A state bicycle riding group is working to unite Iowa two-wheel riders to show their loyalty on their four-wheelers. Angela Dalton, spokeswoman for the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says the state D.O.T. has agreed to issue a "Share the Road" license plate promoting bicycle riding –if– enough people sign up for the plate.
Dalton says supporters have to send in an application with the check and 500 pre-registered, pre-paid individuals have to be on the books before the Iowa D.O.T. will issue the plates. She says the new plate is the ultimate cycling accessory and sends a message to everyone on the road.
Dalton says: "Motorists need to be sharing the road with bicyclists and it goes the other way: bicyclists should be sharing the road with motorists. So it’s a really good program and that goes for bicyclists as well as anybody else who motorists are sharing the road with, it might be farm equipment or anything like that." She says the samples she’s seen are sharp and she hopes they’ll become a reality.
Dalton says the left side of the plate features the silhouette of a cyclist pedaling up a grey highway with the words "Share The Road" in orange. They can be personalized with a five-character message for an extra fee. The initial fee is 35-dollars, along with a ten-dollar annual fee to the Bicycle Safety Education Fund. For more information, visit www.iowabicyclecoalition.org .