Author: Ed B

Pima County Enacts Texting Ban

Pima county follows action by the cities of Phoenix, and Tucson (see this article for more about Tucson), and Flagstaff as well as Coconino County, with various bans on electronic communications while driving. The state legislature has repeatedly failed to act regarding limits on use of electronic devices while driving.

Sheriff Chris Nanos worked diligently with the Pima County Government Board of Supervisors to construct a new ordinance that prohibits texting and driving in Pima County. On May 17, 2016, the ordinance was approved. It became effective on June 16th, 2016.

According to this ordinance (10.34.020): A person may not, while driving a motor vehicle on a highway, manually manipulate a handheld electronic device for any purpose other than to initiate, receive, or engage in voice communication. It is a civil traffic offense to violate this ordinance. — see more

Click here for ordinance 10.34.020

 

Here is a text copy of the full ordinance:

ORDINANCE NO. 2016- 31

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA, RELATING TO THE USE OF HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICES WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE. (All Districts)

The Board of Supervisors of Pima County, Arizona, finds that:

1. The Pima County Board of Supervisors has the authority under Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) § 11-251(4) to lay out, maintain, control, and manage public roads, ferries, and bridges within the County; under A.R.S. § 11-251(17) to adopt provisions necessary to preserve the health of the County; and under A.R.S. § 11- 251 (31) to make and enforce all local, police, sanitary, and other regulations not in conflict with the general laws.

2. The Pima County Board of Supervisors has authority under A.R.S. § 28-626(8) and A.R.S. § 11-251.05 to adopt, by ordinance, additional traffic regulations on Pima County highways that are not in conflict with A.R.S. Title 28, Chapters 3, 4, or 5.

3. The use of handheld electronic devices while operating motor vehicles has increased in recent years and causes distracted driving, which has been shown to increase the risk of motor-vehicle crashes.

4. The Arizona Legislature, to date, has not enacted legislation directly regulating the use of handheld electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.

5. Regulation of the use of handheld electronic while operating a motor vehicle will protect the public health and safety by promoting and encouraging safe driving on Pima County highways.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA:

Section 1. Title 10 of the Pima County Code is amended to add new chapter 10.34 to read as follows:

Chapter 10.34 USE OF HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICES WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE

10.34.010 Purpose and intent.

The purpose and intent of this ordinance is to promote public safety in Pima County by restricting the use of hand held electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle on Pima County highways.

10.34.020 Prohibited conduct.

A person may not, while driving a motor vehicle on a highway, manually manipulate a handheld electronic device for any purpose other than to initiate, receive, or engage in voice communication. For purposes of this section, “drive” and “motor vehicle” have the same meaning as those terms are given in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Chapter 1.

10.34.030 Exemptions.

Section 10.34.020 does not apply to any of the following: 1. Use of handheld electronic devices by authorized law enforcement or emergency personnel in the performance of official duties. 2. A person driving a school bus or transit vehicle that is subject to Arizona or United States Department of Transportation regulations. 3. Use of a hand held electronic device on property that is not open to vehicular travel by the general public. 4. Use of a handheld electronic device while a motor vehicle is stationary.

10.34.040 Classification and penalty.

A. A violation of Section 10.34.020 is civil traffic violation. B. A peace officer may stop and issue a citation to a person operating a motor vehicle on a highway if the peace officer has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of Section 10.34.020 has occurred. C. A person who violates Section 10.34.020 and is not involved in a motor vehicle crash is subject to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00), plus any other penalty assessments authorized by law. D. A person who violates Section 10.34.020 and is involved in a motor vehicle accident is subject to a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), plus any other penalty assessments authorized by law.

10.34.050 Severability.

If any provision of this chapter, or the application of any provision of this chapter, is invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter are severable.

Section 2. The various County officers and employees are authorized and directed to perform all acts necessary or desirable to give effect to this ordinance.

Section 3. This ordinance is effective 30 days after the date of adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors, Pima County, Arizona, this 17th day of May , 2016. ~

 

Rich Corbett Biked to Work For 36 Years

Rich Corbett, a veritable fixture on the Tuscon and Pima County cycling scene for decades has succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. As an LCI, a League of American Bicyclists Certified cycling Instructor, Rich taught hundreds of cycling safety classes to cyclists; as well as being an LCI “coach” — certified to train new LCIs.

He was a transportation planner for ADOT and PAG. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, was a scout master, and served as Trail Steward on the AZ Trail. He rode 200,000+ miles and devoted his knowledge and energy to bicycling: Grand Canyon to Mexico bike tour, El Tour, Team in Training, BAC, and more. He is survived by wife, Connie; sons, Brian and Jason; brother, Bob and sister, Debbie. In lieu of flowers, donations to of America or Catalina Council of Boy Scouts would be appreciated. All are welcome at the Desert Museum on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate a life well lived. Arrangements by HUDGEL’S SWAN FUNERAL HOME.

 

Here’s an auto-biographical article Rich wrote in the late-2000’s… At the time he had only ridden 180,000 miles 🙂

Rich Corbett Biked to Work For 36 Years

By Richard Corbett, 36 Year Everyday Bike Commuter

richCorbettIt was a long time ago that I started bike commuting (January 1971). So, you ask, why
did I start?
Well, I had gone through ROTC at the University of Arizona, and was commissioned upon graduation in June 1968, as a US Army Transportation Officer. The Army granted me a waiver to continue on to graduate school, as I was pursuing a graduate degree with a ‘major’ in transportation engineering. The Army liked having their officers educated in the fields they would be working in.
My graduate degree took three full years to complete, and in the middle of the third year, I received my orders for active duty (that Fall).
I was working part time as a planner in the City Planning Division, and one of my coworkers rode a bike back and forth to work. I knew that when I went on active duty, I would need to be in good condition, so I thought, ‘bicycle riding will help me get in shape’.
My eight year old nephew had just won a bicycle in a drawing, but he already had one, so I ‘bought’ the rights to the one he had won, and picked out an adult size bike from the dealership. I added wire baskets on the rear, and began to ride the three miles back and
forth to work in January 1971.
I quickly found out it was fun! I also was able to save the parking fee I paid ($4/month), as well as saving gas. Later, my auto insurance company found out I was not driving to work, and reduced mi auto insurance. I was saving money three different ways!
The first thing I did upon returning from active duty was to buy a better bicycle, and begin to ride farther (more exercise). As time passed, I took to riding ‘loops’ to add more and more miles. I then realized why ’bikers’ wore those funny shorts, when my trousers
began to wear thin at the friction points!
The years seemed to fly by as the miles added up and in early 1979 I joined the local bike club – Los Turistas. My love and enjoyment of cycling grew and grew.
I rode my first century in September 1979, and that was the beginning of at least one (and often more) century rides per year. I have now ridden 90 centuries, and have ridden over 183,000 miles on my bicycles.
I later found out that more than half of Tucson area residents live within 5 miles of their workplace. That is an easy distance to bicycle, especially when you ride early in the morning, and then riding home at the end of the day – what does it matter if you get sweaty?
The benefits of bicycle commuting include:

  • Saves you money on auto related expenses: gas expenditures, auto insurance, parking fees. The average annual price of running and maintaining a car is $8,410 a bike averages $200.
  • You reduce traffic, congestion, time spent commuting, and don’t have to hunt (or possibly pay) for parking
  • Helps keep (or get) you physically fit doing something you have to do anyway – travel to work. Sadly, over 60% of Americans are overweight, or obese (an
    increase of 40% in the last 10 years!)
  • Easy way to get the recommended 30 minutes a day of exercise -seven out of ten do not get this recommended exercise
  • Helps reduce air pollution

Bike commuting? It is a really special way to get and stay fit, while saving money and helping the environment at the same time !

tucsonaz.gov/files/bicycle/richCorbett.pdf

Arizona Bicycling Summit to Unify Advocates

“The 2016 Arizona Bicycling Summit promises to be the premier bike advocacy event of the year, uniting the voices of bicyclists across Arizona…” — Mar-Apr2016 issue of TailWinds Magazine; read the article online.

For more information, or to register for the Summit visit www.cazbike.org/summit

.pdf version: marApr2016tailwinds

 

World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims

November 15, 2015 is World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims. Right here in Arizona in just the last year , 884 persons were killed in Arizona traffic crashes. This includes 589 motorists, 157 pedestrians, and 28 bicyclists. Many thousands more were injured.

This year the theme is “Crash Not Accident” – an initiative focused on changing the way we think and talk about crashes. Most crashes are not “accidents”, rather they should  be viewed as preventable incidents. Yet, the “A” word which connotes some level of innocence, is the ubiquitous term used in describing these incidents by media, some highway safety officials & others. Negligent, and even criminal, drivers hide behind the word, as if “lack of intent” absolves them of their actions and the hurt that they’ve caused. #CrashNotAccident

Bicycle Law Enforcement

Police play an essential role in supporting bicycle transportation by enforcing the traffic laws that allow all road users to reach their destinations safely. As bicycle travel has grown in popularity, the public has asked law enforcement to become more involved in bicycling issues. This can present challenges for police, because misconceptions about safe bicycling practices and state law are widespread among the public. The Bicyclist Safety and Law Enforcement in-service training program was developed by the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists in cooperation with the Glendale, AZ police department to provide the most accurate and relevant information available to Arizona police officers. The program covers relevant traffic laws, common crash types and frequency, best bicycling practices, and effective enforcement techniques so that law enforcement officers can be confident when discussing bicycling issues with the public, and can effectively prioritize related enforcement and outreach activities to promote public safety.

Thanks to BikeWalk NC who developed the original material

This brief e-learning training video that will be used internally for all Glendale Police officers. Most of the material refers to state-wide laws and statistics; and is not specific to Glendale. The material was adapted for use in Arizona by the Coalition from Education Resources for Police created by BikeWalk NC.

Special thanks for Glendale Police personnel for their help in developing and reviewing the presentation: Chief Deborah Black, Detective Dan Mooney, Detective Ted Yoder, Officer Andy Lynes, and narrator Bicycle Officer Brian Ong.

The presentation is available in the following forms

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The Fruits of Police Training

News Item February 4, 2017

This is why training law enforcement is so important; beyond sworn officers, dispatchers should be informed as to the laws so as not to waste police resources on such non-issues. Do motorists call police when they are impeded by a slow-moving truck or bus? If they do, are police then dispatched? No, of course not, they would change lanes and pass; problem solved without any police intervention. News Item:

February 4 (2017): Traffic Hazard – 8:33 a.m. — Pacific Coast Highway and Seal Beach Blvd — the caller said approximately 30 bicyclists were taking up the entire no. 2 lane. According to police unit S21, none of the bicyclists were violating any laws. No further law enforcement services were required.

Police undoubtedly found bicyclists were indeed using the entire right-hand lane, and it was narrow; correctly determining this is not a violation, and is in fact the recommended and most safe lane position.

 

CAzBike Membership ANNUAL Meeting: Sat Oct 31, 2015

  • Where: Radisson Hotel Chandler-Phoenix 7475 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226 Located just east of I-10 on south side of Chandler Blvd.
  • When: Sat Oct 31, 2015, room available 12 noon – 4pm. Meeting begins at 12:30p

At this point it looks like food will not be served.

The meeting is open to the public — please drop us a line if you plan to attend cazbike@cazbike.org of check-in on facebook.

Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists
2015 Annual Meeting
Agenda (12:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

Introductions of attendees
Treasurer’s Report
2015 – AZ Year in Review
Board Member Nominations/Elections
2016 – Priorities and Goals Discussion
Other Agenda Items (time permitting)

…

2015 – AZ Year in Review

Law Enforcement Training Module completed (joint effort with Glendale PD – Review/Discuss)

ADOT – Safety initiatives, policy shift? (Chandler Blvd bike lanes over freeway approved), BFS ranking (19th, down from 15th in 2014)

LAB – BFC, BFU additions (Phoenix, ASU)
Regional/Local Progress

Yuma – Bicycling events, bicycle safety, sidewalk riding, active Yuma Regional Bicycle Coalition, Bicycle Facility Master Plan, Rails-to-Trails project/infrastructure, etc.
Tucson/East Pima Region – Loop (55+ miles) expansion, bond issue TBD including Veldrome funding, Vulnerable User law push, etc.
Metro-Phoenix – Updated MAG bikeways map published/distributed, MAG canal path wayfinding/signage project approved, Mesa MTB park opens, Phoenix Proposition 104 passes (includes funding for multi-modal including >1,000 miles of bike lanes), Phoenix receives $10.3 M grant for canal path improvements, Tempe and MAG bike counts,
Sedona – New MTB park approved and under construction.
Flagstaff – 72 bike racks installed at 27 FUSD schools, Flagstaff Bicycle Safety Initiative.
Other?

2016 – Priorities and Goals Discussion

CAzB role discussion (advocate network/support vs general membership growth…or both, state and regional issues vs local involvement, focus on municipalities vs legislature…or both, etc.)
Opportunity/Push for Law Enforcement training elsewhere in AZ
State Bicycling Summit (4/1/16)
Tucson velodrome assistance (matching funds)
Pecos Freeway bicycle path/route/access
Fund-raising ideas discussion (including license plate)
Regional/local goals/objectives discussion

Tempe adds penalties for dangerous cell-phone using drivers

Tempe city council voted earlier this week to institute penalties on drivers who are driving erratically, or cause collisions due to handheld cell phone use. Notably, the penalty for “aggravated” use — in the case where a serious injury or death occurs — is criminal. The ordinance is reproduced below. News item Tempe OKs toughest texting and driving law in Arizona. Continue reading Tempe adds penalties for dangerous cell-phone using drivers

Coalition advertisements — watch for them!

Coalition ads will be appearing in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue of Tail Winds magazine, and BikeLife Cities magazine (Tempe / Mesa / and Tucson Fall 2015 editions). Watch for it!

 

The original files are available on our collateral google drive folder:

 

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