Police on Look Out for Cyclists, Pedestrians Who Don't Obey Laws

If you ride a bicycle around town, I have some bad news for you.

Petaluma ranks as the 8th worst city for bicyclists in California out of 104 cities of similar size, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. If you’re a pedestrian, the situation is only a little better, with the city ranking 30th out of 104.

Because of these sobering numbers, Petaluma police are planning a special enforcement operation Friday, aimed at pedestrians and cyclists. 

“Issuing citations is not the most desirable part of our job and we don’t enjoy it,” said Sgt. Ken Savano, who heads the department traffic division. “But studies have shown that a citation has a much greater impact on drivers’ behavior than someone who got a warning. We’re not doing this to generate revenue, but to make our street safer.”

Starting Friday 7am and continuing until 5pm, traffic officers will be keeping an extra eye out for violators. As such, police are reminding bikers to wear helmets, even on short trips around town, use hand signals and cycle in the same direction as traffic.

If you’re a driver, police want to remind you to stop at all crosswalks, get off your cell phone and obey speed limits. And unlike the January 27 speed enforcement operation that was mostly about issuing verbal warnings, this time around officers will have no qualms about writing a ticket.

“We want people to slow down, keep their heads up, pay attention to speed and stay alive,” Savano says.