We received an email from a police officer from Barrington Hills. Its worth sharing. His first point has to do with an ordinance that requires cyclists to ride single file in Barrington Hills due to narrow, winding roads. His second point is that cyclists that dont obey the Rules of the Road are risking injury. Simply stated, when you ride your bike, PLEASE stop at stop signs and red lights, ride in the rightmost lane that serves your destination, and do all the things you do when driving your car. Every cyclists is an ambassador for cyclists everywhere. Dont be the one that leaves a poor impression of cyclists. Thanks for doing your part! ******************************* As a fellow bicyclist and with the bicycling season upon us, I would like to take a few moments of your time to share with you and your club members some information about bicycling in the Village of Barrington Hills. Each and every time we take to the roads on our bicycles we are acting as ambassadors of the bicycling community to the public. Our actions can, and do, influence public opinion of bicyclists as a whole so it is imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure that these interactions are positive. Speaking as a police officer, there are two primary complaints that I hear about bicyclists riding on roadways. The first, and most common complaint, is bicyclists obstructing traffic by riding in large groups or more than two abreast. Illinois state law permits bicyclists to ride two abreast as long as the normal and reasonable movement of traffic is not impeded. Many of the roads in Barrington Hills are narrow and several also contain blind hills and curves. On January 26, 2009, the Village of Barrington Hills adopted “The Mandate of Single File Bicycle Riding” ordinance out of concern for the safety of bicyclists and motorists. The ordinance states that, “Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway within the Village shall only ride single file. Persons riding bicycles on a roadway are herby prohibited from riding side by side.” This ordinance only applies to Village maintained roads within the Village of Barrington Hills. The Village has posted signs on its roads to advise bicyclists of the ordinance. The second most common complaint that I hear involves bicyclists ignoring traffic laws, especially when it comes to stopping for stop signs. I understand that it can be tempting to ignore stop signs when you’re on a ride but this is both unsafe and illegal. Illinois state traffic laws apply to bicyclists when they are on the roadway. In addition to the state laws, Barrington Hills has an ordinance called “Negligent Operation of Bicycles”. The ordinance states that, “It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle upon a roadway within the Village in a manner which is negligent or creates a risk of bodily injury or damage or loss of property”. This ordinance applies to all Village, State, and County roadways within the Village of Barrington Hills. We ask that all riders remember their responsibility to obey all traffic laws and Village ordinances so that everyone can share, and enjoy, the roads safely. Please ride safely and feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have. Thank you for your time. Bicycle Safety Unit Village of Barrington Hills Police Department
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:56:21 +0000