Project Green-Yellow-Red revs up drive for safe motorcycle rides
- From: Shrike! <caltrop@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 07:23:51 -0500
Project revs up drive for safe motorcycle rides
By Emily Winter
Correspondent for The Capital Times
Madison, Wisconsin
Published: June 29, 2006
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=89477
MIDDLETON - On Wednesday night at Quaker Steak and Lube, motorcycle
riders filled the bar and outdoor patio overlooking a parking lot full
of more than 500 tightly packed motorcycles.
Like many motorcycle-friendly bars, Quaker Steak and Lube's weekly
motorcycle night draws a slew of patrons who drink and ride.
With motorcycle rider fatalities at alarming levels, police
departments, safety groups and a Verona company that produces
motorcycle storage shelters and impaired-vision goggles have created
Project Green-Yellow-Red. It's a campaign to reduce impaired
motorcycle riding, offering riders a safe alternative.
The colors represent the three decisions motorcyclists can make when
it comes to drinking and riding. Green represents those who choose not
to drink and drive, yellow acknowledges people who choose to drink a
limited amount and drive, and red recognizes seriously impaired
riders.
The green-yellow-red program realizes that all of these are common
among motorcycle riders who go to bars, according to Cheryl Wittke,
executive director of Safe Community Coalition of Madison and Dane
County.
"It's unique, I think, in that we're recognizing that some
motorcyclists are going to choose to drink and ride, and let's figure
out how to keep them safe," she said.
What the group came up with is a motorcycle shelter that allows riders
to lock up their bikes for the night if they're too impaired to ride.
"We're the one and only. It's one of its kind," Wittke said of the
shelter project. Quaker Steak and Lube, 2259 Deming Way, will soon add
one next to its outdoor patio.
"It will be very visible," said Quaker Steak and Lube owner Scott
Acker. "Their bike is safe. It's locked up, and we have their bike
under camera surveillance so nobody can mess with it."
For riders, leaving a motorcycle overnight in a parking lot is often a
more unattractive option than taking the risk of riding home impaired.
"One of the highest theft items...is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. You
leave it in that parking lot, chances are it won't be there in the
morning," said Gail Pearman, who has been riding motorcycles for 30
years. "Someone who really takes pride in their bike will never leave
it here or anywhere."
Though the final shelter model hasn't been determined, a potential
model made of aluminum sat in the parking lot for patrons to see.
Soon, four bars in Dane County and two in Jefferson County will have
shelters. Each shelter can house one motorcycle.
Project Green-Yellow-Red produced the shelters with grant money from
the National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration.
"They've actually funded the development of these containers and we're
trying them out to see if it indeed works," said Michael Aguilar,
president of the Verona company, Innocorp, that produces the shelters
and Fatal Vision goggles. "If it looks like the concept works, we'll
have to put mechanisms in place to raise funds through sponsorship."
Aguilar said he may seek advertisers to put up ads on the sides of the
shelters so bar owners wouldn't have to pay to add such a shelter to
their parking lots.
But first, Project Green-Yellow-Red will have to wait and see if the
shelter catches on with motorcycle riders.
"If it came to it, I'd probably use it," longtime motorcycle rider
Chris Koppel said.
The five other bars that will be adding motorcycle shelters are Capn's
Corner and Fairview Sports Bar in Jefferson, Club Lamark and Wiggie's
in Madison and Morgan's in Cross Plains.
http://www.madison.com/images/articles/tct/2006/06/29/29672.jpg
Photo by Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
George Blum of Madison parks his Honda Gold Wing alongside other
motorcycles for Wednesday's Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube in
Middleton.
http://www.madison.com/images/articles/tct/2006/06/29/29671.jpg
Photo by Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
Dan Batker of Grand Marsh takes the sobriety test wearing Fatal Vision
goggles during Wednesday's Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube in
Middleton.
http://www.madison.com/images/articles/tct/2006/06/29/29670.jpg
Photo by Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
Madison police officer Bill Murphy demonstrates keyhole turns during
Wednesday's Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube in Middleton.
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