It takes more than bike lanes and sidewalks to make a community hospitable to cyclists and pedestrians. Law enforcement plays a big part, too.
More people are walking and biking, so police officers need to have a comprehensive understanding of the laws governing pedestrians and cyclists.
A March 17 and 18 training session for local police officers should help accomplish that task, says Pete Bucci, a public information officer for the State Department of Motor Vehicles. The training program is one of a few being held across the state this year by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and several local and state partners.
The training program will be held at Monroe County’s Public Safety Training Facility on Scottsville Road. Among the local agencies participating are the Brighton, Brockport, and Rochester police departments, as well as the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Bucci says.
The Genesee Transportation Council will be represented, and a few departments from neighboring counties are also signed up. (The registration deadline was last week.)
A letter sent to local police chiefs says that the session will include training on the laws, how bicycle and pedestrian crashes happen, how to investigate and report crashes involving cyclists or pedestrians, and ways to partner on safety efforts.
And it says that the session is best suited to certain officers, including bike patrols, supervisors, training personnel, and neighborhood or community policing officers.
“Not surprisingly, officers don’t enforce laws they don’t know and they don’t enforce laws they can’t defend,” the letter says.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2014.
Without bike laws and enforcement, and the training and licencing that goes with it, the bike scene here remains lawless and dangerous. This anarchy leaves bikers with no rights. If a biker has an accident on a sidewalk the investigating police officer simply says not to ride on the sidewalk. But if a biker has an accident on a public road he will also be told that he should not have been riding on the road. I am not making this up. In contrast my bicycle course and exam in Europe was rewarded with a licence that is personally signed by the mayor of my town.
It would be interesting to note that the continual upgrading our Rochester transportation system to include bicycling is also a way our city is adapting to Climate Change. Part of that goal, of course, is to make bicycling safe, which will include drivers, the media, and law enforcement.
If you read the city’s web page “Office of Energy & Sustainability” [http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.asp…] you come to “Energy Management and Climate Action Status Report” and when you download that you see this: “Municipal transportation accounts for approximately 36% of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use by the City. Many opportunities exist to reduce the use of fossil fuels in both the City fleet and by the public. Some of the initiatives and projects that have been completed include: …, Bicycle Enhancement Program installation of bicycle lane markings (i.e., exclusive bicycle lanes and shared use lanes) and associated signage on approximately 15 centerline miles of arterial and collector streets…, Complete Streets Policy to accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and persons with disabilities.”
There’s a pattern here and we ought to talk about it. One of Rochester’s most effective strategies for addressing Climate Change is increase active transportation (walking and bicycling) and as we get more folks comfortable and safe on our public roads we will reduce greenhouse gases. Let’s connect the dots and talk about Climate Change and transportation.
More on Transportation in our area: http://rochesterenvironment.com/communting…
State motor vehicle law requires pedestrians and bicyclists to behave in a certain way. Enforcement seems non-existent compared with cars.
I recently was startled by a group of teens walking the wrong way on the side of Clover St in Pittsford. It was nighttime and they were all in dark clothing.
There are many bicyclists in the city who also wear dark clothes and their bikes are lacking in reflectors. Their riding also leaves much to be desired.
It’s up to drivers to watch out for these others who are technically breaking the law. The walkers and bicyclists seem oblivious to the dangers and continue their risky behaviors because they know they will never get caught. And with the increasing use of smart phones by pedestrians, the situation is only worsening.