BANGOR, Maine — An accident involving a bicycle and a vehicle sent one man to the hospital Tuesday morning, according to police.
Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said the incident occurred near the Interstate 95 overpass on Union Street.
Edwards wouldn’t release the name of the driver or the man on the bicycle.
No further details were immediately available on Tuesday’s incident.
A woman was fatally injured Saturday while walking on the same overpass. Brecon Oldham, 57, was struck by a vehicle while out for a walk and later died from her injuries.
Hopefully the person will be all right!
Second “accident” with-in a few days…..maybe need to address this sooner than later considering the recent fatal…..IMHO……
Ain’t no bike paths to get on.
Go out and ride in the City Woods or on one of the old rail beds.
If you hadn’t noticed, some people use bicycles for transportation.
Are you next going to tell pedestrians to get off the road because they don’t pay a tax?
If they have a place to live they pay a tax, either to the landlord or city or town as a property owner, and those taxes do go to road Maintenance too.
Yeah, go away someplace hidden, where *you* don’t have to pay attention to other human beings on the road.
You probably weren’t good on sharing your toys, either.
That would work great if I lived in the City Woods and my place of employment was along an old rail bed.
How would I get groceries, though?
I agree too many cyclist don’t obey the rules of the road, they are considered vehicles by Maine Law and should behave that way. However, we don’t know why this accident occurred yet.
BTW I do pay excise tax. So please share the road.
I think it should depend on speed. Face it, in a 25mph zone it is probably safer and acceptable to ride a bike with traffic, but when the speed limit increases to 35 and more so 45mph for good riders it becomes dangerous as the speeds between the two vehicles differ greatly. The reason highway speeds are between 45 and 65mph, because 20mph difference becomes unsafe, even with the same types of vehicles.
Cyclists are not considered vehicles by Maine law. Bicycles are not considered vehicles either.
However, cyclists are granted all the rights and are subject to all the duties of motor vehicle operators.
(Also, my property taxes fund more road maintenance than your excise tax does, even though my vehicle does not do any damage. Please share the road.)
scott go read the Maine motor vehicle hand book again a bike is a human operated moving motor vehicle…. you are the motor on the bike so you have total control over what you do on your bike like you do while driving your car.. i always let the pedal bikes have the right of way 3ft, i pass when it’s safe to…
I don’t know what the motor vehicle hand book says, but this is what the law says:
29-A MRSA, Section 101
91. Vehicle.
“Vehicle” means a device for conveyance of persons or property on a
way. “Vehicle” does not include conveyances propelled
or drawn by human power or used exclusively on tracks or
snowmobiles as defined in Title 12, section 13001 or an electric
personal assistive mobility device as defined in this
section.
Also,
29-A MRSA, Section 2063
5. Rights and duties.
A person riding a bicycle or scooter or operating roller skis on a way
has the rights and is subject to the duties applicable to the operator
of a vehicle, except as to A. Special regulations and B. Provisions in this Title that by their nature can have no application.
The law was developed in a vacuum, with few opponents and many proponents. Time to change it to reflect the realities and growing number of cyclist caused accidents.
Ummmm and WHAT bike paths would that be exactly and where? and do you really think that boats, which have to pay excise tax- are the same as a kayak or canoe??? Neither are cars or bicycles…..apples and oranges.
You are right, but property owners also pay taxes which funds the roads, not just the car owners. To put it that way, car owners pay more in taxes so roads are equipped to handle cars too. The city or town can vote to make it more habitable for pedestrians.
look on a map for bike paths in Maine or stop in at the rest area in hampden Maine they have maps for every thing in there and much more. or you can do a web search of bike path in Bangor Maine area
Bicyclists have rules to follow just as motorists do. To find the bicycle rules please read
http://www.maine.gov/mdot/bikeped/safety/laws.shtml. Also we have rights to use the roads too, and we belong here.
I have never seen any court news of arrest of bicyclist..
In most circumstances those types of violation would be civil and not subject to arrest.
I can’t think of an arrestable traffic offense that is applicable to a bicyclist except perhaps driving to endanger and it would be rare for a cyclist to be charged with that.
I agree that bicyclists have the right to be on the road with motorists BUT should also respect cars and travel in single file. Where I live on the midcoast, we do not have bicycle lanes so we really do have to share the road. I think that respect on both parts is due.
The law disagrees with you about traveling single file.
It’s not a matter of law in this case around here – it’s about respecting others on the road, Scott. When there is no bike lane, they should travel in single file. There just isn’t enough room to travel side by side safely and for motorists to drive out around them. Sorry that you disagree on the respect thing.
Most lanes are not wide enough for a car and a bike to travel safely side by side. This means that a single cyclist should ride near the center of the lane to discourage unsafe passing.
It doesn’t make a difference whether one cyclist is taking up the whole lane or two are. If the lane is not wide enough to share it’s not wide enough to share.
I suppose you have a point there, Scott. I have kids that ride on our road and I tell them that when they hear a car PULL OVER to the side so the car can pass them safely. I have done this myself while riding to avoid being hit by a car.
It’s really too bad that the state can’t afford to add that bike lane to sides of the main roads in our state for the safety of bikers and motorists. Maine is such a beautiful state and I can’t hate on bikers for wanting to enjoy this gorgeous state we live in – well, not to mention how healthy it is to bike.
MRSA 29-A, Sect. 2063(2)(D)
I came up over a blind rise (meaning couldn’t see what was in front of me) on the Castine Road doing the posted 45 mph speed limit and there were bikes on the road with a vehicle headed toward me in the opposite lane. After laying much rubber to avoid hitting the bikers (and nearly causing myself to have a heart attack) I was able to move out around them and continue on down the road. I agree that they have the same right to the road that a vehicle does but there are some roads where it is just dangerous to be biking on!
“…but there are some roads where it is just dangerous to be biking on!”
Yes there are — whichever roads you happen to be driving on!
The most basic rule of driving a car is to maintain control of your vehicle. This means driving at such a speed that you can stop within your field of vision.
Traveling at such a high speed over a blind rise is dangerous and foolish. Regardless of the posted speed limit, you are required by law to drive at a speed that is safe for the local terrain and conditions. This means slowing down for blind corners and hills.
Based on what I’ve read over the last month in the BDN, I’m not the one bikers should be scared of…I’ve NEVER had an accident.
Similar to how there are some roads that are just not safe for larger vehicles. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
MRSA 29-A, Sect. 2063(2) does require riding a bicycle single file, as it states that bicyclists “shall drive on the right portion of the way as far as practicable…”
Unfortunately, many motorists think that “share the road” means “get out of my way”.
Most of our lanes are not wide enough for a car and a bike to operate safely side by side. In that case cyclists should control the entire lane, as Maine statute allows.
Citation, please…
“Bicycle are expected to ride on the right as far as is “practicable,” but there is a variety of situations in which a rider may legally take a larger share of the travel lane, including: setting up for a left turn, proceeding straight where a right turn is also permitted, passing other vehicles, and to avoid obstacles or other unsafe situations.”
http://www.maine.gov/mdot/bikeped/safety/laws.shtml
29-A MRSA, Section 2063, sub-Section 2
Roads have always been ‘partitioned’ so that the faster vehicles are on the inside passing lane, and the slower vehicles on the right. This is the common sense rule and that means cyclists Must stay in the far right hand side of a road.
Bicyclists are required by law to ride “as far right as practicable”. On our narrow roads this often means controlling the entire lane, something specifically mentioned in the statute:
29-A MRSA, Section 2063
2. Riding to the right.
A person operating a bicycle or roller skis upon a roadway at a speed
less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at
that time and place shall drive on the right portion of the way as far as
practicable except when it is unsafe to do so or:
D. When necessary to avoid hazardous conditions, including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, roller skiers, pedestrians, animals, broken pavement, glass, sand, puddles, ice, surface hazards or opening doors from parallel-parked vehicles, or a lane of substandard width that makes it unsafe to continue along the right portion of the way. For purposes of this paragraph, “lane of substandard width” means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle or roller skier and a vehicle to travel safely side by side in the lane.
If the legislature wanted you to ‘control the entire lane’ that would have been clearly stated; what they intended was for you to stay to the right!
“As far right as practicable”, to be exact. Many times a lane-controlling position is as far right as practicable.
Although technically correct, the statute leaves a lot to be desired. Most country roads are 20 feet to 24 feet wide, with a lane traveling in each direction. That’s adequate for a bicycle and a car to share the road if traffic is light, as the car can pass the bicycle legally and safely, even with a double yellow line.
But it sounds as though you’re saying that the bicyclist could ride right down the middle of his lane for no other reason than he and the car wouldn’t be able to ride side by side safely in the lane.
I don’t believe that’s what the Legislature intended. I think the Legislature intended for this provision of the law to apply to roads with multiple lanes heading in one direction. For example, Central Street in downtown Bangor. If a bicyclist were traveling straight, he would be in the center lane. But if there’s a truck behind him, it may not be safe for the bicyclist and the truck to be riding and driving side by side through the intersection. In this case, it would be safer for the bicyclist to “control” the lane.
The main reason bicyclists need to control a narrow lane is to discourage overtaking drivers from passing when oncoming traffic is present. I believe that the law is correct as written and functions as the Legislature intended.
Also, the lanes on a 20-foot road are certainly not wide enough to share. Subtract one foot for the center lines, divide in half and you end up with two 9.5-foot lanes.
A bicycle is about 2 feet wide and state law requires motorists to leave a minimum of 3 feet when passing. Even if the cyclist is riding unsafely on the very edge of the pavement that leaves only 4.5 feet for a car.
How many cars are less than 4.5 feet wide?
(The minimum shareable lane width is about 15 feet, by the way.)
So if you’re riding along the country road, as far as practicable to the right, and you see a vehicle approaching you from the front and then you hear a vehicle approaching from the rear, you’re going to swerve your bike toward the center of your lane? That’s going to hurt.
I especially like this law…
Your bicycle is considered a vehicle and you have the same rights and are subject to the same provisions as the operator of any other vehicle (41-6a-1102). This includes obeying traffic signals (41-6a-305), stop and yield signs (41-6a-902), and all other official traffic control devices (41-6a-208).
Yes they do have to follow the same rules. It’s not enforced. But it’s also time for drivers to SLOW THE HELL DOWN!!!!! You are not invincible in that plastic thing on wheels. Look at the deaths this year.
Maybe you can get the speed limit lowered where you ride your bicycle, otherwise people aren’t breaking the law if they travel the posted speed. On a straight stretch of road it’s not a problem when you can see a bicycle ahead, but on many corners it’s dangerous.
Actually, in less than ideal conditions, traveling at the posted speed limit can still be a violation of the speed law.
Drivers are required to drive at a speed that is safe and prudent for the conditions, which often means slowing down around corners.
When the cyclist rides in anonymity, they won’t obey the law…that logo’d shirt might as well be a hoody.
What are you citing, anyway? Those are not statutes.
I especially like this law… Your bicycle is considered a vehicle and you have the same rights and are subject to the same provisions as the operator of any other vehicle (41-6a-1102). This includes obeying traffic signals (41-6a-305), stop and yield signs (41-6a-902), and all other official traffic control devices (41-6a-208).
Sounds like there is a traffic/light/visibility issue of some sort here. Given that this is the second accident within a week at this location, I think its time the authorities look into other factors besides driver inattention.
I don’t think just because 2 accidents occur at this intersection in a few days that there is necessarily a traffic/light/visability issue (otherwise, why aren’t there way more accidents than just these 2?).
I suspect it was inattention on somebody’s part. I am sure the police can figure out what happened and who was at fault.
Its a bottleneck with 4-5 streets coming into one intersection along with a lot of foot and bike traffic. More chances for something to go wrong.
Hey, remember it before there were traffic lights? Now THAT was scary.
If more can go wrong (and I deal with that intersection every day), then all the more reason to be especially careful there. They have 2 lights maybe 200 yards apart….everybody just has to be careful.
Interesting from the perspective of the story yesterday accusing conservatives of having an anti-bike agenda. I’m not suggesting that this was the bicycle riders fault but….. a great many folks, myself included, are not happy with how bikes operate on our roadways. There needs to be regulation and enforcement.
Am I the only person who does not cross a street, either on foot or bicycle( and who walks my bicycle across a street) without making eye contact with the person operating the vehicle I am crossing in front of? It is sad that these accidents are happening but a little caution on every ones part could prevent some of these from happening……
You are not alone, I do the same thing too. Sadly, it’s those who don’t, and get injured, that make the news, giving everyone else a bad name.
How inconsiderate for these people to have the nerve to die and ruin someone’s (presumably otherwise) good name???
Did I miss something? I don’t recall the article mentioning that this cyclist crossed the street without making eye contact.
“Maybe it was texting and driving”.. Please make more assumptions when you know absolutely nothing about the incident. But then again everyone also has some story about someone they have personally seen “jaywalking” or “jumping out into traffic”. Its a city don’t start to tell me you always walk the extra distance for a crosswalk. Let the facts come out
If one chooses to do their part to lessen fossil fuel use while at the same time improving their health by commuting on their bike…you belittle them? Maybe you should change your voodoo meds. Paxil might do the trick.
I dont get it, I really dont. First a pedestrian is killed, now a bicyclist is run down. Does anyone remember Driver’s Education? You know, when we are told that what we are behind the wheel of is a several thousand pound weapon? The part where pedestrians and other vehicles are supposed to be watched. I believe they call it DEFENSIVE DRIVING!!!!. I am not saying that this bicyclist didnt dart out in front of the car or that the pedestrian didnt believe they had the right of way and walked when the shouldnt have., but Geez, Louise, arent we, the automobile operators supposed to be watching for them just as we would watch for a dog, a deer, or a moose? I think far too many people on this forum board is quick to rationalize that it must have been the person acting wrong, and not the auto operator.
Unfortunately, there are very few defensive drivers on the roads these days. Sometimes it just stinks to share the road with them. It seems people really can get licenses out of Cracker Jack boxes these days!
Too few defensive drivers…too many texters!
I agree Jeff but….
a bicyclist is supposed to obey all the rules of the road that a
motor vehicle does. Bikes are not supposed to ride against traffic, go
the wrong way down a street, ride on a sidewalk, not signal before
turning, etc….
Last week I was driving on State Street by Bangor Savings Bank and
watched a male “riding” his bike down State Street Hill. He was riding
so fast that his front tire wobbled more than once and he shoot across
Harlow Street never touching the brake and rode the wrong way down State
Street. By my count he used 3 of his “nine lives” that day…1) he didn’t wipe out going down the hill, 2) he didn’t get broadsided by traffic on Harlow Street which had the right of way (green light) and 3) he didn’t hit one of the stopped cars on State Street.
Why do we have to be so stupid about this!! Someone was wrong!! People drive to fast and don’t pay attention. Most of you feel that you own the road. You drive down the interstate in the left lane. Get the hell over. Its a privilege to have a licence to drive. So obey the laws. Please!!!
You’re a sucker for punishment. And rightfully so. You’re being contentious on purpose, and you are clearly siding with the cyclist. Someone was wrong? Please. You have automatically conceived that the motorist is wrong.
Roads were built for MOTORIZED USE. Bikes, stay the hell out of the way. If you don’t, you clearly don’t value your life, and obviously think that someone is or is supposed to be looking out for your safety.
Regardless if it is a privilege for a licensed motorist to use the road, it’s there for autos/trucks, and mainly commerce.
Ages ago when it became wildly popular to have an automobile, somebody decided that we needed roads for them. So they took all the old horse n’ buggy trails and turned them into something AUTOMOBILES could use. And, were there bicycles around back then? Yes. Did they put together a million miles of road infrastructure for bikes? NO. silly.
Of course it is okay for bikes and peds to share the road. They do have a right to be there; on the road surface if possible, but out of the way. It is not there for them exclusively. Have you ever noticed those signs when entering the interstate that say bicycles and pedestrians prohibited? Hmmm, why you suppose that is? Ah, because it would be pretty stupid wouldn’t it?
“Roads were built for MOTORIZED USE. Bikes, stay the hell out of the way.”
I hate to break it to you, but history (and Maine statutes) disagree with you.
Why do you think people built all those roads before motorized vehicles came along? Was there just an abnormally high population of fortune tellers back then who were getting ready for the future of transportation?
Um, it’s no longer 1890…why there’s now even an interstate highway system built with federal money that was never allocated for use by bicycles.
Limited-access highways are the only exception. All other roads are still open to bicyclists.
It’s OPEN SEASON for pedestrians and bikes in Bangor!
I think Bangor needs to start thinking like other cities, Bike/walk paths built on the sides of the highways and roads since there are hundreds of bicyclists. They just paid out 8,000 for one accident that involved a city truck not too long ago.
I think this should be looked at within this Bangor Beautification stuff.
The driver must have been a conservative!
Come on, really? Another one in the same area in less than a week. What the heck is happening with the road there? Well, how about limited police presence as people coast it up and down Union Street between 35-45 mph. Come on, admit it – how many of us are driving, yes, 30 mph, and people pass you like you aren’t even moving. Where are those police where they have a dozen people pulled over on Union Street (one vehicle has an office out and pointing and you have two or three cars with officers writing the tickets)? I miss the days.
And this has nothing to do with the story here, I don’t get the philosophy of the “hey, I’m in a crosswalk, so I have right of way no matter what” syndrome. Yes, pedestrians have the right of way, but is it worth your life to prove the point? I have watched people walk up to a crosswalk, the signal says no crossing (because the light in front of me is green), I attempt to catch their eyes, and without hesitation or looking, step right out and go for it. I am in control of my car and have always been able to come to a halt (sometimes a little close). But really; come on, man. Show the slightest respect for drivers also when crossing the road. You really want to hedge bets that the vehicle is going to be able to come to a stop?
that’s not the law. the law is to share the road.
And if someone wanted to ride their horse to work they could do that too. The public street is supposed to be a right of way for all travel.
Are we having a war here? Cycles against cars? I see plenty irresponsible folks on both sides every day. We get a ton of cyclists here. Some of them will ride side by side, won’t get out of the way for any reason whatsoever, and make you follow them over hills and blinding corners for long periods of time because you can’t see if anything is coming to pass them. Okay, I get it. You don’t want to pull over every 10 seconds to let a car by, but think about it a bit. If you have 5 cars that have been following you for 1/4 mile, PULL OVER! On the flip side of the coin, I can’t tell you how many drivers in cars I have needed to avoid a head-on collision with because they don’t care whether they are on a blind corner or not. They will pass a cyclists on the wrong side of the road, full speed ahead, in such a seeming hurry to get somewhere.
Regardless of the rules of the road (they apply to everyone), a little bit of courtesy & consideration goes a long ways! A bicyclist/pedestrian is much more vulnerable than a driver of a car (which is protected by that vehicle), and much more likely to be seriously hurt in case of a collision. Think about it – reverse roles & treat them the way you’d like to be treated (for drivers – a few moments to slow down until you can safely pass, a little extra room, etc.; for the cyclist/pedestrian – ride safely, ride single file, use your hand signals, etc.) – it boils down to consideration for another human being.
That whole area is congested…the timing of the lights seems poor. But the thing is motorists just need to slow down and be more cautious. Everyone please pay attention to your surroundings. Everyones in a hurry…road rage is up. I can hardly ever go the speed limit cause the person behind me is “shoving” me. And if you think I’m so old “guffer” think again, only 36 but I know what the danger of vehicles and the roads can do.
In the ten years I’ve lived in the Bangor area, I’ve seen more stupidity caused by people walking or riding on bikes than I have by people driving a motor vehicle. They all talk about wanting to “share the road”, yet some of them think they are oblivious to the same traffic laws motor vehicle drivers have to follow. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen a cyclist hop off their bike at a red light and proceed to push the bike across the street just so they can continue on. Now granted there are some motor vehicle drivers who are bad too, like the ones who just jam on the gas to hop out in front of your vehicle as you are coming down the street because they are in such a hurry. Ten seconds vs forever…which takes less time? Just saying.
Just a thought, but depending on the intersection some cyclists may prefer to walk through the intersection because they are too intimidated to ride through it. The law states the cyclist must set up for the intersection – which may involve merging into heavy traffic and potentially crossing in front of vehicles with operators who are unfamiliar with the rules of driving among cyclists. Legally, if a cyclist wants to use a crosswalk or a pedestrian light, they need to dismount the bicycle and walk it through. Both are perfectly legal. Besides, when you read about fatal hit and run accidents with bikes….you sort of fear for your life if you end up having to set up for a left-hand turn on a bicycle at a traffic light.
It’s perfectly legal for bicyclists to get off their bike and take advantage of a pedestrian crosswalk.
When you find one let us know, since they are as rare as a Mass. driver who doesn’t speed.
That’s the beauty of riding a bike. When you’re on it you’re a driver — when you’re off it you’re a pedestrian.
There is nothing wrong or illegal about a cyclist crossing an intersection as a pedestrian.
Wow… having driven in the city of Bangor I can’t think of a more screwed up system for managing traffic. At an exit off I-95 onto Stillwater Ave one can’t turn right without first entering a mall area to turn around. And then to enter I-95 while traveling west on Broadway one has to enter a special lane (with special traffic light) which is about 500 feet from the entrance ramp. Smart Traffic Lights???? Ha! It’s common to wait 3-4 minutes at intersections when no other traffic is around. As a frequent follower of New England news I have never heard of so many fatalities involving cars, pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists as in the Bangor area. I would advise you all to park your killer machines and walk or ride bicycles until a serious traffic study is done on your road and traffic system to determine why it is one of the least populated cities in New England with the highest traffic fatality rate. As crazy as it is to ride or drive in Boston, it is even safer than Bangor and has fewer traffic related deaths.
“At an exit off I-95 onto Stillwater Ave one can’t turn right without first entering a mall area to turn around.”
What are you talking about? There are two right turn lanes.
and how do you turn left??
We could learn a thing or two from the Europeans when it comes to cycling lanes and paths and general respect for cyclists, but it won’t happen without an attitude shift we’re not yet prepared to make. Maybe it’s because too few of us use both methods to get from A to B. The comments connected to this piece seem to emphasize the “us vs. them,” which gets us nowhere but up the blood pressure scale.
Observe cyclists in Denmark or China…NONE are violating regulations! Americans who cycle in Europe frequently get cited for violations.
I’ll have to disagree about China, but European cyclists are certainly quite law-abiding.
Interestingly, European motorists are also much better than Americans at following the law.
It’s not a bike thing — it’s a culture thing.
I was stopped at the traffic light earlier this evening at the intersection in front of the old Federal Building and Cumberland St waiting to take a left. There was one vehicle in front of me also waiting to turn left. Well, the light turned green… and I waited for the driver ahead of me to get going… but, they didn’t. So… finally, I had to honk my horn to get them going, and, still, it took a good 15 seconds for the driver to register that the light was green. Finally, it moved, however, at this point the light was turning yellow, and too late for me to make the turn.
What do you suppose this driver was doing? On the phone or texting… no doubt! People… do you really, really think that you are invincible and that nothing is going to happen when others have the misfortune of crossing paths with you when you are obviously paying more attention to your phone than what you should be? It’s not just texting that is dangerous. I see people with a cell phone to their ear driving down the road all the time. That means, for most of them anyway, that they have only one hand on the wheel and not always staying in their own lane when they make a turn.
Put the cell phones down! You are piloting a lethal weapon that within seconds can send yours, and others, lives spiraling into hell! If you suffer so desperately from separation anxiety that you must use your phone constantly… one…pull off into a safe place or parking lot somewhere, and make your call… or two… get some serious help with your dysfunction, or three… stay off the roads! If you want to play Russian roulette with your life… that’s ok by me.. just make it your own and no one else.
…but I can’t pull into the bike lane, they get so upset!
Driving a car in the bike lane is against the law in most places.
Register and insure your bikes, and then maybe you should have the right to ride on roads ONLY with bike lanes.
Metal cars and people on bike who THINK they own the roads should never be.
No bike should ever be on a road with out a brake down lane at least. ( Stillwater)
Ride bikes in parks and on bike trails and thats about it.
None of the roads around here have breakdown lanes. (They don’t have any “brake down” lanes, either). How do you propose I get to work, the library, grocery store, etc.?
Challenge: I don’t have a car.
Shouldn’t the BDN refer to this as a “collision”, “crash” or “incident” until further details are known?
Calling it an “accident” is more than likely a misstatement. Most crashes are caused by operator error.
there bike paths just about every where just look for the signs with a pedal bike on them there is a bike path lane starting in orono to bangor also from orono to old town…. most people i see riding there bike ride on the wrong side of road and side walks where they shouldn’t when i lived in vz and rode my bike for transportation the only part of my ride where i’d use the sidewalk was going across the short bridge on route 2 and heading up the hill near Webster park… people on bikes can get tickets like a motor vehicle can and also can get charged for oui… i have seen a guy get charged with oui on a pedal bike….
Just for starters, the Orono “bike path” is nothing but a paved shoulder that includes on-street parking and storm drain grates and pinches to no width at all at various intersections — which is where most car-bike accidents occur. Second, it starts at the top of the hill by the golf course, not even reaching Veazie, much less Bangor. Third, the town doesn’t keep it clear of broken beer bottles (college town) and other road hazards . . .
So now you want us to maintain your bike lane, yet you don’t want to chip in for this. Gotcha.
The “lane” that Jim mentions is not a bike lane, but a shoulder that has erroneously been stenciled with bicycle symbols.
The purpose of paved shoulders is to keep the edge of the pavement from crumbling under the weight of heavy vehicles. It is not intended for vehicular travel, though Maine law allows cyclists to operate on a paved shoulder if they wish.
It’s a federal highway, US 2 — some maintenance now and then is a good idea.
Anyone wanna bet he she was flying down the sidewalk see it all over bangor I almost creamd one doin that as I was leaving a parking lot kid yelled at me like it was my fault totally his fault
Both the bike riders and drivers need to pay attention to what is going on around them. Alot of distractions nowadays. I have been surprised by a bike rider all of the sudden right beside me or cross quickly in front of me, scared the —p out of me. Lets watch out and be aware of each other.
Logical, but the passing vehicle now must pull well into the other lane, often across a double yellow line; and the most of the side-by-side cyclists have one in a bike lane, and the other in the roadway.
By your own reasoning why can’t cars travel side by side?
Cars cannot travel side by side in the same lane because it is prohibited by law.
Even if it were allowed, most of our lanes are too narrow to make it possible.
Do bicyclists need special training, because I see a lot of bicycles out there and they all seem to be following a different set of rules. I think that is part of the problem.
Many exemptions; and motorcycles, scooters use them in Portland all the time.