'Share the Road' Campaign Promotes Safety

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 24, 2010) - The University of Kentucky is participating in a new safety campaign kicked off today by Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and representatives from UK, Fayette County Public Schools and Lexington Police. The campaign, urges motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to "Share the Road."

“Motorists are finding that there are more and more citizens cycling on or walking along our roadways, in both rural and urban areas because we have many new bike lanes and we are working to make our city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly,” Newberry said. “This campaign is designed to make everyone safer through public education and awareness.”

The University of Kentucky Sustainability Coordinator Shane Tedder says UK will participate in the campaign by sharing educational material with with the campus community.

"UK is committed to promoting bicycling as a healthy, clean, affordable, and convenient way of navigating our campus and engaging with our community. We are continually improving our on-street facilities and looking for opportunities to expand our network of bike facilities and bike-related resources," Tedder said.

"These measures have undoubtedly made cycling a more visible and more convenient option, but our highest priority is that cycling is also a safe option for our employees, students and visitors. We are very excited to partner with LFUCG on the Share the Road Campaign in an effort to make our streets and our community a safe and friendly environment for cyclists and motorists.”

To promote the campaign, 40 Share the Road signs have been installed along rural bike routes and in congested urban areas.   There are also Share the Road ads on Lextran buses, billboards at parks and in city publications.

In addition, bike safety booklets are available at all local bike shops and Fayette County school students have produced safety videos that will be aired on GTV-3.

Police have put those who share the road on notice, with plans to issue warnings or tickets to bicyclists and motorists behaving in an unsafe or unlawful manner. Police have assigned a liaison to the cycling community. Cyclists who are harassed may call 258-3600 to report an incident.

LexCall, Lexington’s call center, is serving as a hotline for those with bicycle-related questions, comments or complaints. Call LexCall at 3-1-1 or 425-2255.

Lexington has 23 miles of existing bike lanes, including on the UK campus, plus an additional 16.5 miles funded or in design. Earlier this month, the city opened a reconstructed South Limestone between the Avenue of Champions and Vine Street. In addition, this summer the city will complete bike lanes on Todds Road, Vine Street, Main Street, Maxwell Street and Newtown Pike.

The purpose of the Share the Road campaign is to:

•           Promote safe and courteous interactions between bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

•           Make motorists more aware of the rights of bicyclists and pedestrians and how to interact with them on the road.

•           Ensure residents that cyclists and walkers are educated, safe and responsible when sharing the road.

•           Encourage more people to bike and walk.

•           Make Lexington a more livable, bicycle-friendly and walkable community.

The two-year campaign is being funded through an $80,000 federal grant.