Cape Police bike/ped safety focus shifts from education to enforcement

Kudos to CCPD for their continuing bike/ped safety efforts, supported by a 2nd FDOT grant, and thanks to News-Press for their ongoing coverage.

News-Press, April 29, 2016: Cape Coral PD says bike-ped scofflaws to get tickets not pamphlets

By  MICHAEL BRAUN

Main objective is to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists

(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

The Cape Coral police will be targeting areas of the city where bicycle and pedestrian traffic is more active and will issue warnings and/or citations to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists who commit violations of Florida statutes.

The activity is part of a transition in the department's Bike-Ped Operations to a new phase.

Initially, the department Bike-Ped Operations focused on distributing informational materials to violators, educating them about applicable traffic laws, the importance of wearing a helmet, and other issues regarding bicycle and pedestrian safety.

The main objective of this effort is to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists through the use of selective traffic enforcement operations.

During May officers will be actively looking to enforce the rules of the road as they relate to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. They will be looking to enforce the bicycle helmet laws in order to keep those cycling in the city safe.

The funding for these operations is provided through a $20,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for High Visibility Enforcement addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety. This is the second such grant awarded to the Cape Coral Police Department by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Cape Coral police reminders

• Pedestrians should always walk on the sidewalk and if no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.

• Pedestrians and bicyclists should not wear headphones or talk on their cell phones.  

• Pedestrians and bicyclists should cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections when possible and obey traffic signals such as WALK/DON'T WALK signs.

• Bicyclists should have their bicycle equipped with a white light on the front visible from a distance of 500 feet and a red light visible from a distance of 600 feet, between sunset and sunrise during operation.

• Bicyclists operating on the roadway are subject to obeying all traffic control devices to include stop signs and lighted traffic signals.

• Bicyclists operating upon a sidewalk or crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian.

Unsafe driver behaviors

• Speeding (5 MPH can make the difference between types of injuries)

•  Failure to stop for red lights or stop signs

•  Failure to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists

• Distracted driving

• Blocking crosswalks

• Turning on permitted light (green signal) but not looking for pedestrian properly crossing in crosswalk- Right and Left turn crashes with pedestrians.