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News On 6 Reports on Bicyclists & Drivers Sharing the Road

June 1, 2012 in Bicycling

TULSA – With the Tulsa Tough cycling race and ride event right around the corner, News On 6 reports on bicyclists and motorists sharing the road.

In Oklahoma, attorney Malcolm McCollam says the rules of the road are simple: The same rules that apply to a motorist, apply to a cyclist.

“You ride on the right-hand side of the street; you stop at stop signs; if you’re going make a left-hand turn, you’re going get in the left hand turn lane,” McCollam said.

Bikers should ride as close as they feel is safe to the curb, but whether on two wheels or four, sharing the road is key.

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City Officials Tour Tulsa On Foot and by Bike

May 7, 2012 in Bicycling, Featured, Walking

Tulsa's First Lady leading bike tour

Tulsa's First Lady, Victoria Bartlett, leads the pack on a bicycle tour of Tulsa with City Councilors and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee. (photo: Lassiter)


TULSA – City councilors, Tulsa’s First Lady, and the City Manager took some time during National Bike Month to get out from behind the windshield and see what it’s like to get around Tulsa by bike or on foot.

The City Council passed a Complete Streets policy earlier this year, and this was their opportunity to gain first-hand experience with active transportation on the streets of Tulsa. The event was organized by the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

The bike tour rode four miles through Cherry Street into downtown Tulsa and back, while the walking tour covered a one mile route that strolled along 12th Street and Utica. Both tours began at Tom’s Bicycles on 15th Street.

Channels 2, 6, and 8 covered the biking and walking tours. You can view their reports below. Tulsa’s Bike-to-Work Week begins Monday, May 14.


News On 6: Tulsa’s City Leaders Take Bike Tour For New Perspective

KJRH: City Councilors Take Midtown Tulsa Bike Tour

KTUL: City Councilors Bike, Walk Around Tulsa

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Suspected Drunk Driver Crashes, Back On Road One Hour After Arrest

November 14, 2011 in Dangerous Driving

TULSA – The News On 6 reports a suspected drunk driver was arrested after crashing into another vehicle and was back behind the wheel only one hour later.

The accident allegedly happened at 31st and New Haven late on October 29. The accused driver, 53-year-old Frances Denise Elliott of Tulsa, was so drunk she could barely stand up when given a field sobriety test, according to the victim.

Apparently, Tulsa Police’s breathalyzer machine at the jail was broken, so the police officer only issued a ticket for the collision and drove Elliott home. When the crash victim returned to get pictures of Elliott’s car for insurance purposes, Elliott got back in the car, jumped a curb and drove away.

Elliott has been charged with drunk driving before. Court records show Elliott was charged with driving her Plymouth Lazer under the influence of alcohol at 63rd and Peoria in January 1993. Elliott pled guilty to impaired driving and was sentenced to 40 hours in the Tulsa County Municipal Work Program, DUI School and a fine of $400.

Tulsa Police officers are sworn to protect the citizens of Tulsa from drivers like Elliott. It is not clear why the officer did not take the suspect to a nearby hospital for a blood or urine test to determine Elliott’s sobriety, or lack thereof.

Tulsa streets would be much safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists if drivers like Elliott weren’t on the loose. Sadly, in this case, it appears the Tulsa Police Department did not enforce drunk driving laws with the same passion they reserve for park curfews.

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Opportunity Missed For Reverse Angled Parking on Cherry Street

November 6, 2011 in Bicycling, Walking

Cherry Street Angled Parking

Forward angled parking was added to Cherry Street in October 2011. Reverse angled parking would have provided safety advantages for both bicyclists and motorists. (photo: Lassiter)

TULSA – The City of Tulsa restriped Cherry Street last month and added forward-in angled parking to the north side while maintaining parallel parking on the south side, missing an opportunity to add reverse angled parking, which is considered safer for both bicyclists and motorists.

Reverse angled parking forces drivers to back in to a space in the same manner one would parallel park, except the car is parked at an angle with the rear facing the curb and the front facing the roadway.  Reverse angled parking makes the roadway safer by allowing the driver leaving a parking space to see oncoming traffic. Backing in to angled parking also has the effect of unloading passengers toward the sidewalk instead of toward the roadway, which means there is less likelihood a child will come into contact with traffic on the roadway when exiting a vehicle parked in a reverse angled space.

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