March 2015 - Bike Accident Attorneys

Arizona: Anti-Bicycle?

Arizona is home to thousands of cyclists, but may be friendly to few of them. Arizona is one of the last few states in the entire country that hasn’t passed either a distracted driving law (i.e. no texting, etc.) or a no harassment against cyclists law. Yet does this make us a non friendly or an anti-bike community?I think not, or at least not entirely…

Arizona is home to one of the largest cycling communities in the U.S. I believe that our weather permits cycling all year and apparently many other believe that as well. There are pro tour teams that come and train, pro mountain bikers and pro triathletes that all come here to Arizona to train during the winter months. Arizona is no stranger to cyclists. We also host a variety of national and local events/races right here in Arizona. So why don’t we have better cycling laws? How well does our state rank?

I am not certain of a good answer to the first question. Our legislators have some other plans in mind that I don’t currently understand, and perhaps advocacy in Arizona hasn’t been exactly unified yet. I aim to get on board and help resolve as many of the advocacy issues as possible.

In terms of our state ranking, the best tool we have available to us is the National League of American Bicyclists and their “Bicycle Friendly America Program.” Below is a compiled review of their ranking system and how Arizona stacks up, plus the additional bonus of one local city (my home town) Gilbert – who sadly, as of right now is only a “bronze” community. Much improvement is needed in Arizona:

LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS DATA/RANKING

The League’s Bicycle Friendly America program provides a roadmap, hands-on assistance and recognition for states, communities, universities and businesses. The BFA℠ program is a tool for states, communities, business and universities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people.

The BFA program is more than an assessment

It’s a study into the DNA making bicycling safe and more comfortable for all people
It’s the combined knowledge of hundreds of engineers, government officials and bicycle advocates.
It’s a toolkit of projects, policies, programs and plans designed to make biking better.
It’s a roadmap for improving conditions for bicycling and the direct assistance to make it happen.

The 5 E’s – or standards upon which the rankings are based:

Engineering: Creating safe and convenient places to ride and park
Education: Giving people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride
Encouragement: Creating a strong bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling
Enforcement: Ensuring safe roads for all users
Evaluation & Planning: Planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option

Arizona

#15 BICYCLE FRIENDLY State Rank

10 BICYCLE FRIENDLY Communities

14 BICYCLE FRIENDLY Businesses

3 BICYCLE FRIENDLY Universities

Community	State	Award	Population	Jurisdiction	Land Use
Gilbert	AZ	Bronze	196000	Town/City/Municipality	Urban	view profile \| map it
Tempe	AZ	Silver	172589	Town/City/Municipality	Urban	view profile \| map it
Mesa	AZ	Bronze	437454	Town/City/Municipality	Urban	view profile \| map it
Tucson & East Pima Region	AZ	Gold	1018011	Metropolitan Planning Organization/Council of Governments	Urban	view profile \| map it
Scottsdale	AZ	Gold	217385	Town/City/Municipality	Urban	view profile \| map it
Sedona	AZ	Bronze	10192	Town/City/Municipality	Suburban	view profile \| map it
Chandler	AZ	Bronze	241998	Town/City/Municipality	Suburban	view profile \| map it
Cottonwood	AZ	Bronze	12426	Town/City/Municipality	Rural	view profile \| map it
Flagstaff	AZ	Silver	68667	Town/City/Municipality	Urban	view report card \| map it
Phoenix	AZ	Bronze	1513357	Town/City/Municipality	Suburban	view report card \| map it

Business	State	Award	Employees	City	Industry
TriSports.com	AZ	Silver	30	Tucson	Bicycle Industry	map it

Banner Health	AZ	Bronze	35000	Mesa	Medical/Health	map it
Sanofi Aventis Tucson Research Center	AZ	Bronze	75	Oro Valley	Manufacturing/Research	map it
Ordinary Bike Shop	AZ	Bronze	9	Tucson	Bicycle Industry	map it
Van Amburg Law Firm, PLLC	AZ	Bronze	2	Tucson	Professional Services	map it
Wandertec, Inc.	AZ	Bronze	10	Flagstaff	Manufacturing/Research	map it
REI Phoenix	AZ	Bronze	85	Phoenix	Bicycle Industry	map it
Critical Path Institute	AZ	Bronze	40	Tucson	Non-Profit/Government	map it
Absolute Bikes, Inc.	AZ	Gold	25	Flagstaff	Bicycle Industry	map it
Town of Oro Valley	AZ	Silver	412	Oro Valley	Non-Profit/Government	map it
Architekton	AZ	Bronze	35	Tempe	Professional Services	map it
Spoke6	AZ	Bronze	15	Tucson	Professional Services	map it
Unisource Global Solutions	AZ	Bronze	45	Chandler	Professional Services	map it

University	State	Award	Enrollment	City
University of Arizona	AZ	Silver	38767	Tucson	view profile \| map it
Northern Arizona University	AZ	Silver	17761	Flagstaff	view profile \| map it
Arizona State University	AZ	Gold	62599	Tempe	view profile \| map it

Gilbert \| Bronze



Award: Bronze
BFC Since: 2012
Total Population: 211,951
Population density: 3,067.2
Total area: 67.96
Percentage of arterial streets with dedicated bicycle facilities:
76-99%
Modal split of commuters:
Bicycling: .5
Walking: .7
Transit: .4
Percentage of schools offering bicycling education:
Elementary Schools: More than 90%
Middle Schools: More than 90%

Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge

If you, or someone you know were injured in a bicycle accident caused by road debris, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. bicycle accident cases are the only cases bike accident attorneys, plc handles.

Ben dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire united states. as an avid and competitive cyclist himself, mr. dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. it isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. the day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney ben dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the united states every single year. approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in arizona every year. approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in arizona every year. bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. it will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. the negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. it is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. you should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. you can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. in your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
your cyclist’s rights, obligations, and any potential liability.
the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of bike accident attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922 (855.one.ez.call). Mr. dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. there is never an obligation for a complimentary consultation with Mr. dodge. his passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge today at 1.855.663.3922. reach him by fax at 480.656.8334.

Mr. dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

his main offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 e. baseline rd., suite 124
mesa, arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback rd., suite 700
phoenix, Arizona 85016

Mr. dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. ben dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and can assist in representation in all 50 states. he has helped cyclists in Nevada, New York, Texas, California, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

National Cycling Advocacy on “The Hill”

Eric Post and Ben Dodge - D.C. 2015 — Eric Post and Ben Dodge – D.C. 2015

Every year at the national League of American Bicyclists summit cyclists from all over the country gather in a united cause for advocacy. Those in attendance are the who’s who of bicycle advocacy on both a national and state level. In short, the LAB Summit is an exciting week long event of bicycle centered advocacy.

I had the opportunity to head to Capitol Hill and meet with many of Arizona’s legislators in the house and the senate. Many of the senators and representatives were busy tasked with upcoming bills; however they did allow for meetings throughout the day with their staffers or legislative correspondents. It was incredible to be on “the hill” making our case for improved bicycle safety and bicycle funding. I loved every ounce of “the hill” and eagerly await another opportunity to return and advocate for cycling.

Senator John McCain's office - D.C. 2015 — Senator John McCain’s office – D.C. 2015

My first meeting was with Senator McCain’s staff. They were gracious and polite. I appreciated their willingness to meet with a few of us from Arizona. We were well prepared with our talking points and our “asks” – for example, we asked for Senator McCain to co-sponsor an upcoming bill related to continued funding for transpiration and the reapportionment of a percentage of those to the states thereby allowing Arizona as a state to dictate which cities should have access to those funds for improved bike paths, etc.

Right to Left: Arizona Bicycle Lawyer Ben Dodge, CEO League of American Bicyclists Andy Clarke, Colorado Bicycle Lawyer Brian Weiss.

Bike Accident Lawyer Ben Dodge on “The Hill” fighting for cyclists’ rights.

The meeting went well, but I could tell that the “staffer” was mostly nodding his head out of kindness and did a lot of listening to our points, etc. but not really offering any support or insight. It seemed as though they are burdened with accepting meetings such as this all the time; and that in a way they couldn’t wait for it to just be finished so they could grab lunch before their next meeting with some other group wanting to express concerns on any given issue and ask for the Senator’s support as well. I couldn’t help but wonder how effective it really is to head to the hill and make your case. Yet on the other hand, every voice counts and there is one certainty: no voice at all is easiest to go unheard.

The other meetings with other senators went all about the same. They each sent a staffer and we made our case, left behind some materials, and asked for their support. I look forward to going again and again and again to show the persistence and importance of these issues. It is real and unequivocally helpful to reach out to your Senator or Congressman with your concerns when you have them, otherwise those concerns have zero hope for redress.

Arizona Bicycle Lawyer Ben Dodge in front of the White House – D.C. 2015

Of course, Washington D.C. is like no other city on earth. It has a majestic and noble feel to it in every building and monument you see. This city is rich with American history and culture. The monuments in particular are very inspiring. On one afternoon a few of us jammed around on bicycles and saw as many national monuments as possible. It was a blast! I rode the Bike Law cargo bike and I’ll tell you what, that thing is squirrely at first! The front wheel and steering mechanism is impressive and eventually your bike handling skills improve along with your confidence to jam through traffic like its no big deal. But taking that cargo bike up hill is a completely different story. It easily weighs in at least 3x my Focus bicycle, but I wouldn’t trade my Washington D.C. biking experiences for anything – what an awesome way to see these breathtaking national sites.