Cheri Felix

I have a special spot where some of my mom’s ashes are. It just happens to be at the top of a steep hill or at the beginning of a sweet downhill. It all depends on how you look at it. Either way, I put them out there because I knew that for the rest of my upright life I would visit that spot time and time again. When my mom died I used my body to release the grief. I hiked, I did yoga and I rode my bike. A lot. One of my favorite sad days was with M. We rode and I talked and we cried. I shared every last detail of my mother’s last breath. It was very healing.

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Twice a year a handful of us make the pilgrimage to Fruita to ride our bikes and taste a bit of freedom. The trip has changed some over the years from way back in the beginning when it was just three of us to the five people we usually have now. The first trip saw us high tailing it back in less than 24 hours because my husband didn’t feel well. He was going to take a nap while the kids watched a video. He said to stay put and enjoy myself. The next call I received was a neighbor saying that my husband was being prepped for surgery. He had appendicitis. Back to Boulder we went. So much for his nap.

Last week we heard from Megan Hottman, the Cyclist Lawyer, about her impressions of the Jefferson County Roadway Safety Meeting. This week, her teammate on the Cyclist Lawyer Cycling Team, and Bicycle Colorado Bike Educator, Katie Macarelli chimes in with her funny yet extremely insightful thoughts on the meeting via an open letter to 303Cycling.

Please join Katie and Megan in making Jeffco safer for cyclists by attending the next Bike Jeffco public meeting at the Golden Capitol (the Taj) on Tues. Oct. 9th.

First of all, this was the first time in my life that I drove up Lookout mtn. I still feel dirty about it. I felt particularly guilty as I passed 4 cyclists battling it out through sheets of rain in my warm car on the way up. I'm still trying to recover.

I arrived to a surprisingly small room. Probably only about 30-40 chairs set up. I swiftly positioned myself next to the people I assumed were cyclists. Rather easy to make that distinction. But all in all it was rather peaceful. No torches or pitchforks. By 8:30, I felt it best to unwrap the bike chain I had wrapped about my knuckles in preparation for an all out battle. (sigh).

The County Commissioner went through a bunch of data, blah, blah, blah, used the word "interface" all too much and confessed (but almost proudly) that he grew up in a 1 car family but now is a 4 car family plus a motorcycle and an RV. Okay, perhaps I'm making the RV part up, but you get the picture. I think I threw up in my mouth at that point.

Then Lt. Jim Lucas spoke. Did a great job. Answered some basics about laws (people really have a hard time with that 3 feet to pass law). And then Will something or another spoke about the plan. It was all happy feely until someone asked, "So about how long is that proposed plan going to take to implement. It's fabulous. But is it like 4 years or...40 years?"

[silence]

I leaned forward as the city planner was making uncomfortable faces and whispered to the man who asked it, "Let's put it this way. You'll be DEAD."

"Um...more like 40."

[cries of outrage, squeals of pain, and sighs of sadness]

Megan Hottman of www.TheCyclist-Lawyer.com

Authored by: Megan Hottman, lawyer with Hottman Law Office

Last night I attended the second of three meetings hosted by Commissioner Rosier and Amy Pamperien, with presentations by Lt. James Lucas, Jeffco Sheriff, and representative of Jeffco Transportation and Engineering Division, concerning Jeffco cyclists and homeowners and motorists. These meetings were initiated as informational meetings to share Jeffco's proposed bike/road plans, as well as for the Sheriff's office to review the laws regarding cyclists and also to receive comments from both sides on the issues that are causing the tension between cyclists and motorists and homeowners.

Commissioner Rosier began by going through the attached powerpoint presentation (I apologize they are out of order in this file but you get the gist) - see attached.

Then Lt. Lucas took over in discussing the primary statute applicable to cyclists. He also fielded questions regarding the 3-feet passing rule.