Staying Safe and Sharing the Roadways

There is no doubt in my mind that Marco is bursting at the seams everywhere you go, and I am happy for those families that own businesses here on the island. Unlike other places around the nation, many Marco Island businesses did quite well during the downturn over the last two years caused by the pandemic.

It will take decades to be able to sift through all the differing viewpoints regarding what worked and what didn’t. If I, myself, erred during this time of information overload it was on the side of caution. Yes, I took the vaccine, wore my mask where it was required and tried to do my best without scowling at my fellow neighbors for doing what they felt was right.

I can’t even begin to filter through all the details surrounding the trucker dispute in Canada. I will tell you that I don’t believe history will treat the Canadian Prime Minister well, when historians reflect on the heavy-handed assault on the liberties enjoyed by our northern neighbors.

But I’ll try not to get too off the track in this column, for I am concerned about some of the items I want to touch on this week.

I do think we’ve made great progress with our local police officers through the programs that Chief Tracy Frazzano and her command staff have sought to put in place. However, one of the areas I hope she will address is the tremendous upswing in the island’s bicycling culture. I’m not talking about Johnny or Susie who are elementary school students, but with the adults taking to the roadways and the shared use pathways around the island.

Now unless you’ve had your eyes closed during the last 12 to 18 months, you must have noticed the upswing in cyclists around the island and how some disregard the Florida laws relative to bikes on roadways. You don’t have to be a genius to understand that someone is going to get hurt out there, folks. Those Lance Armstrong stretchy outfits will not provide you any protection when you turn in front of an Amazon delivery truck or T-bone an automobile because you blew through an intersection.

The other day, while driving north on Collier Boulevard, two bicyclists were riding side by side proceeding southbound in the northbound land. That is illegal and a recipe for disaster.

Any bicyclist riding on the roadway must obey all the motor vehicle laws, as provided for in the Florida Statutes. That means stopping at red lights and stop signs and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.

Bicycles are permitted on sidewalks, but they must yield to pedestrians. A bicyclist must yield the right of way and give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian on a sidewalk.

Motorized bikes are not allowed on the sidewalks. When you see them zip along our walkways at around 25 mph it doesn’t take a Harvard Law degree to identify the recipe for disaster. You might be surprised to know that Florida law regarding DUIs also applies to bicyclists. 

When riding after dark, bicyclists who fail to display the legally required equipment are especially vulnerable to being struck by motor vehicles. At night, a bicycle must be equipped with a front white light visible from 500 feet away and a rear reflector and lamp visible from 600 feet away, as a minimum.

You should also remember that you may not wear a headset or earplugs while riding unless it is a hearing aid or instruments for improvement of hearing. You may wear a headset that only provides sound through one ear and permits surrounding sounds to be heard through another device.

Nobody wants to ruin a great day of fun out on your bike, but Chief Frazzano and her officers want to ensure that you return home in one piece and do not become a hood ornament.

Motorists must also obey the rules of the road when sharing the island’s many roadways. Leave three feet between yourself and bicyclists; It is the law in Florida and will be enforced.

Let’s try to stay safe out there, folks. Respect each other while we share the roadways and walkways around Marco Island.