Memorandum

Lawrence-Douglas County

Metropolitan Planning Organization (L-DC MPO)

TO:	David L. Corliss, Lawrence City Manager
FROM:	Bart Rudolph, L-DC MPO Transportation Planner
CC:	Scott McCullough, Lawrence, Douglas County Planning and Development Services Director Todd Girdler, L-DC MPO Senior Transportation Planner Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the Lawrence City Manager Eric Struckhoff, Lawrence Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair Davonna Moore, L-DC MPO Chair Toni Wheeler, Lawrence Legal Services Director Ron Olin, Lawrence Chief of Police
DATE:	April 2, 2009
RE:	Lawrence Bicycle Club Letter – BAC Recommendations

On January 3, 2009 the Lawrence Bicycle Club (LBC) sent a letter to the Mayor and City Manager, and others requesting a meeting to discuss a list of initiatives they proposed to enhance road safety. That letter is attached. At the January 27, 2009 meeting, the City Commission referred their request to the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). On February 17, 2009, the BAC met with representatives of the Lawrence Bicycle Club and discussed how to move forward on their proposed initiatives.

Representatives of the Lawrence Bicycle Club indicated that their letter was in response to the recent bicycle fatality involving a Sheriff’s Deputy. They hoped that this incident would provide a positive outcome for the cycling community by encouraging more educational opportunities and enforcement throughout Lawrence.

The BAC discussed each initiative as proposed by the LBC and determined the following:

· Items # 1-5 (“Implement cycling-traffic training for law-enforcement officers, review existing ordinances and statutes that provide law enforcement and legal officials the means to arrest and prosecute any motorist who injures or kills a cyclist or pedestrian, address the problem of repeat traffic offenders, address the obvious lack of enforcement of ordinances directed towards inattentive drivers, and implement existing ordinances on a consistent basis to ensure cyclists abide by all traffic laws”) were outside the purview of the BAC and warranted a discussion with the Law Enforcement and Legal departments;

· Item # 6 (“plan for bicycle lanes and trails within the context of future transportation improvements”) is currently being implemented with the recent BAC approval of a citywide Bikeway System Map and amendment to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: Transportation 2030;

· Item #7 (“Consider reviewing the ordinance that requires cyclists to ride single file within Lawrence city limits… and change all the Share the Road signage to include the minimum clearance required for motorists when passing a cyclist”) The ordinance had previously been reviewed by the BAC and was determined that the ordinance be changed to match with the state law that says you can ride two abreast.  This issue should be brought before the City Commission for action. Also, additional signing for the designated bike routes should be further researched to determine the potential benefits; and

· Item # 8 (develop a program similar to the one created by the Missouri Bicycle Federation in Douglas County and the state of Kansas that allows cyclists to report the license tag numbers of any motorist who has passed too closely) should be considered as an effective strategy to educate motorists. The BAC will take the responsibility of contacting the Missouri Bicycle Federation for more information and assistance during the potential start up of this program for Kansas.

It was also the opinion of the BAC that a strong message should be sent by the Chief of Police and City leaders educating motorists and their responsibilities when sharing the road with cyclists. The committee also suggested the creation of a data monitoring committee to review traffic records of bicycle/vehicle crashes. This group could track the time and location of accidents and circumstances involved and generate recommendations for decreasing these types of incidents in the future.

Furthermore, The BAC felt that Bicycle Safety Month in May would be a great opportunity to make the public aware of these initiatives.