City Council: Cell Phone Ban Should Extend to Cyclists

By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 14, 2011 3:50PM



Bill Guerriero

Here's a City Council proposition we can get behind. 39th Ward Ald. Marge Laurino, chair of the City Council's Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, proposed that the city's ban on talking on cell phones and texting while driving should extend to bicyclists.

Without sounding excited about this - HELL YEAH!!

Laurino called it a "common sense ordinance:

“I’ve witnessed bicyclists texting while they’re in traffic. I’ve seen them talking on the phone. I’ve seen the same thing with motorists and pedestrians. It might be difficult to enforce the hands-free device for bicyclists. But, this is a discussion we need to have with the community.”

We've also witnessed this, and bicyclists riding streets with earbuds in their ears. This ignorance and stupidity has astounded us for years. You're riding your bicycle on busy city streets, sharing the road with larger vehicles and many of the drivers think bicyclists are nuisances. You want to have command of all of your senses while cycling. How does talking on a cell phone or listening to music while biking the "Hipster Highway" of Milwaukee Avenue accomplish that?

Active Transportation Alliance executive Director Ron Burke supports the ordinance. “We’ve all seen people doing this. It’s a bad idea. It’s not safe. It’s not respectful of other people biking, walking and driving. We support where she’s going with this,” Burke said.

Burke does have issues with extending a ban that is rarely enforced by police and wonders if the ennui from the Police Department will prevent a crackdown.