News

By Rich Pollack

    They are very different organizations but they share a common goal: keeping bicyclists and pedestrians safe on local roadways.  
    Last month, the South Florida Safe Roads Task Force conducted its second safety campaign of the year along State Road A1A with a goal of raising awareness of the need for bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians to safely share the road.
    The campaign included stepped-up law enforcement along A1A from Hillsboro Beach in Broward County to Boynton Beach on four days in September. It also included a safety fair on Sept. 13, with safety demonstrations and giveaways.
    This month, in another effort aimed at making roadway conditions safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, Human Powered Delray along with the Delray Beach Bike Club will host a bicycle safety awareness ride beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12.         The ride, which is free and open to the public, is focused on bringing attention to the need for improvements along George Bush Boulevard in Delray Beach, from Federal Highway to State Road A1A.
    “We realize that George Bush Boulevard is a vital artery to anyone wanting to get to the beach,” said Patrick Halliday, president of the Delray Beach Bike Club.
    He said organizers want to raise awareness of the need for resurfacing of the roadway as well as the need for bicycle lanes.
    “George Bush Boulevard is way overdue to be resurfaced,” Halliday said.
    People taking part in the ride will have the opportunity to sign a petition to be presented to city officials, asking for improvements to the road.
    “Anyone who takes part in the ride will become aware of the problem and see that it’s a project that needs to be funded,” he said.
    While Human Powered Delray, a civic group focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety, and the Delray Bike Club are hoping for positive results from the ride, organizers of the South Florida Safe Roads Task Force say they’re already seeing a positive impact.
    “We’re very pleased with the results we’ve seen after the second campaign,” said Tara Kirschner, executive director of the Dori Slosberg Foundation and spokeswoman for the task force. “The number of bicycle and pedestrian citations given out was significantly lower than in our first campaign and we’ve had a very positive response from the public.”
    In all, Kirschner said, there were 69 tickets issued to motorists, 24 to bicyclists and one to a pedestrian. Bicyclists received 25 written warnings and 78 verbal warnings while pedestrians received nine written warnings and 44 verbal warnings. Motorists received 69 written warnings and 24 verbal warnings.
    “Based on the positive feedback and recommendations from the public, we plan to continue to expand our campaign,” Kirschner said.
For more information on Human Powered Delray, visit www.meetup.com/human-powered-delray.