The times., 1897-07-13
RIGHTS OF THE WHEELMEN
Conference of Well-KnOWn Bicy-
clists With Commissioners.
SUGGEST REVISION OF RULES
ACCESSIBILITY of Law Preventing
Riders From Leauing Over Their
Handle diehars-They Object to
Tax on eels-Amendment of
the Speed Regulation.

An important conference, which viii
probably lead TO some radical revis ions
in the bicycle ordinances OF the District,
took place yesterday between the ComIds-
sioners ana a delegation OF well-known
riGers, representing the League of American
Wheelmen. They were Hon. j. w .Babcock,
Messrs. B. II. Warner, w. c. Larrimore,
John II Oliver ami Dir. w. W Alleger.
DR.. Aneger spoke for the delegation. He
began by asking especially that other ye-
hicles as well as bicycles be obliged by
law t. carry lamps after nighifall and also
that the law requiring vehicles to turn cor
ncrs on the right-hand side of the streets
be strictly enforced. He also laid stress
OIL the need for an ordinance forbidding
vehicles to tuIn any corners sharply.
The Commissioners on their side sUg-
gested that law be passed to prevent
bicyclists leaning over their handlebars, SC
that they could not see ahead of them.
They also suggested tax OF 81 on each
wheel. To the first of these suggestions
the bicyclists had no objections to offer
but tie tax idea met with their very
warm disapproyal. Unless the tax should
be imposed ou all vehicles alike. it would
be obnoxious as well as illegal, as class
legislation they contended.
4 number of other suggestions weremade
by the delega ton, which are all embodied
in a brief submitted by them. The brief
is as follows:
The HoE. Commissioners. District of Co
lumbia
SirS-Having been delegated by the Dis
trict division of lie League Of American
Wheelmen TO confer with your honorable
body relative to certain coveted changes in
our police regulations, we Cesile 20 submit
the following suggestions for your con-
sideration-
Il That SO much of section 5, article X,
as applies 10 the PASSING Of vehicles, be
made to read as follows:
That any vehicle passing another which
is approaching shall keep to the right; but
in passing another goingin the same direc-
tion shall pass to the left"
This is the general rule OF the road and is
deciueG safer than the rule in the existing
regulation requiring vehicles TO always
keep 20 the rightin in passing each other, re
gardless of direction. For, in passing to
the right OF vehicle going in the same
direction, one is not infTequently suddenly
crowded against the curb or other obstruc-
tiUn, or into the ditch at the side of the
roadway, being unobseTved by the driver OF
the leading vehicle, who has the right to
the risht-band side of the roadway, and
cannot be supposed to be cognizant of
the approach of anyone from the rear.
II. That tie following clause he added
to the above section, viz:
In turning To the left into an intersect-
ing street sufficient clear space shall be
left between the vehicles so turning and
the left-hand curb to permit of the safe
passage of another vehicle
The practice OF suddenly ''cutting cor
ners," so common In this city, constitutes
a serious danger TO cyclists. inasmuch as
a person on a bicycle who happens to be
passing at the moment is thus caught be
tween such vehicle and the curb, in trap,
as 1t were, and If unable TO dismount with
sufficient alacTity an accident is inevitable.
Such, indeed, has been the cause OF a NUM-
ber of serious accidents, and, together
with q want Of observance OF the other
rules of the road considered the greatest
danger 10 cyclists.
III. That a new section be added to
Article X, similar to the following sec
tiur of the ordinances Of the city of In
dianapolis, viz: No person being the
driver OF any vehicle with a draft ami
NAL attached shall Intentionally SO drive
as to crowd any person on a bicycle on
or against the curb of the street, or on
or against anv other vehicle or object
in such street, or off or over any em-
bankment at the side of the ROADWAY of
any street"
". That it be made unlawful for more
than three persons mounted upon bicycles
or similar vehicles 10 ride abreast upon
the streets or avenues of the city,
While Il greater restriction In this regar d
would he deprecated, and would greatly
mar the pleasures of cycling, it is deeme d
unnecessary as well as unsafe for more
than three cyclists to ride abreast, espe-
cially upon thuIoughfares.
V. That section 80, Article Y, be amend
ed SO that the first paragraph thereof shall
read as follows:
No bicycle shall be propelled across
any intersecting street en- which there are
car tracks III the city of Washington, a / Il
greater rate of speed than six miles an hour;
nor at greater rate OF speed between in
terSecting streets and avenues or across
streets on which there ale no car lines
than twelve miles per hour; norata greater
rate of speed on any public street or road
way outside of said city than fifteen miles
per hour.''
In fixing the present rate of speed, it
was stated that the Importance of the
bicycle as a means of rapid transit was
taken into account, and as liberal rate
allowed as was deemed compatible with
safety; but the advantage of the maxi
mum rate of twelve miles is largely nulli-
fled by the other regulation, which reuuhes
cyclists to slow down to half this rate at
every street crossing, or fisk arrest
Nor does it seem to us necessary that we
should thus slow down. except atcrossings
likely TO be congested with travel, which
places would be fully covered by the mod
ification suggested, and, takenin connection
with section 10, would afford ample pro-
lection to pedestrians.
In this connection We beg to say that
while wheelmen are arrested and fined for
merely exceeding the x-milelimit at cross
ings, though keeping within the maximum