Jefferson Conty in Colorado has recently pushed for statewide legislation that will allow road closures to bicyclists on country roads. Bicyclists fear that if passed, the legislation would allow closures statewide.
Fortunately, Bicycle Colorado is fighting back and protecting bicyclists rights to use the road.
A group in Iowa is asking for the same thing- to close farm to market roads to bicyclists in Iowa. According to a local farmer, "We're tired of it, we think that the bicyclists should be held to the same laws that motorists are. They should have to have their license and insurance, anything that I've ever known that's been on these highways has to have insurance on it."
The farmer also thinks that since it is too tough to get around bicyclists when operating farm equipment, that the bicyclists should be required to ride on bike paths instead.
If the legislature were to create a ballot initiative as requested by the farmers, it would be interesting to see the results. Since there are a lot of farmers in Iowa, it could become a numbers game with the farmers outnumbering the bicyclists and passing the legislation. Hopefully, the farmers and bicylists can instead come to an understanding and continue to share the road.
The above comments by the farmer are similar to concerns expressed by local Madison, Wisconsin area farmers and those who live in the country. In past posts, I have listed several controversial comments made in response to a bicyclist that was killed on a country road outside Madison.
Posted by Attorney Clayton Griessmeyer-Wisconsin Bicycle Accident Lawyer
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