Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
6 <br /> Orange United Transportation Board Report to the <br /> Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br /> on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in Orange County <br /> Charge 1. Review County Authority and State Law. <br /> In view of NC House Bill 232("An act to direct the Department of Transportation to study <br /> the bicycle safety laws in this state and make recommendations as to how the laws may <br /> be revised to better ensure the safety of bicyclists and motorists on the roadways."), <br /> which was passed by the House and is currently going through the state Senate, the <br /> OUTBoard recommends waiting to hear the outcome of that bill before putting a lot of <br /> time into reviewing the State laws. (NOTE: Because much of our report pertains to rural <br /> parts of the county, the focus is mainly on cycling, though through education efforts, the <br /> importance of walking on the correct side of the road and visibility at night can be done <br /> through posters and more.) <br /> However, regardless of the outcome of HB 232, people who drive or cycle in Orange <br /> County could be better educated on the current laws, and methods of doing that should <br /> be put into place now. (See Charge 5, no 1) <br /> Charge 2. Provide copy of County-endorsed bicycle routes (map). <br /> Many if not most rural recreational cyclists find riding routes via online services such as <br /> Map My Ride,' or through cue sheets provided by clubs such as the Carolina Tarwheels. <br /> Even NC DOT is currently in the process of making the statewide bicycling maps <br /> available electronically at WalkBikeNC.2 The website is currently under development, but <br /> will be an interactive site where cyclists will be able to find, create, or comment on routes <br /> around our state. <br /> 1. It would be useful to have an online map available for Orange County that <br /> pointed out potentially hazardous spots or areas of high traffic to cyclists. This <br /> information could be included in the print version of the Orange County cycling <br /> map when it is updated. The state laws for cyclists should be included both on an <br /> online map website and on the updated print map. <br /> 2. We recommend the county also look into providing an app version of the map <br /> (in addition to an online version of the map) for the use of cyclists who do not <br /> have easy access to a printed map and who are accessing routes through small <br /> mobile devices. <br /> Charge 3. Give update on topic and recent activities. <br /> The most recent and possibly most affecting recent activity is state House Bill 232 which <br /> was passed by the House in early April and described above. The Senate has referred <br /> the bill to the committee on rules and regulations. The OUTBoard would recommend <br /> waiting until the outcome of this bill is known before creating too many printed materials <br /> with the state laws on them. If the bill is passed by the Senate as currently proposed, the <br /> committee that will be formed will be asked to provide recommended legislation to the <br /> Senate and House by the end of 2015. <br />