For those who have yet to hear, John Carroll University biology professor Dr. Miles Coburn was involved in a bicycling accident and killed on Saturday morning. It was at an intersection we east siders regularly ride when going to or from Burton. The tragic story first appeared here, then was updated here. Send your thoughts, prayers, vibes, etc. to his family and friends. Also keep in mind the person driving the automobile involved in the accident, who must be devastated.
To make this story even more disturbing, here are some comments in response to the initial Plain Dealer online article. Yes, I know, pointing out the ignorance of people who comment on internet news articles is akin to shooting large, slow fish in a barrel. The problem is that these people have our lives in their hands every time they encounter us on the roads. That is truly scary.
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Posted by Buckeyebobby on 08/17/08 at 12:41PM
As for the cyclist killed on route 44, these people are playing with fire. I see them all the time out in Geauga County cycling the backroads. The trip is scenic and the rural roads more quiet than the urban ones, but these roads are often narrow and hilly, several times I've almost hit cyclists coming around corners in my work truck.
Posted by chaosad948 on 08/17/08 at 10:56PM
I lived in Geauga County for 7 years and I will tell you that it is a diffcult county to DRIVE in, let alone cycle! Everyone goes like 50-60 MPH everywhere bc it takes 20 minutes to get anywhere...I don't think cycling should be allowed on certain roads there...kind of like the "No Truck Route signs...No Cycling Route....seriously...
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I'm really glad that some motorists think cyclists should stay off of the rural streets because the motorists are too lazy and selfish to drive at safe speeds on dangerous roads.
Why is banning bikes the solution to dangerous roads, opposed to safer vehicle speeds?
Everyone, please be safe.
5 comments:
I have no problem banning bikes on certain roads, as long as viable and alternate routes exist. If not, build them!
There is an article on cleveland.com about Dr. Coburn and some of the contributions he's made. This is really a tragedy. Mile's passing is a great loss to the Cleveland community.
Gary Burkholder
It is sad and terrible that we have lost another cyclist/citizen, but the point some of the '4-wheel' community have made is an important one. When I first moved to Aurora, I used to ride east out Pioneer Trail to Hiram on the same kind of roads. It is a beautiful ride any time of year, especially in the Fall. However, there are so many blind hills that I gave it up for my own safety. Now I ride through Hudson to CVNP. Cars see me and generally give me a wide berth. The right way to advocate for safe biking is political/community action, not by sacrificing your life to make a point. Wisconsin, Vermont and New Hampshire all make money from bicycle tourism - Geauga drivers will take better care of us when we can show them they are making money off us. Maybe we should help them get their roads widened - show we're on the same side!
Most people are on "our side," or at least not totally ignorant of/against our right to ride on the roads. My point is that if you are driving a vehicle at a speed where you may not see a cyclist around a blind turn or over a hill, you need to slow down.
Putting the issue of bicycles aside, this rule applies for the safety of everyone....disabled cars, road debris, and cars turning out of driveways are all examples of why drivers cannot blame "dangerous roads" for their dangerous driving. If you can't see ahead of you, then slow down.
The fact that a posted speed limit is 45 or 55 does not mean it is safe to drive this speed at all times under all conditions.
I've lived and ridden in Geauga county for 17 years now. There are some occasional crazy drivers (like the ones rushing home in their work trucks). But overall, I've had few issues.
The CVNRA to me is the absolute worst place to ride. it has gotten much worse in the last few years, as the hostility of those who use it as an alternate to Rt 8 has increased.
The intersection of 44 & Music is very dangerous, for both cars and bikes. There is little margin for error, as we have now so sadly seen.
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