Volunteers to Promote Safety and Courtesy on the B-Line Trail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2012

For more information, please contact:

Vince Caristo, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Bloomington Planning Department 349-3473

Linda Thompson, Sr. Environmental Planner, City of Bloomington Planning Department 349-3533

Bloomington, IN - Several area organizations will distribute bicycle bells to cyclists downtown on the B-Line Trail on Monday, Jan. 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. The project, part of the MLK Service Day Initiative, intends to encourage safe behaviors and common courtesy on Bloomington's trail system.

In 2011, Bloomington's trail system grew by 44 percent, attracting new users of all ages and walks of life. Accompanying this growth is the possibility of uncertainty between different types of users regarding their rights and responsibilities. This project will address the relationship between cyclists and pedestrians.

Indiana state law requires all bicycles to be equipped with a bell or other audible device, and for bicyclists to give an audible signal when necessary to avoid a collision with another bicyclist or pedestrian. In addition to receiving a legally-required bell, cyclists will be encouraged to ride at safe speeds, give a friendly warning when passing cyclists and pedestrians, and to approach intersections attentively.

This project is funded by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and is a collaboration between the following groups: the Bloomington Project School; City of Bloomington Environmental Commission; City of Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission; Bloomington Community Bicycle Project; and the Indiana University Bicycle Steering Committee.

More information about bicycle safety can be obtained from the City's bicycling website at [http://bloomington.in.gov/bike|http://bloomington.in.gov/bike].

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