Police push bike safety, rules in wake of death

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on September 25, 2009

Police are ramping up an educational campaign about rules of the road for bicycles and vehicles following several recent collisions between the two modes of transport, including the Sept. 12 accident on Montague Road that claimed the life of a 21-year-old man.

The community policing efforts over the past week have involved speaking to bicyclists on the road, handing out materials about rules and publicizing responsibilities for both drivers and cyclists. The Police Department is also distributing reflective vests to joggers and walkers, a program that started in 2007.

"We are stressing education, and feel it will help, because we believe that most motorists do not know the new laws that were enacted to protect cyclists," said police Lt. Jennifer Gundersen, in an email. "These new laws all have a similar theme, which is that cyclists have a right to be on the roadways in the commonwealth."

The laws, police say, aim to protect the safety and well-being of bicyclists. Bicyclists, Gundersen said, also have a series of laws they must follow, including having proper lighting at night, not going through stop signs and red lights and not driving against traffic.

"These violations, unfortunately, occur frequent in this community," Gundersen said.

The most recent incidents occurred Sunday at 10:40 p.m. and Tuesday at 8:51 a.m.

In the Sunday accident, a vehicle driven by Craig A. Boivin, 21, of Lunenburg, and a bicycle ridden by Kristy D. King, 28, of North Whitney Street, collided at the corner of Main and North Whitney streets, police said.

King went up onto the hood of the vehicle and cracked its windshield. She refused medical attention. Police determined King was at fault. She lacked a helmet and lights on her bicycle.

The Tuesday crash took place on East Pleasant Street near the Bank of Western Massachusetts, where a bicycle being ridden in the bicycle lane and a motorcycle turning into the bank parking lot collided. No one was injured and no fault was assigned.

Police said motorists must yield to oncoming bicyclists when making left turns, give the right of way to bicyclists and not pass too closely. The department is also concerned about the act of "dooring," in which a driver or passenger opens their car door into an oncoming bicyclist after parking on the street.

This act can be assessed fines between $35 and $100, and drivers could also face civil fines for injury to bicyclists caused by "dooring."

There has been a seeming uptick in accidents involving bicyclists. Gundersen said there have been at least seven accidents involving bicyclists since Sept. 1. More people appear to be cycling because of the cost of fuel, tuition and housing, police said.

Increased ridership is also driven by environmentally conscious folks.

Rob Kusner, a local bicycling advocate, said educational pamphlets are a good start, but he hopes distributing lights and flashers would be a logical next step. In an email, he said, "It's important for cyclists to both see and be seen; thus headlights, flashing taillights, reflectors and reflective clothing are good ideas, as is riding on the right side of the road, with, not against, traffic."

Kusner this week appealed to the Select Board to make sure the bicycle lanes remain visible on streets where they have been painted.

The most serious accident since the fall semester began occurred Sept. 12 at 10:30 p.m. in which two bicyclists on Montague Road were struck by a hit-and-run vehicle that has not yet been located. Blake Goodman, 21, died in the accident. Police say they believe the car that struck Goodman is a black Geo Prizm. They continue to seek help from anyone who witnessed the crash. (The department can be reached at 259-3000 or via a crime tip line, 259-3344.)

On Sept. 15 at 6:54 p.m., a bicyclist who may have been struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Amity Street and Sunset Avenue flipped over the handlebars, police said. The cyclist and vehicle both left the scene before police got there. And on Sept. 18 at 10:06 a.m., a bicyclist suffered minor injuries when a vehicle making a right turn from North Pleasant Street into Ren's Mobil Service struck the rider.