To the Editor:                                           21-Oct-1993
     Editor-in-Chief Kohler is upset by disobedient cyclists as she
walks or drives around (Editorial Notes, Oct 20, p4).  Let me offer my
view from a bicycle seat.  The return of students to campus in the fall
brings an increase in confusion and conflict on the road, on sidewalks,
at the registrar's office, in computer labs.

     Many cyclists have been honing their skills all summer amongst the
redrock and sagebrush of the back country.  They don't recognize that
this campus isn't an obstacle trial and the cars and pedestrians aren't
just more rock and brush to artfully dodge. 

     Others bring the skills they learned as youngsters when Mom trained
them for the road by telling them to "be careful, watch out for cars". 
They don't know that the rules-of-the-road give them equal rights and
responsibilities with OTHER vehicles.

     Unfortunately, a likely consequence of all this confusion is that
bicyclists, in spite of their advantages for reduction of parking lot 
requirements, improved health of the participant, improved air quality
in the community, and increased traffic capacity on the public
right-of-way, might be banned or restricted.  A better solution would be
the application of a little education.  That's the business we're in,
right?

     Education would alert the untrained cyclist that all vehicles use
the right, not left, side of the road; functional traffic control
devices should be obeyed; signals should be given; a single set of rules
determine the requirement to yield when two vehicles are approaching a
conflict; and lights and reflectors should be used at night.  

     Motorists could contribute to making the flow of traffic a little
more smooth and efficient by adhering more fully to the same rules. 
Motorists should be alerted to the cyclist's equal right to use of the
public right-of-way.  It is safer and easier to share the road with
other vehicles which are being operated according to the same set of
well-known rules.

     While cyclists and motorists have equal legal standing on the
roadway, cyclists are guests in the domain of pedestrians.  Cyclists on
sidewalks are a danger to pedestrians, who have no "rules-of-the-
sidewalk" beyond simple courtesy.  Cyclists on sidewalks are obliged by
state law to yield to pedestrians in all cases (See Sec. 41-6-87.3(1)
Utah Code).   That suggests that a cyclist is always wrong and legally
liable in the event of a cyclist-pedestrian accident on a sidewalk.

     With a little education there should be room for all in the
community to get where they need to go in ways that suit their needs.

Bob Bayn
750-2396
(staff)