Celebrating Bike Month with Safety

Celebrating Bike Month with Safety

As surely as April showers bring May flowers, spring also increases walking and biking activity throughout Southeast Michigan. Since 1956, National Bike Month has been an opportunity to celebrate bicycling as a recreation activity as well as a means of transportation.

SEMCOG has partnered on several opportunities to commemorate Bike Month and educate all road users – including people who walk, bike, and drive – on how to safely share the road.

Walk.Bike.Drive.Safe education campaign

New video on Michigan’s 3-foot passing law

This month marked the second installment of Walk.Bike.Drive.Safe, a traffic safety education campaign for Southeast Michigan. A region-wide effort reached millions of people last fall with safety messages via public service announcements on radio and TV, including at-the-pump screens at gas stations; billboards and bus posters; community outreach via local governments, schools, and libraries; and coverage in the media.

This May, Walk.Bike.Drive.Safe has undergone the following enhancements:

• A growing partnership with AAA, which enabled increased exposure on radio and social media;
• A 117% increase in community outreach participation;
• Additional TV spots;
• Two new videos to provide education on Michigan’s new 3-foot passing law and how to walk safely when no sidewalk is available;
• A series of new social media infographics; and
• Increased promotion on social media as well as Washtenaw County’s AAATA transit system.

Example of new infographic

Events educate through experiences

Bike Month features opportunities for beginners and more advanced riders to brush up on their skills and safe habits. On National Bike to School Day, events throughout the country expose students to the fun biking as well as important safety habits.

This year, the Michigan Fitness Foundation and Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) were joined by several partners, including SEMCOG, at the Lexus Velodrome for a very unique opportunity. In addition to watching a race on and learning safety tips from DPSCD police officers and local bicycle clubs, some students actually took the chance to try riding on the velodrome track.

Students experience a race at the Velodrome

Scott Benson, Detroit City Councilmember and Chair of SEMCOG’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force, addresses students

Students take a crash course on how to ride the Velodrome

On Bike to Work Day, the Detroit Greenways Coalition and its partners brought together riders at multiple locations to celebrate commuter bicycling. Participants received materials and learned about ongoing efforts to improve biking opportunities.

SEMCOG staff distribute safety equipment at Bike to Work Day 2019

These are just a few of the events that have helped to kick off the peak biking and walking season in our region. We look forward to continuing our efforts to educate and encourage safe, fun walking and biking.