Bike Newport Launches Road Safety Campaign Ahead of Folk Festival

NEWPORT, RI—The Newport Folk Festival is this weekend, which means thousands of bike riders will be taking to the streets.

According to Bari Freeman of Bike Newport, there will be 1,200 additional bikes and thousands more pedestrians on city streets.

It has long been a goal of bicycling advocates to encourage bicycling to and from major events on Aquidneck Island and those efforts have been steadily paying off.

The success, however, increases the need to highlight bike safety, Freeman said. For whatever reason, "there is an increase in foolishness on our roads" this time of year, she said.

Bike Newport and its loyal volunteers are trying to spread the word with an awareness campaign promoting safe streets—a message that applies to everyone on the road, whether behind the wheel of a car, riding a bike or walking along the sidewalk.

They've teamed up with a local business, PDQ Graphics, and printed a new poster that will start popping up all over the city. And it's hard to miss: the famous giant squid of Narragansett Bay is tootling on a bike next to some simple advice about sharing the road:

Ride in the same direction as traffic.

- Obey all traffic signs and signals.

- Use hand signals.

- Do not ride on the sidewalk if you’re older than 13.

- Wear a helmet.

- Use front and rear lights at night.

- Enjoy your ride!

The campaign is buoyed by a website, bikenewportri.org/safety, which includes a list of Newport's laws and other recommendations.

"The community is encouraged to come to Bike Newport, 29 Spring Street, to pick up posters to hang all over town, wherever people who ride bikes, tourists and residents alike, will see them. Businesses are encouraged to hang the poster in their shops, restaurants, restrooms, and more," according to a Bike Newport press release. "While we’re reminding people on bikes to ride the right way on one ways, stay off sidewalks, and stop at red lights, we also need to talk to people walking and driving cars. We’ve got some seriously cranky and selfish people putting others in harm’s way."

Here's some more sage advice from Bike Newport:

PEDESTRIANS:
* Put your device away and pay attention. Pokemon will not disappear! For goodness sake, look where you are going!

* Signal to cars before you enter the roadway – wait for a signal back. Don’t depend on them seeing you – be sure - do the Newport Wave!

PEOPLE DRIVING CARS:
* Don’t be in a hurry. Take your time when there are people in the roads. If you touch a person with your car, they will be injured, you won’t.
* Obey the traffic signals. Stop means stop. And if you are driving and have a green light, please don’t stop and signal a pedestrian or bicyclist to go. Even though you mean well, other drivers won’t know what you’re doing and you put everyone in danger.
* Wave to let someone know you see them. The more communication among road users, the better!
* Leave room for people on bikes when you pass them. The law requires enough room for the person to fall sideways and not touch your car. If there is not enough room, just wait.
* Respect the right of people on bicycles to be on the road. They do not have to ride all the way to the right. And they cannot be forced to ride next to parked cars or in shoulders with debris. Let them decide where they are safest and respect them.

Newport is so small. We can walk or bike just about anywhere – and enjoy the journey. People walking and biking avoid the stresses of traffic congestion and the hassles of parking. We can arrive happier, healthier, and with more money in our pockets.

And if you don’t want to walk or bike, REMEMBER, every person walking and biking is one less car on the road, and one more open parking space for you. So now you can THANK that pedestrian or bicyclist when you safely pass them on the road.

It’s a beautiful season in our beautiful city. Let’s all enjoy it together, safely.