Ridgefield Police Department and Ridgefield Bicycle Company with Share the Road Campaign
With 337 members this year of the Ridgefield Bicycle Company and a rise in the popularity of cycling, a campaign with the partnership of the Ridgefield Police Department and Ridgefield Bicycle Company is working to raise awareness for the rules of the road.
I had the honor of interviewing Jacqui Dowd from the Ridgefield Bicycle Company and Captain Kreitz of the Ridgefield Police Department about the campaign they’re working on together to educate both cyclists and drivers on their responsibilities and safely sharing the roads of Ridgefield.
Why are you raising awareness for the rules of the road? Has there been an increase in bikers being hit by cars?
Captain Kreitz: Cycling has really taken off in the last 5 years. We notice more and more cyclists on the road. In 2013 there were no accidents, in 2014 there were 3 accidents, in 2015 there was 1 accident, in 2016 there were 4 accidents, in 2017 there was 1 accident. We are ultimately trying to get that number to zero.
Is there an increase of bikers on Thirsty Thursday?
Jacqui: Oh, yeah! Our first Thirsty Thursday had maybe 15 riders and now we are up to about 85 regular attendees. That’s just one of our rides. We have rides going out everyday but Monday. With that number, we don’t send out all 85 cyclists at one time. We split them up into groups of 6. The groups keep at least 50 yards between themselves, so that cars can get through and pass. If a car is having trouble passing, they split up into groups of 3 and form a gap. That has helped tremendously, especially during a busy commute time for the flow of traffic and safety of cyclists and drivers.
Captain Kreitz: There has really been an increase in the popularity of the sport over last few years. You see a lot more cyclists on the roads.
Jacqui: Drivers don’t necessarily know what to do when they see them. We hear all the time “I’m so nervous when I see cyclists” or “I don’t know what to do when I’m passing them”, so we are trying to give people tools and a mindset of how to get around.
Tell me about the "3 feet rule"
What do you hope this campaign will do for our town?
Jacqui: I hope it makes everyone safer and more responsible. It is not just aimed at motorists, but also cyclists. The club’s mission is absolutely safety and education. We want cyclists to be responsible for their behavior as well and making it as easy as possible for cars to get around them. We want them to follow the rules of the road and know that it’s not okay to blow through stop signs or run red lights. It’s a mandate in our club that you have to follow the rules of the road.
Is there a map of the biker-friendly roads?
Jacqui: There isn’t, but we do a lot of routes for our rides that can be found on Ridgefield Bicycle Company’s FaceBook Page. There is an initiative to do a bicycle-safe road map for Connecticut. I’m happy to give people routes if they’re curious or give them ideas about where to go.
Is there anything you wish I asked or any additional information you would like to share with readers?
Captain Kreitz: I would like to thank Jacqui and the Ridgefield Bicycle Company because they welcomed us with open arms as well as to a lot of businesses in the community. It is through these partnerships that we get our voice out. It’s the awareness part that is really important. People do seem to panic when they see cyclists and they try to quickly get around them, but we want people to remember to be patient. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a government organization with more information for those interested. If anyone has any questions about laws, we are here 24/7 so they can always give us a call.
Jacqui: Ridgefield tends to be quite lovely with the cyclist interaction, but sometimes there is an attitude of “get off the road!” or “you don’t deserve to be on the road”, but in reality, cyclists have complete rights to use the road. That’s why our whole Share the Road campaign is out there. It’s a matter of rights and responsibilities. We hope to build positive relationships.