Saturday, June 25, 2011

Share the Road - Buses and Bicycles

"At first glance, it may not seem like a bike and a bus have very much in common, but in fact, they share a lot of things... both are usually in the same space on the roadway, the right lane. And both have slower than average speeds...", view the video presented by ChicgoBikes and the Chicago Transit Authority:


Share the Road - Buses and Bicycles from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.


If you ever experience a bus being driven in an inappropriate way, it is recommended that you do NOT confront the driver. Rather, take careful note of the 1) time 2) location, and 3) the name of the Bus Company/Authority. Then contact that Authority, and provide the info along with a brief description of the problem. They have, or should have, a keen interest in their buses being driven in as safely a manner as possible. Many buses have video recording devices, that can provide evidence of what actually occurred.

Many transit authorities are a consortium overseen by multiple municipalities, and you can contact both the municipality (e.g. the city of Phoenix) and the authority (e.g. Valley Metro) who then may tell you the bus is operated under contract by a private company. *All* parties should be informed.
In the case of a school bus, typically, the name of the school district will be painted on the side -- contact that school district's person in charge of transportation.

The same sort advice holds for any sort of commercial vehicle -- don't try to confront the driver. Just collect the information, and contact the company directly.

In extreme cases, you may need to contact law enforcement directly and immediately but keep in mind that there is very little a police officer can do about a situation that they did not witness.

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