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Police
crackdown aims to get handle on bike safety
June
16, 2005
By
Jason Bergreen
The Salt Lake Tribune
When
Grant Crosthwaite rides his bike in downtown Salt Lake City, he uses the
sidewalk. He says he feels safer there because his friend recently suffered a
broken shoulder, three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and got 20 stitches in his
eyebrow after he was hit by a pickup while cycling on a road.
But
riding on the sidewalk is illegal, and police officers ticketed Crosthwaite
during a crackdown Wednesday on unsafe motorists and cyclists.
The
crackdown - part of a multi-agency effort involving Salt Lake City,
Taylorsville, Layton and Roy police departments and the Salt Lake County
Sheriff's Office - was funded with a $50,000 state grant. The program will run
through the end of July.
"We're
not trying to be stealthy, we're not trying to be sneaky; we just want the word
out," said Salt Lake City police bike patrol Sgt. Todd Mitchell.
Officers
stopped Crosthwaite and another bicyclist on 200 South just west of Main Street
where a clearly marked bike route runs down both sides of the road. The ticket
will cost each rider $70.
On
Wednesday, Salt Lake City police officers also cited or warned motorists who
were driving too close to bicyclists, impeding the flow of bike traffic by
cutting them off or stopping for long periods of time in a bike lane.
"That's
one of the reasons we're down here, to make motorists aware they need to give
bicyclists enough area to ride," said Sgt. Don Cole. "If people don't
feel safe downtown, they're not going to get on their bikes."
As a
plainclothes officer, or "decoy," rode his bike down 200 South near
West Temple, a driver in a Dodge Stratus cut him off.
"I
never saw him," said the driver, who was ticketed by a uniformed officer
who was following the decoy.
Officers
were mainly watching to see whether motorists were staying at least 3 feet away
from bike riders, as is now required by law passed during the 2005 Legislature.
One driver who failed to abide by this law was given a warning on 200 South just
north of Main Street near where a yellow street sign reminded motorists to
"share the road."
The
driver said she saw the bike before passing but was unfamiliar with the new law.
"I
tried to get over as far as I could without going over into the next lane,"
she said.
Overall,
motorists spotted the bicyclist and at least made an effort to pass safely.
Some, including the drivers of several UTA buses, remained behind the bicyclist
until a lane change could be made or the driver could safely pass.
Several
bicyclists were spotted riding on sidewalks but many were not pulled over
because they didn't appear to pose a threat to pedestrians. Others remained in
bike lanes in areas where bike lanes were marked.
In all,
motorists were given seven warnings and three citations on Wednesday in downtown
Salt Lake City. Seven cyclists were also cited.
The next
patrol in Salt Lake City is set for Monday.
According
to the Utah Department of Health, an average of 900 bicyclists are injured and
six are killed in crashes with cars each year. So far this year there have been
no fatalities, said Theron Jeppson, a health department project manager.
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