Give Bicyclists 5 Feet - Bike Dearborn

We did it! Dearborn City Council voted on our proposed ordinance during their meeting Tuesday evening, September 26, 2017.   We got 7 out of 7 members voting yes!  Thank you!!   This is monumental for Dearborn, MI....the home of Henry Ford....Home to Ford Motor Company World Headquarters.  The city has launched a bike share program through Zagster in the spring.  We have our first real bike lanes coming to Outer Drive in the near future.  Now we have an ordinance that motor vehicles must use caution and care when passing bicyclists on the road by giving us 5ft of space!  
We have joined communities such at Portage, Kalamazoo, and Ann Arbor.   On the state level, we have several Senate bills that will be voted on....one of which essentially states the same. 
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"Bicyclists in Dearborn, whether they are riding for recreation or to commute to work or other destinations, deserve to feel safe,” Besek said. “Dearborn is quickly becoming more bike friendly. This is just another piece of the puzzle. We are optimistic that this will eventually become a state law.”

The hard work continues as we need to get the word out to the general public.  This ordinance is all about education!  Educating motorists that bicyclists do have a right to the road is key in all this.   
  Thank you to everyone that helped this along.  Thank you to our city council members that spoke just as passionate about this as we feel.   Council President Susan Dabaja, and Council Members, Mike Sareini, Brian O'Donnell, and Dave Bazzy!!  Your support means the world to us.  We look forward to having you join us on a ride soon!
​Below is a video clip from the City Council meeting as well as the exact verbiage of the new ordinance.

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ORDINANCE NO. 17 - 
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLES CHAPTER (CHAPTER 18) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF DEARBORN BY ADDING SEC. 18-322 TO ARTICLE II, DIVISION 7, ENTITLED "MINIMUM DISTANCE WHEN OVERTAKING OR PASSING A BICYCLE; PENALTY."
THE CITY OF DEARBORN ORDAINS TO:
Amend Chapter 18 of the Code of the City of Dearborn by adding Sec. 18-322 to read as follows: 
Chapter 18
TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLES
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ARTICLE II. TRAFFIC CODE
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Division 7.  Meeting; Overtaking; Passing; Right of Way; Marked Lanes
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Sec. 18-322 Minimum distance when overtaking or passing a bicycle; penalty.
(a) When overtaking or passing a person operating a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, the driver of a motor vehicle shall exercise due care and may only overtake or pass a bicyclist when there is a safe distance, which shall minimally require allowing the bicyclist at least five (5) feet separation between the right side of the driver's vehicle, including all mirrors or other projections, and the left side of the bicyclist at all times.
(b) A person who violates this rule is responsible for a civil infraction. 

Link to City of Dearborn Press Release:  ​http://cityofdearborn.org/news-and-events/city-news/1252-drivers-must-give-bicyclists-five-feet-when-passing-on-the-road-in-dearborn