Bicyclists have friend on the Hill

Among the legions who have pedaled into the Lance Armstrong peloton the last half-decade, buying up lightweight carbon frames and Dura-Ace derailleurs and U.S. Postal Service jerseys and drafting the road bike revival for all they're worth . . .

. . . Roz McGee is not one of them.

Roz is a legislator, not a gearhead. She represents District 28 on the east side of Salt Lake City in the Utah House of Representatives. The last time she was on a bicycle was, well, long before anyone ever heard of the Tour de Lance.

But that hasn't stopped the two-term legislator and retired director of Utah Children from leading the way in the current legislative session for the passage of a bill designed to improve safety, and safety awareness, for cyclists and motorists alike.

The McGee-sponsored legislation — officially HB49 — proposes that state law stipulate that motorists must allow at least 3 feet between their vehicle and bicycles when passing in either direction.

"Some motorists aren't aware that cyclists have rights of the road," says Roz. "The 3-foot rule makes it real clear."

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The tragedy that served as a catalyst for HB49 occurred on a bright, clear day in Big Cottonwood Canyon last September when an SUV hit and killed 25-year-old Josie Johnson. An investigation showed that when it was struck, Josie's bike was a foot and a half to the right of the white line bordering the roadway.

Josie, a graduate student at the University of Utah, was the epitome of the new wave of road riders — young, fit, intelligent and conscientious.

When she was hit she was pedaling uphill.

At the steep point in the canyon where she was struck from behind — allowing her no chance to react and defend herself — she couldn't have been going more than 7 or 8 miles an hour.

Outrage over such apparent motorist carelessness (the driver of the SUV has since been charged with negligent homicide) led bicycle activists to strike back in two significant ways.

One was to organize a memorial ride that was held about a month later, where hundreds honored Josie by pedaling along the roadways of Salt Lake County while wearing "Please Share the Road" signs.

The other was to land on Roz's doorstep.

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