The Tucson Police Department is attempting to work with the bike community to help calm down the Tuesday Night Bike Ride.
In an email to various officials in Pima County and the City of Tucson, TPD office Jerry Skeenes asked for help from the bike community.
There is a mass bike ride that happens late on every Tues night. A downtown TPD Sgt brought it to my attention last night. According to the Sgt there are hundreds of riders involved and it happens at about 9:00 pm on Tuesdays. They block the streets and completely disregard stop signs and red lights. I would like to have someone from the bicycle community work with the TPD Sgt. I thought that maybe someone from the BAC or another group could make contact with the riders and try to educate them before someone is hurt or killed. We would like to get some type of voluntary compliance from the group as opposed to enforcement. There are ways the group can get the proper permits and some minimal traffic control so they could safely do their ride if they want to continue doing it the way they are. Thanks for any help you can provide.
In yet another email from Sheila Foraker, the education director at Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, she requested several Bike Ambassadors attend a meeting with TPD on Monday to help devise a plan.
Hey everyone. We have been invited to help TPD with improving the safety of a group ride that originates in downtown on Tuesday nights. The ride is growing and TPD would like to work with us to help ensure the safety of the participants. TPD is asking for a meeting on this coming Monday, I don’t have a time or location yet, probably during the day. We need 8 – 10 Ambassadors that could help with the ride the following evening.
I’ve spoken with Foraker and will add her comments later this evening.
Good reporting, Mike Mckisson.
A rant here:
http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/last-nights-tuesday-night-bike-ride-and-the-cops/#comments
I was on that ride. I didn’t see anything of the kind happen. Perhaps it was a different group – there is more than one ride happening on Tuesday night. That being said, the Tuesday night ride could do more lately to avoid the big streets. The ride has always been about having fun and riding where it wouldn’t be noticed. As to growing, not really. The ride is smaller than it used to be. Perhaps when school starts next week there will be a return of the better ride leaders who will avoid the major streets. As to getting permits and pay for traffic control, it’s every citizen’s right to ride a bicycle, just as every citizen has the right to drive a car.
Mike can you go this week. I am going to head down and try to lead the ride but don’t get off work till 8 P.M.
As for the TPD email, it is funny to see that in 3 years nothing has changed amongst TPD and they still have no idea what they are dealing with when it comes to this part of Tucson’s well establis
The key in that sentence was “do their ride if they want to continue doing it the way they are.” IE massive group, not in bike lane more than 2 abreast not stopping at traffic signals. Every citizen has a right to ride, yes, as long as they follow traffic laws.
I hope the TNBR people take the opportunity to work with TPD to make it fun and SAFE. I don’t think we want to be antagonistic. The police are concerned about safety of the ride and want to minimize accidents.
Karl, I’ll be there.