Spring is here--ride (and drive) safely!

After a seemingly endless winter, it appears that spring has finally arrived in Iowa. With the warmer weather comes more people getting outdoors, including people riding bicycles. 

Our region has many great bike trails, and Golden Hills RC&D has worked and continues to work with many partners to develop more trails throughout Western Iowa. Still, trails are not always available and sometimes people need to ride on streets or roads. In order to stay safe and healthy, everyone should know the rules of the road. Over the next few months, we'll be posting information on our blog with information about how to bike and drive safely. 

Our friends at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition have great information and resources available to teach riders of all ages, as well as drivers, about safe bicycling and sharing the road with bikes. Check out their website for more information. Here are a few tips to get started...

• Share the road - Bicycles are classified as vehicles in Iowa Code and are allowed on public roads except those with minimum speeds such as interstate highways.
• Safe Driving Tips - This list includes 84 tips for improving safety as a motor vehicle driver. Bikes belong on most roads and streets and should be 
• Ride Right - This is a safety program aimed to improve the safety of bicyclists.