Thursday, November 19, 2009

Please be advised... Police to Launch Enforcement Campaign

Starting tomorrow bicycle police officers from the 9th and 6th Districts and Center City District will be on the streets enforcing the rules of the road in Center City. In addition to other violations, the Police will be stopping bicyclists riding on the sidewalk, not stopping at red lights or stop signs and riding the wrong way in the road. The police department will also have vehicle units out on Spruce and Pine streets ticketing motorists who are driving in the bike, illegally double parking and driving aggressively.

For more information please go to our I Bike PHL education blog.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Ottawa police did something like this during the summer. Though they cracked down on people without bells, light, reflectors and not obeying the traffic law.

Of course the real kicker was that the Ottawa police did this just a week after five cyclists were seriously injured, when a car ploughed into them on a bike lane.

Matthew Bruno said...

Once bikes are treated like a vehicle i.e. proper bike lanes and parking spots, then you can crack down on use.

issueist said...

I don't understand why bicycles SHOULD be treated like a vehicle. At least if being treated like a vehicle means having to obey the same laws as a car. Why on earth should machines with vastly different physics be subject to the same laws. It's never made any sense to me. Car traffic is regulated the way that it is because of the size, speed, and forces involved. Bicycles are about as different from cars in these respects as you can get. I just don't get it...

patrick said...

I'm all for crackdowns on sidewalk and wrong-way riders. Menaces to pedestrians and legitimate bikers alike.

Can you post a call for stories of people getting stopped/pulled over/ticketed? The location and situation, especially-- I'm curious what this "push" is focused on.

Charles Hankin said...

Why not post "safe routes" from one point in Center City to an other, ie. What is the safe route around City Hall? Both East West and South to North. Why not help riders rather than punish them?