(July 15, 2015) – Join the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) and spin a work of art at the annual Artscape event in the City of Baltimore. Stop by the “We’re on This Road Together, Expect and Respect” booth along West Mount Royal Avenue to pick up valuable safety information, provide input for future outreach efforts and create an individual masterpiece that supports bicycling safety. With bicycle crashes increasing during the summer months and the Baltimore area being home to more than 36 percent of annual bicycle crashes, Artscape provides the perfect venue to enhance awareness of bicycle safety.

“Biking is increasing in popularity, especially in urban areas such as Baltimore where more and more commuters are electing to live closer to work and travel by bicycle,” said SHA Acting Administrator Douglas Simmons. “As we improve roadways for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, we are also educating customers to look out for each other and follow the rules of the road.”

When motorists and bicyclists follow the rules and share the road together by being aware and attentive, tragic crashes can be prevented. The goal of the bicycle safety campaign is to remind both drivers and cyclists of their responsibilities to partner in safety. The campaign promotes sharing the road through social media, public service announcements, outdoor media, grass roots outreach and public events.

“Our objective is to make sure that every driver thinks about the possibility of encountering a bicyclist in his or her travels – and knows how to share the road safely.  At the same time, we want to remind bicyclists about their roles in the safety equation - especially the need to follow traffic laws and ride with traffic,” continued Acting Administrator Simmons.

 

For more information on bike safety and access, visit the SHA Bicycle Safety or Cycle Maryland websites.

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