Police Push for Bike Safety Near Petaluma Schools

The City of Petaluma Police Department and the Traffic Engineering Department will team up for an annual program that aims to promote bicycle safety near all Petaluma schools.

The “Safe Routes to School Traffic Safety Operation” will be held the first week of school starting on Tuesday.

The operation, which is in its 16th year, will include the deployment of additional police officers, community service officers, and volunteers in and around school zones.

The Safe Routes to School Traffic Safety Plan is a collaboration between law enforcement, traffic engineering, schools, parents, and students to create safe routes to and from our local schools.

Patrol and traffic officers will conduct high-visibility patrols around school zones during the operation.

The operation aims to improve traffic safety in and around the school zones through maximum traffic enforcement and an aggressive campaign to educate students and parents on the importance of traffic safety.

The Petaluma Police Department will give away free bicycle helmets to anyone under the age of 18 at the Petaluma Police Department (969 Petaluma Blvd North).

Police will enforce a zero-tolerance policy for anyone under 18 riding without a helmet.

Free bicycle guide booklets for Petaluma and Sonoma County will also be available at the police department.

“We respectfully ask parents, school faculty, and students to walk, ride, drive, and park like they are doing the same in their own neighborhood for the safety of our children in school zones,” police Lieutenant Tim Lyons said in a prepared statement.

Waugh School District's Meadow Elementary School and Corona Creek Elementary School open their doors on Tuesday. All other schools in the Petaluma City School District and Old Adobe School District campuses start on Wednesday.

The “Safe Routes to School Plan” was revised by the Traffic Engineering Department and the Police Department in 2005.

Parents and students can reference the plan at the following web address to identify the safest routes to and from a school:

http://www.w-trans.com/projects/p-traffic-safety/PET906.html

http://cityofpetaluma.net/pubworks/pdf/safe-routes-to-school.pdf

The increased deployment of officers in marked patrol cars will be used to enforce traffic laws for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians in and around the school zones.

Additional information regarding bicycle safety can be found at the DMV website at the following address:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/bicycle.htm

The following are reminders for motorists:
(Source: Petaluma Police Department)

• Distracted driving, riding, or walking, is extremely dangerous – no talking or texting on cell phones. Speaker phone is not legal, must be hands free. Do not cover both ears with ear buds or headphones while driving.
• Give yourself plenty of time and leave early so you are not in a hurry to get to where you are going.
• School Zone Speed Limit is 25MPH when children are present.
• Watch out for others, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and stopped vehicles. The stopped vehicle may be letting a pedestrian cross the street.
• Remember to stop in both directions for a school bus that has activated the flashing red lights, except on a divided highway or a multiple lane highway. A multiple lane highway is highway that has two or more lanes of travel in each direction. (Minimum Fine = $600)
• Reduce your speed in adverse weather conditions and turn on your lights. These conditions include fog, direct sunlight, and rain.
• Double parking to drop off or pick-up is not only unsafe, but illegal.
• Most schools have traffic circulation/flow patterns mapped out. Parents are encouraged to contact school administrators and learn how they can follow established traffic patterns to keep the children safe.
• Bicycles always ride on the right side of the roadway and obey all traffic signs and signals.
• Remember to walk your bicycle across the street if you are using a marked crosswalk.
• Helmet laws will be strictly enforced for anyone riding under the age of 18.
• Do not block driveways, fire hydrants, crosswalks, or handicap access ramps at corners.
• Be considerate and respectful of the residents in the neighborhood. 

Note: Anyone identifying hazardous traffic situations near school zones is asked to contact the police department's Traffic Team at (707) 776-3775.