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Spare the Road is a blog dedicated to getting annoying cyclists off the streets for the safety of everyone and betterment of society.

May 13, 2014

Kentucky Case Could Be Huge Step to Getting Cyclists Off the Streets


In Kentucky the unthinkable has happened, government officials have begun to consider that driving 30 MPH under the speed limit is dangerous, and illegal. A female cyclist, Cherokee Schill, has spent the past year riding her bike from Nicholasville to Lexington, KY every morning. She does so in the middle of the lane, during rush hour. From the article Schell is driving 18 miles in 90 minutes, or 12 MPH on a major US highway. Odds are the speed limit is between 45-55 MPH on that road. Common sense prevailed, for once, when it came to cyclists, and people begun to speak up. This lead to Schill being ticketed 3 times, and she is in court fighting for her right to cause massive traffic delays.

Truth be told Schill is not your average cyclists, she is not wearing spandex, and most of all she is actually going somewhere, to work, unlike most cyclists who are out on the roads solely to cause clog streets and run red lights.  Even so, she is still going out of her way to cause traffic issues by riding on main, high speed, high traffic roads and doing so slowly and in the middle lane. She also couldn’t wait to run to the news outlets and whine that county officials were trying to promote safety art her expense. It’s still “Look at me!”.

This case could have huge implications on cyclists riding on the streets, not just in this country but around the country. Jessamine County Attorney Brian Goettl had this to say, "It just creates a very dangerous situation when you've got somebody on a bike that's difficult to see to begin with, on a very highly traveled road, with significant speeds and a lot of people don't pay attention to what they should be while driving, so it all compounds itself." He is currently trying to get a judge to ban Schill from riding on the highway until the case goes to court in August. The judge denied the request, but it is far from over. Even cycling advocates admit this case could have lasting impact on road cycling across the country. Here’s to hoping common sense prevails. If Jessamine County can get this woman off their streets, there is hope for all of us.



7 comments:

  1. Bravo Kentucky. This IS reckless and is going to cause accidents. Since we will be dealing with lawyers, does anyone know how the law reads regarding a "lower speed limit"? Reckless op could be considered subjective so it would be nice to find something objective regarding this ridiculous behavior.
    To the supporters: Please explain the difference between this and someone jogging or skateboarding in the same place as the cyclist?
    I am just looking for a dialogue so please no attacks.

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    1. KRS 189 says slow moving traffic needs to move as far to the right as practicable, the judge ruled in this case, that is the shoulder.

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  2. Well, it's not reckless. Taking the lane is much safer than riding to the right -- drivers try to squeeze past you. And she is legally allowed to ride that way. BUT, I looked at the road, and there is a shoulder the whole way between Nicholasville and Lexington. Why not take it? That's what I would do. (I'm a regular commuter cyclist.)

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  3. Well, sorry, but she won: http://www.centralkynews.com/jessaminejournal/news/local/jessamine-judge-rules-in-favor-of-bicyclist/article_67922d50-d087-11e3-ad50-0017a43b2370.html

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  4. Think of what you are saying... "Rush hour traffic" on what is likely a rural road. Car congestion would seem to be the real problem. There are more and more cars on the road and this will obviously only get worse. If everyone gets around by car it will get to the point where you'll be going 18 mph anyway. This may not be apparent in boondocks or whatever rural location you are from, but in the cities where car traffic is nightmarish, cycling is often the only practical way to get around, and every bike lessens that congestion one bit more. This is what is so perplexing about haters like you- the traffic that you sit in while your road rage seethes is from too many damned cars, not bicycles.If you hate being slowed down while you drive so much, the people you should be directing your anger towards is other drivers. (I'm sure you do this anyway, probably mostly at Priuses.) They are who are really in your way between you and your extra large Baconator meal. Bikes aren't going anywhere. Ridership is on the rise. Instead of fighting it, embrace it. Realize that it actually benefits you and others who refuse to leave the confines of your cars. Support the construction of bike lanes where you live. You lambast cyclists for daring to use the road that you feel you own, so instead of being sociopathic, support giving them a safe place to ride away from cars who want to kill them and you'll have one less bike AND car on in precious lane so you'll be a whole car-length closer to your destination.

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    1. NOT a rural road!!!!! Major highway, yes Kentucky has them! 43,000 cars pass down this "rural" road a day. It connects Lexington (second largest city) to Nicholasville.

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  5. If you look at the map, there's no alternative for her. She's not going out of her way to clog traffic, there's just no other route.

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