Ebike bill rides again

In 2018, Arizona passed e-bike legislation, adopting the model legislation promoted by the industry. Quick reference, as enacted:

 

[Update — It’s all passed and signed as of 5/16/2018… see below ]
Late in this legislative season (53 2nd regular), an ebike bill has once again surfaced from Rep Worsley; this time as a “striker” in the former dark sky lighting special plates bill HB2266.

The bill is suddenly, as is always the case I guess with strikers, being heard, scheduled for 3/20/2018 in the senate where it passed unanimously… Continue reading “Ebike bill rides again”

woman killed at Tempe bus stop by out-of-control driver

3/12/2018 ~11:30am near Baseline and Priest, Tempe; 52 yo Penny L. Brown was killed by a driver who for unstated reasons lost control in a Circle K parking lot and wiped her out on the sidewalk near a bus stop…

According to police, as officers arrived at the scene, they learned that a male driver had lost control of his vehicle and struck Brown, who was standing near the bus stop on the south side of Baseline. abc15

Continue reading “woman killed at Tempe bus stop by out-of-control driver”

Man murdered in Scottsdale

security cam footage of assailant escaping

2/22/2018,  N Scottsdale Road, near McDowell. Why this took over three weeks to make the news is very weird!? The assailant escaped after jumping into a black 1995 to 1996 black Nissan 200SX, with a 2nd suspect already in the vehicle. Police have so far not located the suspect or vehicle.

This will be a non-traffic statistic (because not a collision with a “motor vehicle in transport”)

Continue reading “Man murdered in Scottsdale”

Phoenix’s Sawcut ordinance

Sawcut in asphalt creates maintenance problems; especially within a bike lane. In this example, the cut was created when City of Tempe upgraded curbs for ADA purposes (Spring 2018, Warner Road and Dorsey.

Cutting into a road surface creates maintenance problems. Since the city is ultimately responsible for it, there are a set of rules, permits, and fees imposed on whomever might be doing the digging, typically an adjoining property owner (for, for example a new driveway) or utility companies, or the city itself (see example photo at right).

The aftermath of any cutting or digging in a road is particularly problematical for bicyclists when it results in longitudinal gashes/gaps/cracks… and is particularly problematical when the crack is within a Bike Lane because it can reduce the usable width to the point where traveling within the BL becomes impossible to do safely; and furthermore these dangerous conditions are unlikely to be appreciated or even noticed by motorists. Continue reading “Phoenix’s Sawcut ordinance”

Massive crash on Phx local street leaves driver dead

mid-day (~2pm) Thursday March 1, 2018.

A driver veered for unknown reasons causing a massive collision leaving that driver dead, and sending several to the hospital. This is on a “local” street, Roeser Rd east of 32nd St, adjacent to a nice park. “Officers are investigating whether speed or impairment were a factor in the crash” abc15 Continue reading “Massive crash on Phx local street leaves driver dead”

Driver kills man at Safeway

source: 3TV / CBS5

2/28/2018 ~3PM
Man dies after being hit by SUV outside Scottsdale Safeway
“The victim has been identified as 81-year-old Michael Ebertin… Police said a 70-year-old woman was behind the wheel of an SUV with another woman when she, for some reason, drove up on the sidewalk to the front of the store and hit the two men.
She stopped just short of the store.”

Continue reading “Driver kills man at Safeway”

Road Rage, late-night bar-hopping, and guns

Incident Feb 4, 2018 left an off-duty Tempe fire captain Kyle Brayer dead.

The defendant, Hezron Parks, has plead not guilty to a variety of charges: 3X aggravated assault, 7X endangerment, and leaving the scene, and some others.  Murder charges, if any, have yet to be brought —  “The defendant stated that he felt threatened and justified in grabbing his unholstered handgun” Continue reading “Road Rage, late-night bar-hopping, and guns”

River Road Fatal Crash

After striking the bicyclist, the truck spun and came to a stop facing the opposite way it had been driving. (Source: KOLD News 13)

1/31/2018 ~ 10am Victim male. Not much detail released.

Location: River Road eastbound lanes somewhere near N Shannon Rd, Pima County

The location wasn’t released, but River Road appears to be a divided arterial road with two lanes in each direction plus wide bike lanes; in addition to dedicated turn pockets.

KOLD13, UPDATE: Sheriff: Cyclist struck on River Road dies

Continue reading “River Road Fatal Crash”

lane-splitting is lane-sharing

[UPDATE: Arizona law was modified in 2022 to allow “limited” lane-sharing for motorcyclists, see comment] This is still in quite rough form. Bear with me as I elaborate. The premise is (motorcycle) lane-splitting is related to (bicycle) lane sharing. Lane-splitting is also sometimes referred to as “filtering”.

Lane splitting Legal Misconception

Note that the motorcyclist is NOT driving on the lane line

I was under the impression, what I believe now to be a common misconception, that motorcycle lane-splitting refers to a motorcyclists splitting between two lanes; in other words riding on the dashed line.

There are two related traffic rules, the first is general and applies to all persons driving any vehicle: motorcyclists, motorists driving cars/trucks, and incidentally also to bicyclists. This general rule implicitly makes lane-splitting by riding on the dashed line illegal. Continue reading “lane-splitting is lane-sharing”

Where do traffic laws apply?

[ For where and how traffic laws in Arizona apply to bicyclists, see this article ]

The rules of the road (ROR) apply to motorists when an a road; but what about when driving in a parking lot? A private street? etc?

What are usually referred to as the ROR, like stopping, right-of-way, signals, etc, are contained in Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28, Chapters 3. (Chapter 4 is impaired driving and is treated specifically below). Here is the key statute, along with the key definition,  emphasis added in italics: Continue reading “Where do traffic laws apply?”

Left Cross Collision

Left-Cross collision. Graphic: cyclingsavvy.org

A Cross-type Bike-MV collision occurs when a bicyclist and motorist who are traveling in opposing directions collide while the motorist is making a turn. If both are traveling in proper direction, it would be a left cross; as illustrated between the blue vehicle and the bicyclist in the illustration. For a counter-flow bicyclist, a right-cross can occur.

(This in in contrast to to a hook collision, which involves a turning motorist and a same direction cyclist. ) Continue reading “Left Cross Collision”

13-year-old boy struck, killed on sidewalk in south Phoenix by susp impaired driver

(Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

12/1/2017 ~ 1:30pm A SB driver 19th Ave near Broadway, Phoenix while speeding and illegally passing vehicles (i.e. driving SB in NB lanes), lost control and drove up on the sidewalk, killing 13 y.o. Cordell Gooch

Police say there were “early indications that the driver showed signs of impairment”

Continue reading “13-year-old boy struck, killed on sidewalk in south Phoenix by susp impaired driver”

Sidewalk driver accused of murder in a ‘random act of violence’

A driver drove up on the sidewalk and killed a woman and injured her child near 41st St and Jomax, Phoenix.

Police describe the incident as murder, and a ‘random act of violence’. Quite.

Continue reading “Sidewalk driver accused of murder in a ‘random act of violence’”

ASU doctoral student killed in Tempe crosswalk crash

“Left Cross” collision

[ 1/29/2018 City of Tempe is considering changing cyclist right-of-way rules. This is potentially very involved and intricate. See both below, and also see letter and replies from Councilman Keating sent as CAZBike ]

[ 11/24 Updates on this shocking crosswalk fatality continue to ooze out from Tempe police, as the grieving family of Xiaoying Wen came to Tempe from China seeking answers; “Tempe police said both had the green light, but Wen failed to yield, and Tempe city law dictates that bicyclists must yield to motorists”. See below for this bad local law. LAB Bike Friendly GOLD? ]

The 11/21 News story says the crash occurred ‘last week” ? news media seems to report less and less.
Date:  [Thursday 11/16/2017 ~ 4:15pm per comment below] Location: intersection of Rural Road and Vista del Cerro Drive
Continue reading “ASU doctoral student killed in Tempe crosswalk crash”