April 2008 Issue - Cycling Utah

APRIL 2008 cycling utah.com 19commuter of the MonthScott Martin — Bike Commuting with a Growing FamilyBy Lou MeliniThis Month’s Commuter Profileis Scott Martin, an Attorney withSnow, Christensen & Martineau.He has commuted from his homein Holladay to downtown Salt LakeCity since early in 2006. He is alsoa road racer.Cycling Utah: Scott, congratulationson the new twins. They will be9 months old at the time of publishingof this column. Three childrenimpacts time management at home Iassume. How do the children affectyour bike commute?Scott Martin: That’s true. I havenot been able to commute thiswinter. The twins have made themorning departure more hectic. Onthe other hand, the skiing has beentoo good so have been doing someshort lunchtime ski tours. I startedcommuting to work again the 1st ofMarch.C.U.: So can I presume that youwere a more dedicated bike commuterbefore kids?S.M.: Actually, the bike commutehas come about as a result of myfirst child. I like to be home withthem as much as I can. Getting abike workout done to and from workmakes this possible. Commuting hasactually given me more time duringmy day as it takes 45-60 minutes todrive and it is replaced with about1 hour of riding, maybe 1.5 hoursif I stretch my ride up City Creekor Emigration Canyon. I also arriveat home or work usually in a bettermood.C.U.: What are some of the challengeswhen one has a family? Doyou find yourself thinking aboutsafety issues more now that youhave a larger family?S.M.: My wife also works so thereis some juggling that goes on duringthe week. Time is the biggest challenge,as there never seems to beenough of it. Getting a ride in beforeand after work really helps outespeciallywhen the days are shorterin the Spring and Fall. I would notbe able to get out for a ride after thefamily has gone to bed and my tolerancefor a trainer has diminishedover the years. I tend to need theoutside.I am a safe rider, however I ammore of a safety junkie now. I tryto be in tune with the car traffic andmake sure I anticipate possible “difficultsituations”. I have two blinkinglights (front and rear) even fordaylight riding.C.U.: With children, there are manymore places to explore on a bike. Doyou ride with them?downtown, any tips for others?S.M.: Stay alert; drivers sometimesget more aggressive due tothe unsynchronized lights, lots ofunexpected right turns sans blinkers.Avoid the construction blocks and Iavoid the streets with Trax, both ofwhich compromise space for bikes.Secondly, enjoy it! South Templeis an amazing street with greatarchitecture and historic homes andbuildings. I try to use it as my eastwestroute just to watch the buildingsgo by. It is a nice way to get tothe east bench I the afternoon, whichis how I usually go home, a watchthe sun set out west.C.U.: There are political issuesregarding “bicyclists not obeyingthe law”. As you ride downtown,is this a generally true perception?How bad is the problem? What isthe political fallout for this problem?Is using “bicyclists not obeying thelaw” a distraction or excuse for notbuilding more bicycle specific infrastructure?S.M.: The “not obeying the law”argument is true in some respectsbut mostly I think it is a misperceptionon the part of motorists whowatch cyclists apply the rules of theroad in a different medium. Clearlybikes and cars are two very differentmodes of transport. It seems that ifthe motorist could appreciate howvulnerable the cyclist is and thecyclist appreciate how a driver interactswith the cyclist, maybe thingswould be a bit better. Still there issome very unnecessary angst outthere on the road. I think the situationwould be better if there weremore and better bike lanes and morecyclists using them so we are notsuch an anomaly to your everydaydriver who hasn’t ridden a bikesince grade school. Bottom line:Cyclists should adhere to the rulesbetter and drivers should take a deepbreath and realize bikes are part ofthe driving landscape.C.U.: Perhaps a difficult questionor one without a good answer- Doesthe government have a duty to providea safe means of transportationfor bicyclists given that bicycles aredefined as a legal vehicle?S.M.: I am not sure about a “duty”per se, but for sure an obligationto its citizenry/taxpayers. Moreimportantly, elected officials shouldbe tuned into the needs of theirconstituents and provide for them.Cyclists come from all walks of liferich,poor, race, repubs, dems, LDSor not- they all need safety improvements.I would love for RalphBecker and Peter Carroon (Mayorsof SLCity and SLCounty) to establish2 or 3 north/south and east/westcorridors for bike commuting thatgo the whole length and width of theSL Valley. Currently bike routes aretoo hit and miss and dead-end whenyou hit certain streets/mileposts/municipal boundaries. For instance,make 5th East a clean and easy bikeroute from Draper to the Avenues.Tons of people would use it andmotorists would know that whatis on 5th east and would hopefullybehave accordingly. I think the bikelanes on 7th east are a waste. Let7th east go back to being 4 laneseach way. The road is just too busyand too fast to introduce a dedicatedbike lane. No one uses it! Put all ofthe cars you can on 7th east and putthe bikes on 5th and 9th east.C.U.: I still see a lot of night ridingwithout lights. Utah State lawQuick Shot by Chad Nikolzstates that “You are required to havea white headlight, red taillight orreflector, and side reflectors, all visiblefor at least 500 feet any time youride earlier than a half hour beforesunrise, later than a half hour aftersunset, or whenever it is otherwisedifficult to make out vehicles 1000feet away.” From a lawyer perspective,what are the legal ramificationsif a rider is hit by a vehicle at nightbut is not using lights?S.M.: Utah is a “comparative fault”state, which means a jury weighsthe cyclist’s fault against that ofthe driver. Not having a light onespeciallyin derogation of thestatute would likely be a hurdle forthe cyclist and likely reduce a monetaryjudgment, depending on theall-important facts of course-the jurybox being one. The critical pointhere is that we want commuters toget home safely and never ever haveto be in a hospital bed or on the witnessstand. Having blinking lights($10 at your favorite bike shop) isthe first and best step toward beingseen by motorists.C.U.: I understand one of your bikesthat you commute on has quite thehistory!S.M.: If that Rockhopper couldtalk! It is a rusty, 1988 “beast” thatI have permanently borrowed frommy friend and roommate in D.C. Itwas ridden heavily in D.C. by him,and I rode it for months in Europe,sometimes when we were, shall Isay, out on the town. It’s been hit afew times by cars and a bus. It stillruns as my all weather commuterand errand bike.C.U.: Anything else you wish toadd?S.M.: Bike commuting’s time hascome. The reality is I can now getaround faster in SLC on bike ratherthan a car. More people shouldknow this.If you have a suggestion for acommuter profile, have a commuterquestion you wish me toaddress, or other comments,please send them to lou@cyclingutah.com.S.M.: I have a Chariot 2-childcapacity trailer hooked up and achild seat on the rear rack alongwith panniers. I can transport all3 kids with swimsuits, towels andlunch. Great for noodling aroundHolladay and beyond with the broodon board. Lots of colors, lights,reflectors and flags to make sure theworld sees us out there.Official Photographers | zazoosh.comYour Cycling Utah photos are available at:www.zazoosh.com• Utah Cyclocross Series Races 1, 8, and 10• RMR Criterium 3-15-08 •Desert Rampage ICS 2008Plus many other Utah events• Lotoja • Intermountain Cup • Utah DH • Bicycle Hill Climbs • E100C.U.: With regards to your ride