Grimes Bike Ban - Send your input

Tue August 28 2012
Posted Aug 28, 2012
12,018

ACTION ALERT

The City of Grimes is holding their city council meeting this evening to hold the second reading of the uniform bicycle ordinance on Tuesday, August 28th, at 5:30 PM.

Previous News

We need cyclists to show up. If you cannot show up, PLEASE take a minute to send the Mayor and/or members of the City Council a quick email.

The City of Grimes has spent over $2 million dollars toward their trails system and are working to connect their community to the rest of the Central Iowa Trails system. They have been very proactive and a proponent of a bicycle friendly community.

The city feels it is unsafe to ride parts of James Street (the main road through Grimes). There is a bicycle trail running parrall to James street and this ordinance will ban cyclists from riding the road where there is a parrallel trail.

This contradicts Iowa Code 321.324 where cyclists are given the same rights of the road as other vehicles.

This is not the first city who has wanted to enact this type of ordinance like this. It takes feedback from cyclists like YOU to show that WE, as cyclists, are taxpayers and we have the right to ride the road.

Here is a link the Mayor and City Council Members of Grimes.
http://www.grimesiowa.gov/OurCommunity/MayorCityCouncil.aspx

Proposed Ordinance

See Regulation 76.05 titled "Bicycle Paths" from the City of Grime's website: Proposed Ordinance

76.05 BICYCLE PATHS. Whenever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.

Uniform Central Iowa Bicycle Ordinance

See attached for the Central Iowa Bicycle Ordinance that was released in March 2012. This ordinance has been adopted by the City of Des Moines as well as several other cities and approved by bicycle advocates.

BIKEIOWA's Position

The City of Grimes has done a tremendous job with their trails expansion. Kudos to them! But let's not take a step backwards.

BIKEIOWA would like to the City of Grimes to adopt the Uniform Central Iowa Bicycle Ordinance as it was written. The ordinance will be consistant across the different cities and conforms with Iowa Code 321.324.

If there are problem spots within the city, they can be addressed with education for both motorists and cyclists to ensure a safe environment and maybe some Share the Road signage without enacting an ordinance banning all cyclists from using the road, let alone the police manpower to enforce.

Let's not take away bicyclist's right to ride the roads.

Ride Safe out there!