Cambridge Police and CDD Celebrate Bike Month


5/10/20167 years ago

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Hubway in Cambridge

Cambridge Police and Community Development Departments Announce Series of Bike Safety Month Initiatives 

National Bike Safety Month is next week and the Cambridge Police are leading or participating in a number of initiatives and events intended to increase the safety of all people who walk, bicycle, drive or walk.

Free Bicycle Helmets for Children

Thanks to a donation from Breakstone, White & Gluck, a Boston personal injury law firm, the Cambridge Police Department will be distributing vouchers to children throughout National Bike Safety Month. Officers will specifically be looking for those children who are riding bicycles without a helmet and handing them a “helmet voucher,” which can be redeemed for a free bicycle helmet at the Cambridge Police Department. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 140 bicycle helmets to the Cambridge Police.

New #CambMARoads Hashtag

As a way for people to identify and search for anything bicycle, pedestrian or motorist-related in Cambridge, the Cambridge Police and Community Development Departments has introduced a new social media hashtag: #CambMARoads. The hashtag will be rolled out and featured on all relevant social media content produced by the two departments on their associated accounts, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These accounts will help educate bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians about the rules of the road, as well as offer theft prevention tips. 

Cambridge Police Department

https://twitter.com/CambridgePolice;  https://www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice/https://www.instagram.com/cambridgepolice/

Community Development Department 

https://twitter.com/CDDat344https://www.facebook.com/CDDat344/https://www.instagram.com/cddat344/

Events

Throughout the month of May, officers and city employees from the Community Development Department will be stationed at highly trafficked areas in the city and will provide giveaways, fliers with bike safety tips and address any questions or concerns at the following dates and areas:

On-Bike Training & Bike Rides 

The Community Development Department, with support from the Cambridge Police and other city departments, will be leading a number of additional bike rides, workshops and training activities in May. All residents are highly encouraged to participate. RSVP to all bike workshops at jlawrence@cambridgema.gov

  • There will be free community bicycle tune-ups on Wednesday, May 18 at 449 Broadway (outside) from 12-5 p.m. and a second from 11-4 p.m. at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway (outside).
  • A Healthy Aging and Bicycling workshop will take place on Thursday, May 19 from 2-3 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. in the Senior Center at 806 Massachusetts Avenue. Interested participants (ages 50+) must RSVP with jlawrence@cambridgema.gov.
  • CPD, Community Development Department (CDD) and the City of Cambridge will be taking part in a citywide bike ride of Cambridge on Saturday, May 21 at 10 a.m. starting at the Cambridge Public Library.
  • Two Bicycle Maintenance workshops are scheduled on Wednesday, May 25th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Basics) and 7-8 p.m. (Beyond Basics) at the City Hall Annex on 344 Broadway.  

Be sure to view a complete list of events coordinated by the Community Development Department on their website.

Bicycle Patrol

With the warmer weather, the Cambridge Police Department once again has a full staff of bicycle patrol officers riding around city streets and neighborhoods. These officers not only help provide residents with a greater sense of safety around the city, but they will also be promoting safe driving, riding and walking, as well as enforcing traffic laws in the Commonwealth. One area of emphasis will be keeping bicycle lanes clear from illegally parked vehicles. Cambridge Police will also aggressively seek and look to mitigate bicycle theft.   

Development of Vision Zero Action Plan

The Cambridge Police, along with the Community Development, Public Health, Public Works, Public Schools and Traffic, Parking and Transportation Departments, is in the midst of developing and implementing a Vision Zero Action Plan. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. 

From the City’s original Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance to the recently initiated Safe Routes to School Program, Cambridge has long been a leader in transportation. Vision Zero builds on these ongoing efforts to create a safer, more sustainable, and more equitable transportation network that provides mobility and access for all users. Looking at transportation through the lens of public health and harm reduction will point towards new solutions and approaches to improving the safety of residents, employees, and visitors in our city.