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Attachment to May 20. 2015 OUTBoard Minutes Statement to OUTBoard on Bicycle Safety Plan May 20th, 2015 I am Bonnie Hauser, and I am speaking on behalf of the Rural Road Safety Coalition which is an active coalition of Orange County cyclists, motorists, and public safety leaders - including rural fire departments and emergency medical professionals. NC DOT and Highway Patrol work with us on an advisory basis. Gail Alberti, Bryant Dodson and I co -chair the coalition. Our goal is to improve rural road safety, and our slogan is "Share the Road goes Two Ways ". Gail Alberti initially participated in OUTBoard's meetings but was unable to continue due to personal issues. So we are providing comments for the record - to reflect our view of the issues that we believe are impacting the "culture of cooperation" on roads in unincorporated Orange County. Please include our comments in your report to the county commissioners. Growing popularity of recreational cycling combined with situational factors contribute to growing tensions between cyclists and motorists in rural areas. Secondary road design and outdated motorist and cyclist laws impede the culture of sharing. Town models for "complete streets" and bike lanes are impractical, and more focus is needed on responsibilities for sharing the road safely. We have engaged with cyclists and motorists all over Orange County and find that there is strong interest in improving road safety for everyone. The issues are complex and challenging. We appreciate the good work that OUTBoard has done, and hope our comments will help to add insight into the work that's needed. Thousands of cyclists from all over the Triangle use Orange County's rural roads, primarily for recreational purposes. Cyclists share the road with cars, trucks and school buses running at speeds of 45 MPH or higher. Most of our roads have narrow shoulders or no shoulders at all. Passing safely is the key issue. Impatient motorists are passing at unsafe times - increasing the risk of head on collisions with oncoming motorists. The recent addition of 2 foot shoulders have made matters worse by attracting more cyclists to our highest traffic roads - and are too narrow for motorists to safely pass a cyclist. Since full bike lanes are impractical for secondary roads, our coalition has been working with DOT to explore the option of wide safety shoulders at blind hills and curves. Passing safely is a complex issue and will require careful planning. Options we are exploring include: • Safety shoulders at blind hills and curves • A county -wide speed limit of 45 MPH • Maps and materials to encourage cyclists to use roads with less traffic • Long term investment in alternative recreational greenway infrastructure for cyclists and other recreational users (hikers and equestrian) This could include off road trails, utility rights -of -way, or very wide road shoulders designed for recreational use. Some of these ideas are noted in OUTBoard's report.