Monday, June 30, 2008

Bicycle news in The Plain Dealer

First, the good news. In Michael McIntyre's Tipff column on June 16, he had this news:

LEGISLATION ON WHEELS: Cleveland City Council has signed off on new bike-friendly guidelines for parking garage and lot operators: They have to save room for bicycles. Under the measure, sponsored by Councilman Joe Cimperman and Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, the city would require any new or expanded garage or lot with 10 or more spaces to provide one bicycle space for every 20 car spaces, up to 24 bike spaces. Cimperman said parking companies already licensed for new or expanded lots or garages will have two years to comply. The legislation rolled through with just one broken spoke; Councilman Zack Reed cast the sole vote against the requirements at a Monday morning committee meeting. "Overreaching government," he said. Cimperman questioned Reed's stance. "We are in an energy crunch that we've never seen before," Cimperman said. "Cities moving toward green and environmentally friendly standards will be the most competitive."

And now for the bad news, an AP story from Anchorage, Alaska, in today's PD:

BEAR MAULS TEEN DURING BICYCLE RACE: A 14-year-old girl riding in a mountain bike race was attacked by a bear early Sunday and severely injured, but she was able to make a brief 9-1-1 call that eventually resulted in her rescue. The girl suffered head, neck, torso, and leg wounds and was in critical condition, police said. The attack occurred along a trail and rescuers had to hike more than two miles to reach the girl. She called 9-1-1, whispered one word -- "bear" -- and the line went dead, a Fire Department spokeswoman said. Following procedure for when a call is cut off, dispatchers called the number back. Another rider heard the phone ringing, stopped to investigate and spotted the teen. "That rider was able to pick up the phone and talk with the Police Department," the spokeswoman said.

07/01/08 UPDATE: Okay, so I just learned that the teenage girl mauled by the bear was participating in an all-night bike race....in Alaska....through bear territory....by a salmon stream. Someone called it "a pretty bad idea." Um, ya think? The Seattle Times has the full and mind-boggling story here.

1 comment:

  1. The PD story sure is good news.

    There's sure been a lot of controversy with Bears and Bicycles lately. Between moonwalking bears in the UK and cyclist bear run-ins on the road, when will it ever end???

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