The members of the city of Coeur d’Alene Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee would like to affirm some of the comments made by Ken Benson in a letter to the editor on April 3 (“Cyclist: Driver disobeyed law”).

Mr. Benson was riding a recumbent trike and experienced a scare when a driver failed to give appropriate clearance as he passed, and coupled this with rude honking. We want to remind all drivers that according to Idaho State Statute No. 49-714, “Every person operating a vehicle propelled by human power or riding a bicycle shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under the provisions of chapter 6 and 8…”

Although a cyclist traveling less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand side curb or edge of the roadway, when there are conditions that may be hazardous or if the width of the roadway is not sufficient for the cyclist to do that, the cyclist is within his/her rights to travel within the roadway (No. 49-717). We are all aware that the sides of the roads in North Idaho in the spring are often clogged with sand and gravel from the winter, so moving toward the center of the lane may often be necessary for the safety of the cyclist.

The purpose of our committee is to promote non-automotive forms of travel and to develop safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities in a well-designed, integrated transportation network for all Coeur d’Alene citizens. Toward that aim, we are proud of the progress that has been made in our city to offer more and more bike and pedestrian trails that go a long way to reduce conflict between cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. However, because not all citizens choose or can afford the luxury of driving a car for their means of transportation, the city of Coeur d’Alene has adopted the “Complete Street’s” policy which encourages city transportation planners and engineers (with the assistance of the Ped/Bike Committee) to consistently design and operate the entire roadway with all users in mind — including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

With everyone using the roadways, there will be conflicts. Both drivers AND cyclists need to know and respect the rules of the road in Idaho. We welcome interested citizens to visit our blog, http://cdapedbike.blogspot.com/, or attend one of our monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, 5:30 p.m., at the City Hall, Old Council Chambers.

The city of Coeur d’Alene Ped/Bike Advisory Committee:

Brian Hadley, Chair; Warren Fisher, Vice Chair; Larry Strobel; Tom McTevia; Gary Mamola; John Bruning; Bev Moss; Steve Adams; Angela Earnhart; Jenni Gaertner; Kirsten Pomerantz; Ryan Hayes; Colton Curtis, Student Rep; Devan Karsann, Alt. Student Rep