Woodbury County to install first 'Share The Road Signs"
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Tue July 17 2007
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Posted Jul 17, 2007
- 4,218
On July 17th, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved the county's first installation of 'Share The Road' signs from the city limits of Sioux City south to Bronson on old highway 141. This road is popular with area bicyclists and is the gateway to numerous county blacktops and small towns thru the Loess Hills in Woodbury County.
The scenic road is hilly and contains numerous curves and much of the road has no shoulder. Siouxland Trails Foundation and Siouxland Cyclists joined together in lobbying County Board members, some of whom did not previously understand the rights and practices of cyclists to ride on all roadways.
The lobbying/education centered on (1) the rights of cyclists to be on the road, (2)the fact that cyclists already heavily use this route and these signs promote safety, (3) the fact that cyclists spend money in the small communities they pass thru, and (4)the fact that Share the Road signs promote a progressive image of an area.
One Supervisor voted against the installation of the signs because he felt they would promote cycling and give cyclists a false sense of security. A dozen Trails Foundation and Siouxland Cyclist members attended two meetings and reinforced the fact that Cyclists using county roads know that they lose if hit by a car and that they ride alert and defensively. At the same time those speaking to the Supervisors emphasized that the Cyclists are already there and that they have a right to use the road and want the signs to educate motorists to the fact that bikes are allowed on the road and to be alert for them.
Promoters of the signs hope to work with the County to expand use of Share the Road signs along other popular county roads each year.
Siouxland Trails Foundation