Starting today the Tucson Police Department will begin increased enforcement of bicycle and pedestrian safety violations.
Last week TPD was awarded a grant to pay for the increased enforcement, which will run through Friday, May 18.
According to a release from TPD, officers will focus on high bicycle and pedestrian areas paying special attention to signalized crosswalks.
Here’s a part of the release:
“The primary goal of this additional enforcement is to reduce the number of collisions that involve pedestrians and bicycles as well as to lower the injuries and deaths associated with these types of collisions. In addition to the increased enforcement, officers will be distributing a safety pamphlet provided by the City of Tucson Department of Transportation. The pamphlet provides tips for pedestrians and motorists, as well as explanations of the various types of signalized crossings utilized by the City of Tucson. Motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are encouraged to obey the traffic control devices that provide for our community’s safety.”
TPD has received similar awards recently and at the urging have focused more on riding bikes on the sidewalk, wrong-way riding and motorists failing to stop at crosswalks.
Judging from the release it seems the focus this time around has more to do with pedestrian safety.
It would be really nice if they focused on people stopping for pedestrians using crosswalks. They could give out warnings or tickets all day for people not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks!
It would be wonderful if the TPD paid attention to impatient, risk-taking drivers, especially during the rush hour. You see this behavior in many drivers racing back to their subdivisions along Speedway, Broadway, etc. They are hell-bent to get home or to the grocery store and they don’t care if they speed, tailgate, etc.
Huh. Drag a whatever blame-the-victim dollar bill or two in front of TPD and they’re all over it…
and yet…
“Do Passing Distance Laws Really Protect Cyclists?”
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/05/do-passing-distance-laws-really-protect-cyclists/1939/
NB from the piece: “But how do you enforce a law if you weren’t around to witness its violation?”
Bicyclists are supposed to ride in between the curb and within 3 feet next to cars going forty with their back against traffic. Is that safe?
Yes, it is. It might not feel safe if you think about it too much.
Going against traffic may feel safer, but you are going against
other road user’s expectations. Motorists freak when something is coming at them and do unpredictable things. You know how it is when you’re walking up to someone and you both go this way then both go that way, like a dance. You don’t want to do that with cars.
Twice as many pedestrians die on the road as cyclists. Think about that and feel safe.
I slowed but did not stop completely at Glenn and Mountain, no cars were present. Got a ticket that appeared to be $225 with the code pamphlet. No safety pamphlet or information about how to sign up for bike diversion. He told me there was bike diversion class but all I got was this:
OPTION 3: BICYCLE SAFETY DIVERSION PROGRAM
Defendants cited for a civil traffic violation(s) while operating a bicycle may appear in court on or before their arraignment date to request participation in the Bicycle Safety Diversion Program. Upon successful completion, all violations will be dismissed. After calling the court they referred me to the prosecutor’s office who finally gave me the information on how to find the bike diversion, take the class verification to the court and then to their office to have it removed from my driver’s license.
Found via Google (“Bicycle Safety Diversion Program” tucson)
http://bikeped.pima.gov/allsafetyclasses.html
Where one can find a comprehensive pdf relating to the Bicycle Safety Diversion Program. Problem is, as of this writing, the schedule ends at 1-28-2012. So Red Star called the phone number provided, 243-BIKE (aka 243-2453) where the surprised nice lady disclosed “Oh, no, we have them all the time. Let’s see, there’s one next Saturday…and so on.”
You’re correct the: the phone number should be printed on the ticket and perhaps the web address if they (Matt Zoll?) could keep the schedule current.