New Laws
by RL Policar
Ed and Robin Hildenbrand took a short bike ride Saturday: It was only about 40 miles and three hours long.
But it was the Hildenbrands’ first ride under Colorado’s new bicycle-safety laws, which took effect July 1.
State law now allows cyclists to ride two abreast on roads, ride their bikes on crosswalks, use their right hands for right turn signals, and file accident reports, even if no car was involved.
Avid cyclists welcome the changes after years of fighting for more rights on roads.
“We’ve been working toward this for a decade now,” said Dan Grunig, executive director of Bicycle Colorado, a Denver-based cycling advocacy organization.
Two abreast riding rule
Reader commentary shows me there’s plenty of education needed for motorists and bicyclists in Colorado. Several people, for example, seem to think that this new law gives cyclists carte blanch to completely take the lane at any time.