Colorado town outlaws bikes

[Deagol]

make sure to read the comments after the story

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=140818&catid=346

 

[RedheadDane]

What??? This is absurd!

In January, the city council passed an ordinance banning bikes on most of the town's streets, especially the main thoroughfares. Copp says with all the busses, trucks and cars already trying to crowd the historic town's narrow streets, the addition of bikes is a hazard.

Yeah... so let's remove people's opportunity for an alternative so there'll be even more people in cars...

And jeez a bunch of idiots commenting...

 

[nvpacchi]

There's certainly no grey area in Colorado.

Most of those comments were deplorable and real typical arguments that I'm used to seeing from non-cyclists. Maybe we'll just start taxing runners who choose to extend out of their neighborhood onto "dangerous roads"

 

[Deagol]

There is a common theme in the comments after any cycling related story around here where the readers accuse cyclists of making the roads more dangerous for drivers. It would be pretty funny were it not for the fact that many of the drivers around here fly around in large "monster-truck" style pick-ups or SUV's and probably wouldn't even feel the collision if they were to hit a cyclist.

 

[zapata]

That's..I'm speechless. Why not ban walking also? Eliminate jaywalkers, everyone just drive a car everywhere, and be happy, until the oil runs out.

 

[RedheadDane]

There is a common theme in the comments after any cycling related story around here where the readers accuse cyclists of making the roads more dangerous for drivers. It would be pretty funny were it not for the fact that many of the drivers around here fly around in large "monster-truck" style pick-ups or SUV's and probably wouldn't even feel the collision if they were to hit a cyclist.

Yeah... some people's logic (or, lack of same...) people on bikes make the roads dangerous for people in cars? Yeah... rrright! The should rather ban SUV's and trucks in urban areas (make that ban global...)

In fact my opinion is that you should only be allowed to take the car in urban areas if you:
A: Is old/walking impaired
B: Works far from where you live (and there's no option of public transportation)
C: Has a lot to transport
(D: If the weather is so terrible you'll get drenched just by thinking of going outdoor for more than the time it takes finding and getting into the car...)

I'm not very tolerant towards excessive use of cars... can you tell?

 

[craig1985]

Is Black Hawk a big place? Because otherwise it says a 400m section where you can't ride.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah... but what if you lives in one end of town and works in the other? You don't want to take your car, the busses are just strange (well, the route) and it's too far to walk.

 

[redtreviso]

obviously Colorado has no shortage of Republicans.

 

[Archibald]

once again, the US proves that they just don't get it...
this is the same country currently trying to bring extinction to one of their native species for the second time (after spending years re-introducing them).
but let us all drive cars and contribute to destroying the planet...
there are third world nations with less schools, but are more educated than the majority of this country...
exhibit C

 

[cog_nition]

That is gold.

 

[sublimit]

Yes nice one...more profits for BP then.

Is it compulsory for USA state lawmakers to be ***? But i suppose you have to see the funny side.

 

[pedaling squares]

If I hadn't see it, I would not have believed it.

 

[shawnrohrbach]

While this attitude is deplorable, it's certainly not new. I had a waterfront home in the Puget Sound region of Washington State and one of my rides was along Bainbridge Island. Roughly around 1997-98, the state republican house member from that district, in legislative session, declared "The solution to the bike problem is wider bumpers on our trucks." Yes, the fine residents of the surrounding towns, mostly retired conservatives, aimed to hit. One of the more terrifying acts of the younger thugs was to drive right up close to you as you were bicycling in the bike lane, slow down and when they were just ahead of you throw glass bottles in your path. Guaranteed flat.

 

[Deagol]

Wow, who the heck would mistake South America for Africa ???

Ummm, unbelievable.

Back to Black-hawk, it is an old mining town that became a gambling town several years ago. There is something about gambling that seems to draw the most unhealthy people and attitudes together. It's a sickness. The incidence of drunk driving on the narrow mountain/canyon road leading up to that town has increased (I've been hit by a drunk driver in my car on the road).

It's like a mini Las Vegas in the mountains, totally out-of-Place IMO. They have actually shaved off the sides of some of the mountains to make room for casinos and parking lots.

 

[benpounder]

Back to Black-hawk, it is an old mining town that became a gambling town several years ago. There is something about gambling that seems to draw the most unhealthy people and attitudes together. It's a sickness. The incidence of drunk driving on the narrow mountain/canyon road leading up to that town has increased

Anyone that has been to/through BlackHawk knows that the roads leading into that town are particularly ill-suited for cycling.

I suspect most folks are objecting to the decree on principle rather than actually having their "favorite" ride banned.

 

[danjo007]

WTF! im actually going taking my bike to denver in september for a holiday, and riding through the rockies!!!! i was basing a few rides from idaho springs, and could have quite easily gone through blackhawk!! ****ERS, im not impressed, and if id not seen this by some random chance, i could have copped a fine for enjoing their country by bicycle!

 

[Deagol]

Black Hawk is not a destination in itself, but I rode through it once while traveling south on the Peak-to-Peak Highway trying to connect to the Central City Parkway to drop down to Idaho Springs. The ride itself could be a great one if it were not for the bike ban. They actually also had a "no bikes" sign on the Central City Parkway as well, even though the shoulder is super wide. I had to descend "Oh My God Road" instead and that sucked..

 

[biokemguy]

just don't stop in town

This ban is obnoxious and sadly indicative of the political climate in the US (very extreme on all sides).

There's no good reason to stop in Blackhawk IMO.

The main road through town is still open to cyclists and they don't need our tax revenue anyway.

http://www.cityofblackhawk.org/information/default.asp?NavPageID=71076

 

[flicker]

With all the drunks driving the roads of Blackhawk, leaving the casinos 24-7 the lawmakers of the town are doing a service to cyclists. Come on people drunks in cars always win!

 

[benpounder]

WTF! im actually going taking my bike to denver in september for a holiday, and riding through the rockies!!!! i was basing a few rides from idaho springs, and could have quite easily gone through blackhawk!!

Idaho Springs?
Why?

Other than Mt Evans and the I70 frontage road why the hell would you want to base out of Idaho Springs? There are many many other places with much better roads.

 

[Anonymous]

Famous Quote

"When bikes are outlawed.... only outlaws will have bikes!"

 

[rhubroma]

America continues to dumbfound us all. The truly remarkable comment, though I'm hardly surprised by it, is the bit about tax payers and who has the right to use the road.

Such Americans are living in a little world all by themselves where real human beings don't exist anymore, only artificial human beings. They are quite happy to live in their artificial world and don't even realize that they are existing in a most unnatural state. And the rest of the world of real society and real human beings, is just as happy that these dreadful Americans stay put in their grotesque existence and artificial environment, and would of course never want to have such gastly creatures leave their bubble and come visit the rest of civilization.

 

[Deagol]

......Such Americans are living in a little world all by themselves where real human beings don't exist anymore......

the problem is that some of us have to share that world with them. They are capable of ruining it for everyone. There is only one world and we all have to live in it. Many don't realize how precious it is.

 

[redtreviso]

America continues to dumbfound us all. The truly remarkable comment, though I'm hardly surprised by it, is the bit about tax payers and who has the right to use the road.

Such Americans are living in a little world all by themselves where real human beings don't exist anymore, only artificial human beings. They are quite happy to live in their artificial world and don't even realize that they are existing in a most unnatural state. And the rest of the world of real society and real human beings, is just as happy that these dreadful Americans stay put in their grotesque existence and artificial environment, and would of course never want to have such gastly creatures leave their bubble and come visit the rest of civilization.

ownership society..Funny how they own the piece of road around their vehicle at any given time and are ready to commit violence towards someone on a bicycle..OTOH a smoke belching bus full of drunks owned by the Isle of Capri Corporation of Missouri is ok.