Good News! The City of Rancho Santa Margarita has decided to reduce vehicle speed limits on many roads in the city. This will help reduce dangerous situations many cyclists face in our city, and overall help promote both pedestrian and cyclist safety. There's much more that can be done, but this is a good start, and showcases how our city representatives are listening to our input!
"The goal of reducing motorist travel speeds is to increase reaction time for both drivers and
pedestrians to avoid crashes, as the faster the speed, the higher the risk of a severe crash that
could lead to serious injuries or deaths."
Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services will be hosting an E-Bike and Bicycle Safety Course for all students in RSM who are between the ages of twelve and seventeen on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, 22062 Antonio Parkway. The School Resource Officer will speak about E-Bike Safety, as well as rules and regulations. in addition, a Motor Deputy and Crime Prevention Specialist will be available for any questions individuals might have. Once the safety presentation is over, kids will be able to take a test to earn a certificate showing that they completed the safety course. In a partnership with Mission Hospital, free helmets will be provided to kids who attend the course. Parents are welcome to join, and water and snacks will be provided.
Global Cycling Network (GCN) conducted an interview with Peter Norton, an associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia, discussing the causes of road rage between drivers and cyclists:
Aggression is a result of design. Our roads have been designed first and foremost for cars, thus whenever there's a disruption in the smooth flow of traffic for motor vehicles, it is viewed as a nuisance!
“A lot of aggressive driving isn't merely the result of a driver who is impatient or entitled, it's also the reflection of an environment that is saying not, not in words, but in design that this space is for you, the driver, this space is designed for you to meet your needs and to make it possible for you to drive. And not just drive, but drive fast without having to pay a lot of attention.”
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Car ownership and usage became a culture in the United States. Through lobbying and pop culture, cars taking precedence on the roads became a key aspect of the American psyche.
“Generations have now grown up learning that the street is for automobiles to the point that you'll find pedestrians, often where they have the right of way, refusing to exercise the right of way merely because they've been so successfully trained that the street is always for the motorist,” Norton says.
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Our current culture, shaped by past decisions in road design and marketing has placed cars ahead of pedestrians, leading to the friction witnessed on our roads. It's prompted drivers the belief that they deserve to move unimpeded, as fast as deemed safe by the driver, with little respect for their surrounding environment.
“I think you're seeing the hostility that you always see whenever human beings have to compete for the same essential resource. So if food is scarce, people fight over food. If fresh drinking water is scarce, people will fight over fresh drinking water. Well, if safe, usable street capacity is scarce, people will fight over that too."
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
"Drivers should not expect unrivaled access to the roads, and cannot feel justified when they feel anger and aggression. Piece by piece, we can dismantle the notion that roads are places for cars, and welcome in a transport revolution of the kind Peter Norton dreams of."
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Through ongoing conversations with the Rancho Santa Margarita City Clerk, we've acquired planning documents that include improvements to road markings seeking to communicate shared road use by cyclists. These plans are attached below:
These specifications are provided in CalTrans documentation that can be viewed here: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/2018-ccs-standard-plans-and-standard-specifications
While these measures are a step forward pursuing bicycle road-use communication to drivers, it should be noted that they've only been included adjacent to the school, between Las Mesitas and Avenida de las Banderas. We at RSM Bike Safety believe that there is justification for the further addition of these road markings throughout the City.
Furthermore, in this planning documentation striping notes #7 indicates the inclusion of a solid white bike lane, however as can be seen in the above image, this bike lane is being used for the parking of private vehicles. We'd like to discuss further with the City the reasoning behind why cars are not being towed for parking here.
To provide some context of this cycling network deficiency, it is important to understand the Orange County Transport Authority (OCTA) has designated this section of road as part of District 5's Corridor H (Antonio/La Pata/Pico) Bikeways Network, and identified this section for bikeway improvement. This corridor runs diagonally from near the north boundary of District 5, to the Pacific Coast Highway (18 miles long), providing connections to state and local parks, Trabuco Mesa Elementary School, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate School, Tijeras Creek Elementary School, Las Flores Middle School, Rancho Mission Viejo Horse Park, San Juan Hills High School, Vista Hermosa Sports Park, San Clemente High School, and the San Clemente Metrolink Station. In total, this corridor provides cyclists with access to 12 schools, and 15 parks within a 1/4 mile, serving approximately 41 thousand residents per 2015 estimates.
The section highlighted in this issue of Deficiency Publicity exists on Antonio, between Santa Margarita Parkway and Avenida de las Flores (Highlighted in Red), where there exists a Class III designation without signs indicating cyclist use. This stretch of road is adjacent to Trabuco Mesa Elementary School, Trabuco Mesa Park, and the Mercado Del Lago Shopping Center and has a designated road speed limit of 45 miles per hour when school is not in session and children are not present.
The preceding block of Antonio Parkway between Coto De Caza Drive and Santa Margarita Parkway has a posted speed limit of 50 miles per hour, and includes a Class II dedicated bike lane. There are no signs indicating cyclist road use in the transition between this dedicated bike lane, to the section of road lacking in bike lanes. In fact, the dedicated bike lane terminates for the purposes of on street parking, which introduces another road hazard to cyclists, in addition to unsafe nature of sharing a road with vehicles allowed to travel at 45 miles per hour.
As a representative of RSM Bike Safety, I've notified the city of this identified deficiency in the cycling network and have made attempts to get the gears turning towards progress. After the release of the 11th edition of the MUTCD, I suggested road sign additions to the city's acting city engineer that would indicate shared road usage with cyclists. These suggestions were declined:
"The traffic engineer and myself do not believe adding these additional signs will lead to increased bicyclist safety, and instead could lead to sign clutter, confusion, and increased maintenance costs without a significant return in benefit to the community including bicyclist."
Rancho Santa Margarita Acting City Engineer
While RSM Bike Safety disagrees with the reasons provided in declining the addition of shared use road signs, we wholeheartedly admit that we have a preference for dedicated bike lanes. Initially, under the guidance of city representatives, we thought the path of least resistance for public adoption would be the incorporation of street signs, it has now become apparent that a more impactful change incorporating dedicated bike lanes will be the path forward. We'd like to advocate for the assessment of incorporating dedicated bike lanes to this segment of road, as it will provide a much safer option for cyclists traveling this route on the bikeways network.
This segment of road currently allows for on-street parking on both the northbound and southbound sides of the road that is utilized for residential, park, and elementary school parking. In addition, there is a designated student drop-off zone that is utilized by Trabuco Mesa Elementary School, which will need to be addressed. Furthermore, the costs of incorporating dedicated bike lanes will be a challenge that will also need to be addressed.
As advocates of cyclist safety, here at RSM Bike Safety we believe it is necessary to build robust infrastructure to promote community cycling. We believe with public knowledge, and perception of the deficiencies in current infrastructure, we can gain traction towards promoting positive change. We encourage the public to get involved in city public input meetings, and especially the Circulation Element update to be discussed in 2024. The next meeting schedule has not been disclosed to date, however we will notify users of this site when updates are public. Thank you, and cycle safe!
Hello and welcome to RSM Bike Safety!
This is an organization seeking to promote bicycling safety in the beautiful city of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Here we'll provide community resources and updates to help advocate for safe bicycling infrastructure.
