This week, on Thursday February 24, 2011, there will be two hearings on bicycling safety and transportation policy. Both hearings are open to the public. It is suggested that visitors and speakers dress in business attire.

After a dry spell of several years, and a near miss last year, two Oklahoma legislators, Senator Andrew Rice, Oklahoma City, and Representative Lewis Moore, Arcadia, have introduced four bills that will benefit bicyclists and tourism in Oklahoma.

Much is said and discussed about the rights of bicyclists. Oklahoma, like most states, has based its traffic laws upon Uniform Vehicle Code, which itself is based upon the very first traffic laws enacted in New York at the end of the 19th Century. Those first laws were drafted before there were motorized vehicles. The only road users were pedestrians, equestrians, animal drawn carts, and bicyclists. At that time the conflict between bicyclists and drivers was launched.