Cambridge Police Department Announces Series of 2016 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, or drive.

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 in hopes of keeping children safe and preventing traumatic brain injuries from bicycle accidents.

Massachusetts law requires any person 16 years old or younger riding a bicycle to wear a helmet. By wearing a helmet, cyclists can reduce their chance for head injury by 50 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

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. 

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.

• An on-bicycle refresher course is taking place Saturday, May 14 between 11-2 p.m. at a location TBD. Interested participants must RSVP with 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.

###

The Cambridge Police Department is committed to the enforcement of laws and preservation of order that protect the rights and property of every person within the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of police service and to impact crime, and its associated elements, through the utilization of new and proven crime prevention strategies and problem-solving partnerships with our community.  For more information, follow @CambridgePolice on Twitter, or access the department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice.