Wharton on Biking, and Let's Roll, y'all.

From the Memphis Flyer: (and also http://inthebluff.blogspot.com/ )

Shelby County mayor A C Wharton said that when he was first elected, it became clear to him that we were "creating disposable neighborhoods."

That realization eventually led to his Sustainable Shelby initiative, which included yesterday's call to action at the Memphis Botanic Garden.

"A few years ago, people thought they looked stupid if they rode a bicycle," Wharton said of Germany, a country he just visited and where a gallon of gas costs $8. "Now the only people who look stupid are those driving to work alone in their car."

Perhaps things are changing -- we'll see. I am hopeful but skeptical. I will be at the meeting tomorrow night at CBHS regarding bike lanes on Shady Grove and Brierview.

You can ride your bike with others to the meeting -- be sure to bring headlights and tail lights so you will be legal and more visible on the ride home after the meeting.

From Midtown, consider riding with the gang from Revolutions: from Anthony Siracusa: The shop will be closed on Thursday during our normal hours (6:30-8:30 p.m.) in lieu of a meeting held by the City of Memphis to discuss creating bike lanes on Shady Grove Road and Humphreys near Shelby Farms. Revolutions has organized a ride from First Congregational to Christian Brothers High School where the meeting will be held. The ride will leave from Revolutions at 5:15 p.m. in order to make it to the meeting by the start time of 6:30 p.m.. Please join us, or head over to CBHS at 6:30 p.m. Attendance and riding time count towards earning volunteer hours at Revolutions. Don't forget a blinky light and a helmet if you'd like to ride with us.

From East Memphis, cyclists will gather at the Super Lo parking lot on Southern- the ride will roll out at 6 pm sharp in order to get to CBHS on time.

And, if you just ride down Shady Grove, you'll probably eventually meet up with other cyclists heading to the meeting.

The Bike Lane Debate

Read more in depth here.

Here's the bottom line—In urban settings, I think that even bike lanes that are well designed often create more problems than they solve. Thus, at this point, given the dozens of research articles and reports I have read from around the world, I strongly prefer the development of wide outside lanes with effective road signs, education, and enforcement rather than separate bike lanes in most cases.

Bike lanes actually increase the likelihood of the three most common car-caused car-bike crashes. These are called the left hook, the right hook, and the drive out. They also increase the likelihood of ‘getting doored’ when installed in urban settings with parallel on-street parking (like many midtown streets)

Bike lanes help avoid only one type of crash, the least-common car-bike crash, which is a car hitting a cyclist from behind.

Bike lanes look simple, but they actually make the roadway more complicated for cyclists and motorists alike.

If cyclists routinely hit speeds approaching or exceeding 20 mph (like on the downhill from Yates east on Shady Grove) bike lanes are too narrow to ride in safely—at high speeds cyclists need more room to operate than is offered by the standard 4 foot wide bike lane.

Many bike lanes are installed by planners who do not ride bikes and who do not understand the complexities of bicycling in urban traffic. Just lay down a stripe of paint within the legal limits and it is done-- a bike lane! It is a lot more complicated than that. So I am strongly against blindly rushing to paint stripes on roads when it will do no real good and might even make things worse.

Read more here.

Danny Fadgen hit while cycling with wife Jane in Germantown

Hi y'all.

For anyone who knows or cares about Jane and Danny Fadgen, this is very important.

Two sources - the first is from the Commercial Appeal, the next is from WMC TV.

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http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jul/04/police-report-070408/

Bicyclist hit; driver charged

A 47-year-old bicyclist was hurt early Thursday morning when he was hit by a car on Germantown Road near Wolf River Bridge.

Germantown Police Lt. Mike Gray said Daniel Fadgen,47, of Germantown, was listed in stable condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis late Thursday afternoon.

Gray said Fadgen was riding on the shoulder of the road with his wife, traveling north on Germantown Road, when he was hit by a Toyota Camry driven by Thomas Ruffin, 26, of Cordova.

Capt. Alan Keller said the driver continued on after the crash but later returned to the scene. Police charged Ruffin with failure to maintain a safe lookout, failure to notify police of an accident immediately and proof of auto insurance.

-- Lela Garlington

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http://www.wmcstations.com/global/story.asp?s=8619095&ClientType=Printable

Mid-South aquatics instructor injured riding bike

Updated: July 3, 2008 09:36 PM

A well-known Mid-South swim coach is in the hospital. The aquatics instructor broke his back while riding his bike early Thursday morning.

The crash happened on Germantown Parkway, near the Wolf River bridge

Danny Fadgen is now home recovering from a broken back and thankful to be alive. His crash highlights the dangers bikers in the mid south face.

What may be just as disturbing is the police response to it all.

At Bikes Plus in Germantown, it is one of the few businesses booming in the economic slow down.

The high price of gas is making pedal power popular. Just ask Jane Fadgen.

"I'm traveling 100 miles each week and saw an opportunity to not only save money but get a little fitness in also," Fadgen said.

Thursday Morning Danny was riding with his wife as she commuted to Saint Francis Hospital in Bartlett. When they came to the bridge overlooking the Wolf River on Germantown Parkway, it was 4:45 in the morning. There were not any cars around.

Then his wife heard an awful sound she'll never forget.

"Terrible crash. It sounded like a car coming through a brick wall," Fadgen said.

But it was not a wall the car hit. It was Danny Fadgen. Breaking his back and landing him at the med.

"I started screaming couldn't even hear over my own screaming," Jane Fadgen said.

The driver did not stop when he hit Fadgen. He eventually came back.

According to this Germantown police report, officers stated the 26 year old driver was not the owner of the car, his car insurance was expired, and yet he was still not given a test for drugs and alcohol even after hitting a biker with the car. Instead he was given a moving violation.

"Literally a slap on the wrist a ticket, if that. So there is no zero tolerance." Jane Fadgen said.

Danny Fadgen is expected to be okay, but he hopes Mid-South law enforcement and lawmakers will do more for the cycling community.

A community that is growing bigger everyday.

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Click here to e-mail reporter Andrew Douglas.