by: Gary Robinson
If you are cyclist here in Colorado, there are a lot of things you see that make you shake your head, and wonder what goes on in people’s heads. It is not just here, it is everywhere. Recently Ontario Premier Doug Ford deciding he wants to rip out existing bike lanes because he believes making people drive will ease congestion, is one recent example. San Francisco moving to create a bike lane that runs down the middle of an extremely busy arterial road with very little protection. What could possibly go wrong there?
But, a new anti-cycling bill in Montana has got to rank near the top of the list of most boneheaded and dangerous ideas we have seen.
While in Colorado, we are fighting to keep cyclist safe on the streets, Montana seems to want to do the opposite, so far as to have cyclist and motorists “play chicken” on the roadways.
On Tuesday 7 January 2025 three American legislators in the State of Montana introduced a bill to change existing laws and force cyclists on public roads to ride
on the wrong side of the road, opposite the flow of traffic, and directly towards oncoming vehicles.
House Bill 124, put forward by Rep Eric Albus (Rep), (center) and co-sponsored by Eric Tillman (L) and Brandon Ler (R), reads as follows:
“This bill revises existing bicycle laws in Montana by establishing new regulations regarding how bicycles must be ridden on roadways. Specifically, it mandates that individuals operating a bicycle without a flag vehicle escort must ride opposite the flow of traffic, while those with a flag vehicle escort are required to ride with the flow of traffic. This change aims to enhance safety for both cyclists and motorists.”
You just can’t make this stuff up!
If passed by the Montana House and Senate, the bill would be the first of its kind in the United States, setting aside over 140 years of state and federal government precedents, as well common sense, that requires cyclists follow the same rules as all vehicles and never travel against traffic.
The bill does not refer to a contra flow bike lane separated by a curb. This is a bill that would essentially force anyone riding a bicycle to do so not with the flow of traffic. Because, yes, bicycles are vehicles. But, directly against oncoming traffic.
Bike Walk Montana successful organized opposition to the bill, which was pulled last week. The group outlined numerous, well, obvious problems listed below from the group’s post on social media:
The bill was introduced on Dec. 14, 2024 and was pulled Jan. 9. Let’s hope it never returns.
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