BPD steps up bike patrols

The Bloomington Police Department is sending out officers to control the use of bicycles on streets and sidewalks. Special enforcement units have been patrolling on mountain bikes from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight, for the first two months of classes to uphold bicycle operation laws and encourage safe, responsible riding. \nThese patrols are getting the attention of cyclists through a new ordinance violation ticketing system created this summer and by introducing them to the alternative cycling paths around the city.\nIn previous years, the fines for illegally operating a bicycle were calculated from the same schedule used for motor vehicle violations. That fine schedule requires cyclists to pay up to $115 in fines and court costs. Lt. Jerry Minger of the IU Police Department said the University fines could not be lowered since the rates are controlled by the state and not the administration. Although IUPD still issues these fines for infractions, the BPD is trying to enforce regulations with less emphasis on fines and more emphasis on educating cyclists on safe riding practices. \nThe tickets issued by BPD officers reduce the cost of each cited infraction to $50. Officers issue these citations for moving violations such as disregarding traffic signs or signals. Operating a bicycle on the sidewalk is an infraction now resulting in a lowered fine of $20. Bicycle operation on the sidewalk, the most common offense, is ticketed in an effort to ensure the safety of pedestrians and encourage awareness while riding a bicycle, BPD Lt. John Ratcliff said. He said these adjustments in fines instill that safety, instead of punishment, is the focus of the increased patrols. \n"Considering bicyclists operate the lightest vehicle out there, they should be aware that they will be the worst off after a vehicular encounter," Ratcliff said.\nThe bicycle enforcement units are also citing safety equipment violations during their nighttime rounds. Cyclists that fail to mount an electronic or generator powered light system on their bicycles can receive a state ordinance violation ticket. Safety equipment violations may be repealed if the problem is corrected and then inspected at the police station within five days of receiving the citation.\nSophomore cyclist David Veatch said he supports the efforts of the BPD to educate the public and promote safety equipment usage. He used to regularly use his bicycle to travel on campus, but the lack of courtesy from automobile drivers and a lack of suitable bicycle paths discouraged him. \n"Enforcing the use of lights on bicycles and promoting helmet use is a good start at improving safe riding, but if the University does not provide bicycle paths on campus, it makes it difficult to comply with the regulations on bicycle operation," he said. \nLesser offenses, such as failure to signal, are not always addressed with a ticket. Instead, patrolling officers are issuing written warnings, advice on safe bicycle operation and bicycle path maps to encourage safe riding.\nSenior Missy Gibson said she received one of these written warnings for riding the wrong way on a one-way street. She took that route to avoid the heavy vehicular traffic on 10th Street. During her encounter with the officer, he informed her she could not perform a U-turn on the street to continue in the correct direction since doing so would be an infraction as well, especially if she rode on the sidewalk. \n"It is frustrating when you get pulled over and get a warning for something people do all the time," she said. "I don't understand how we can be expected to follow these regulations when you can't access bike racks without being on the sidewalks." \nDespite the hassles experienced by some cyclists, this education-oriented enforcement is designed to improve the motorized traffic flow on the street and limit the number of collisions involving bicycles and motor vehicles by encouraging cyclists to use the bicycle paths and routes shown on the issued maps, Ratcliff said.\nThe Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission developed these maps in 1998 to inform cyclists about the system of paths around the city designed specifically for bicycle traffic and roads equipped with marked bicycle lanes or side paths. The maps also indicate the traffic stress levels on each major road and path within the city limits with a color-coding system.\nNew paths are being designed and built around the city in an effort to expand the routes cyclists may safely use, said Justin Wykoff, an assistant city engineer. These new designs implement a concept known as the multi-use path. These paths are roughly twice as wide as standard sidewalks and are mostly asphalt. They are designed to allow cyclists and pedestrians to utilize the same path system and avoid collisions due to path congestion. Most multi-use paths are built with a buffer of grass between them and the main road they follow. The buffer is intended to provide a barrier between the motorized traffic and the users of the multi-use paths. \nWykoff explained the reasoning behind the elaborate path construction. \n"The city is doing its best to improve all forms of traffic so pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle operators can coexist and operate safely among each other," he said. \nThe city is attempting to install more of these paths in high traffic districts of the city to accommodate the growing number of cyclists on the road. \nFor more information on safe riding and bicycle path maps, contact the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission at 349-3410. Questions regarding the fine schedule used by the IUPD can be directed to the Monroe County Traffic Violations Office at 349-2602.