you come
to the intersections between PAC Paths to look around.
But out on the roads in town, we cannot say it enough.
Scan, scan, scan.
This means be looking right, and left.
Periodically, looking behind yourself to see
what traffic may be there.
Making eye contact with every driver that you can.
It is extremely important for you to know
that most drivers are not accustomed to seeing bike riders
in our area.
Many of those individuals driving do not know the laws
and do not know that you have a right to the road.
They're also not aware of the three foot passing law often.
Watch for vehicles: front, back, and sides from you.
Don't ride on the sidewalk.
And remember, most of all, drivers are impatient.
And they often expect others to yield from them.
This can become to this type of illustration right here
where, unfortunately, you're getting a nice, wide,
three-foot pass, but the oncoming traffic
is basically being run off the road because this driver
did not want to yield to you.
Let me talk a little bit about the basic principles
of traffic safety for bicycles riders.
First and foremost, you need to think about
the concept of vehicular cycling.
The idea is fairly simple.
Bicycle riders fare best when they are treated like
and act as vehicles in the flow of traffic.
That means two particular things.
Number one, blending into our traffic system.
This is riding with traffic, not against it
which actually is illegal.
It is also being predictable as you ride,
not weaving in and out of lanes,
not weaving back and forth across lanes.
When you're out riding, one of the things
you need to keep in mind is your visibility.
You need to wear clothing
that doesn't blend into the background.
You need to wear reflective clothing that allows drivers
and other users of the roadway to see you.
When you operate a bicycle at night,
you need a white light in the front.
And you need a minimum of a red reflector on the back,
preferably a red light on the back.
And this is state of Arkansas required.
These things will make you more visible.
Other things to keep in mind though.
At certain times of the day, the glare from the sun
is going to be a very serious problem for drivers.
Be very careful during these periods because you need
to be visible for those that are dealing with that glare.
Also in the dusk and dawn hours,
you need to have your lights on 30 minutes before sunrise
and 30 minutes before sunset so that you stand out
in that darkening light situation.
In the state of Arkansas, we have what is called
a three-foot passing law.
And this requires that vehicles give you at least
three feet of space around you.
This state also does not have a requirement for you
to ride as far to the right as practicable.
That means a cyclist may use the entire lane at any time
that they feel they safely need to do so,
and we would advocate that.
In a road where there is plenty of room on a lane
for both a car and a cyclist to occupy the traffic lane,
it's a good idea to be to the right side of that lane
unless you're preparing for a left hand turn
or you're going straight through an intersection
in which you want to announce that intent to other vehicles.
If that lane is narrow, and many of the roads
in the city of Jonesboro and the surrounding area
are narrow, you should not be compelled to yield the lane
in a way that is going to cause traffic to crowd you,
perhaps make contact with you, run you from the road,
or cause other safety issues with other vehicles.
You are not required to compromise your safety
when riding your bicycle.
In the concept of vehicular cycling,
it is extremely important for you to understand
one very key factor.
You are the operator of a vehicle under traffic law.
That means you do not go against traffic
like a pedestrian might.
This means you don't use sidewalks.
And you act in a vehicular cycling manner.
Remember that key phrase.
Bike riders fare best when they are treated like
and act as if they are vehicles in the roadway.
It's against state law in Arkansas,
and every state of the union,
to ride against traffic.
You can be ticketed for riding against traffic.
And statistically, it is the most dangerous way
for you to go down the road.
It is understandable that many people believe
that being able to see the traffic coming towards them
makes them safer, but it actually makes you less predictable
and will get you in a crash quicker.
I've talked a little bit about how bicycle crashes happen.
And I want to just take a moment to talk to you
about national statistics.
These numbers are derived from visits to the hospital,
so someone ended up in a crash with their bicycle
that got them in the emergency room.
Here's the way it breaks down nationwide.
83% of crashes do not involve cars or trucks at all.
50% of the crashes involve the cyclist alone.
There was a loss of control.
There was a failure of the mechanical.
There was an object hit in the road.
17% of those crashes are bike on bike crashes.
8% are dog/bike crashes.
8% are other types of crashes.
So of that 83%, most of them not involving a vehicle,
your number one problem out there
is not going to necessarily be the car as it is yourself.
It is one reason why though it is not required
to have a helmet in the state of Arkansas,
we highly recommend you ride with a helmet
because people do have life-threatening injuries
from simple crashes because they hit the ground head first.
Of the 17% of crashes between a bicycle and a motorist,
they break down into two basic categories:
those caused by the cyclist, those caused by the motorist.
If we look at those numbers, when the motorist
is at fault, 13% of the time it was a left turn
in front of a cyclist, 11% of the time a right turn,
8% running a stop sign or stop light,
7% of the time opening a car door into the bike,
and 6% failure to yield from the roadway.
When we look at those that the cyclists are at fault,
many of the causes and percentages are similar.
Wrong side of the street riding is 13%.
In other words, they were facing traffic.
A left turn from the right lane: 11%.
Failure to yield from a driveway: 9%.
And running a stop sign: 8%.
I think it's important to stop and say something
about stop signs again with cyclists.
Notice that in those crash reports,
8% when the car is at fault, the car ran a stop sign.
8% when a cyclist is at fault, they ran a stop sign.
Nationally, the statistics reveal that cars and bikes
run stop signs roughly at the same percentage.
But don't be that cyclist that gives the rest of us
a bad name by blowing through stop signs.
It's the number one reason given by drivers
of why they resent bike riders.
This is the number one myth that is out there
about bicycle safety: that somehow you're gonna be
better off if you're facing traffic on your bicycle.
You have a higher risk of being hit by a vehicle
because you're essentially riding in a blind spot.
On sidewalks, this is particularly ...
No one is expecting that cyclist coming against traffic
on their side of the road.
And here's a video of a crash from here in Jonesboro
on Johnson in which that very thing happens.
The driver is pulling up to Johnson.
And the driver is looking to his left
where traffic is coming from.
He never sees the cyclist as he comes into view.
And the only thing saving the cyclist's life on this
is a split second of timing in which he is able
to get just past the front bumper
before the contact happens.
The bicycle is destroyed, but the cyclist is able
to walk away from it.
From the state of Arkansas's driver handbook
and bicycle safety, it's pretty clear.
Wrong way riding is against the law.
It is one of the leading causes of crashes
accounting for 15% to 20% of all crashes with cars.
Riding against traffic is often based on the fear
of that traffic hitting you from behind
and the sense that looking at them will prevent crashes.
In reality, bicyclists are rarely hit from behind.
As you can see from the diagram,
those fields of view reveal what showed up in the video.
You aren't looking for that cyclist riding the wrong way
against traffic on the wrong sidewalk.
From Cary, North Carolina, if you look at the breakdown
in this one year,
25 of all the accidents, 69%,
were when a bicycle rider was on the sidewalk
going the wrong way against traffic.
Here's a photograph that perhaps illustrates the idea
of speed positioning that I mentioned earlier.
The slower the vehicle, the further to the right.
So you see the couple that are on their bicycles.
And they're riding near the right side
of a fairly wide road in Virginia.
The rider that is in front of traffic
is further to the right and with traffic
because he's moving along at a faster pace.
If you could see in the distance, the speed limit here
is 25 miles an hour.
So the cars should really not be impacted terribly
by the cyclist that is probably doing
at least 20 themselves.
When you're changing lanes,
communication is the key once again.
Make that eye contact and announce your intention
as you begin to shift across lanes.
Look over your shoulder.
Use the proper hand signals,
and stair step across multiple lanes.
If you're needing to go from the lower rack ...
If you're needing to go from the right hand lane
to make a left hand turn, notice in the diagram
the stair stepping towards that position
where you turn.
Again, weaving in and out of cars parked
on the side of the road makes you harder to see
and is more dangerous for you and the motorist.
You'll hear a phrase often used in the legal questions
around cycling: "as far to the right as practicable."
The state of Arkansas and the state of North Carolina
are the only two states in the country
that do not have a written standard.
Therefore, you are allowed to use
the entire lane in our state.
This is not the case in Tennessee and Missouri by the way.
If you're riding in those states as a student here
at Arkansas State and may be traveling,
remember you are not required to ride so far
to the right of the road as to put yourself in danger.
If the road has a curb, and you have nowhere to go
if you were pushed to that curb except to crash,
you are not required to ride near that curb.
If there is no shoulder, if there is a ditch,
if there is broken material along the edge of the road,
you are allowed to take a line that is safe
for you on your bicycle.
Something you need to keep in mind
in this particular area is lane width.
In the illustration you see here on a 14 foot wide lane,
there's plenty of room for the car and the cyclist
to both occupy the lane, for the car to pass
the cyclist with the three foot required
by the state of Arkansas, and most states in America.
But if the lane is only 11 feet wide,
there is not enough room for a standard vehicle
and a cyclist to both occupy it legally.
This is where many cyclists will come a little further
into the road, and take the lane for their protection
as well as those driving.
Here's some examples to let you think about
which right is right.
In the first picture, there's a four-lane road
and the cyclist is taking up a little bit more
of that right lane, which is the one that he should be in
for speed positioning, than normal.
That's because if you look, there is cracked pavement
at the edge as well as a slab curb.
With the four lanes, there is also plenty of room,
as you can see, for the cars to pass.
In the next illustration, this is a downtown
and that 18-wheeler makes it very obvious
between his width and the door zone,
the cyclist needs to be positioned in the middle of the road
for the safety of their passage.
On a rural road, you might see a situation like this as well
where being off the edge is necessary
because where that white line is there is no shoulder.
There is a railing and a drop off to the other side.
In the last illustration, here's a good example
of good positioning in a wide roadway
to avoid the door zone, and a cyclist that is fairly close
to that door zone.
Here's another shot from Jonesboro
that illustrates this situation.
Double yellow line in the middle means
there is no passing to begin with on this road.
You see the oncoming traffic.
And with the parked car, the bicycle sort of shows you
the distance away from the door zone required
with a three-foot yardstick there indicating
the distance from the side of the cyclist.
There's probably two feet left in the lane
for legal passing anyway.
It's best to take the lane and make everybody safer.
Here's a few more examples of road width
and three-foot passing.
In these first illustrations, notice that the cyclist
is riding two feet off the edge because there's a gutter.
You add the three feet next to them, the width of the car,
you need a 14-foot wide lane.
If we scale that up to an RV or an 18 wheeler,
it needs to be an 18-foot wide lane.
But if you add door zones to the situation,
the car width of parking, the width of the door,
two feet of space for yourself,
and then the three feet of passing space,
the lanes have to be 23 feet wide for the vehicle,
27 feet wide for the truck.
When you're out on the roadways, taking that position
near the edge of the road can actually put yourself
in a little bit of danger because vehicles might be
encouraged to come in close to you
like in this illustration.
Speaking of cyclist visibility, here's some illustrations
that bring that home.
When you look at this particular diagram
and the point of view of the cyclist
and the vision of the driver, the driver isn't really
looking over toward the edge of the road.
They're looking for other cars.
So one cyclist is in the view.
The cyclist that's in the road and hugging the edge
is at the edge of that view.
The ones on the sidewalk, they're somewhat invisible.
Same thing in this illustration from Washington D.C.
The place that the driver looks first is to the left.
Then they're going to look a little bit to the right.
But you notice, only the rider that's out
in the traffic lane is in the middle of the vision.
Just a quick talk about some road hazards
that you might see out there.
And things that you need to look out to avoid.
If you want to ride on the shoulders, that's okay.
But keep in mind that if there's a lot of debris
in that shoulder, it's gonna lead to you having a flat,
and perhaps your falling into the roadway.
You're better off staying on the regular road.
Also, if you have a substandard bike lane
like the one in this illustration.
It's first not wide enough.
Second, it has a crumbling edge.
And third, it's on a ditch and obstructed
further up the road.
You are not required to use that bike lane.
Here's another example.
The shoulder, which is actually designated the lane,
has crumbled halfway.
If you were to ride in that space,
you'd have nowhere to go if you have a problem.
The end of the roadway is also difficult
because of the patches there.
In this situation, riding out in the road
around these hazards is the safe
and predictable place to be.
Some quick illustrations of other road hazards.
Remember the door zone.
If there's a bike lane in the door zone,
this is the unfortunate example.
When you come upon grates in the roadway,
the ones to watch for are these,
the ones that are parallel to the roadway.
Your tire could slip into that grate,
and you'd be down in a heartbeat.
Horizontal cracks and seams in the roadway
are special road hazards.
You'll find them on the edge of the asphalt road,
but you'll see them also in joints and concrete bridges
like the one in this illustration,
and where a curb and perhaps a drain area are on the road.
If I might caution you, you find yourself going off
the edge of a road in a situation like that
where there is a hard edge or a curb, just slow and stop.
Do not attempt to steer your way back onto the roadway.
This unfortunately is something that I had
some personal acquaintance with.
A friend here on our campus was using a path,
got off onto the grass and then tried to steer back
onto the pathway.
Absent having a helmet on, that individual
may not be with us today.
It led to a concussion, a trip to the hospital
in the ambulance, and they were riding at about eight
or nine miles an hour.
Now railroad tracks present a different kind of barrier.
You want to try to approach them at a 90 degree angle
with your bicycle.
But keep in mind that steel is genuinely very slick
from contact with the trains wearing it down.
And it doesn't take much moisture
to make it extremely slick.
Also in our city you'll see a lot of crossings
in which these concrete barriers are there
to make roadway, but they have a metal edging.
That metal edging is very slick as well
and you want to avoid it.
I've seen people go down from sliding across that.
In closing, we want to urge you to be safe out there,
to wear a helmet whenever possible,
and to be aware of your surroundings.
And to be that vehicular cyclist that is predictable.
The more of us that ride with traffic,
the more of us will be safe out there.
You're doing your part to make all of us safe
with your bicycle riding habits.
If you have questions, you can come
to the Astate.edu/Bike page.
You can also follow the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition
on Facebook.
And if you would like to reach out to one
of our league-certified instructors
for more detailed instruction,
we would be happy to help you with that.
Happy cycling.
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