Heed the Speed
PARK CITY, Utah, Aug. 1, 2006 — -- Floyd Landis would have a tough time in this mining town turned ski mecca. His abnormally high testosterone levels, whether synthetic or natural, would have to be curbed in this mountain town. In many areas, the speed limit is 20 mph. And should Landis ever venture deeper into the Rocky Mountains, he'd find the speed limit is even lower.
Beginning today, Denver police began enforcing a 15 mph speed limit for bicyclists in the mile-high city's Washington Park. The park, which surrounds a small man-made lake not far from downtown, is popular with joggers, dog walkers and bicyclists. And that's created a problem.
Congestion and collisions were getting out of hand. On the asphalt trail that surrounds the lake and on another trail that runs along the city's picturesque Cherry Creek, bicyclists race at breakneck speeds, frequently scaring other trail users or, in some cases, knocking them over.
"They wear their little spandex outfits and think they're racing in the Tour de France," says real estate agent Dawn Raymond. "They're kind of a joke, but they are dangerous," she adds.
Police have painted a yellow line down the middle of the Washington Park path. Bikers are supposed to use the outside lane and travel counterclockwise; everyone else is directed to the inner lane and is supposed to travel clockwise, Get it? They're opposing traffic, so each can see the other coming.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson laughs at suggestions that the department may have to use a radar gun to track the speed. The police are not sure whether they will issue speeding tickets.
The other difficulty is how to determine whether you're riding (or racing) over 15 mph. Will bicycles soon come equipped with speedometers and limiters?
Gardy Jackson, a physical fitness trainer in Park City, says the solution is simple. "Ride uphill," he says. "It's a great way to relieve stress and stay in shape." And he says no one "races" uphill, at least not at the mountain high altitudes of northern Utah and Colorado.
But in the flats of Denver, where the paths are smooth and invite high-speed cycling, the new 15 mph law is a welcome regulation.
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