Marin County Bicycle Coalition Spreads
Share the Road Info Through Checkpoints

During July and August, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) reached approximately 800 motorists and 1,500 cyclists with Share the Road safety information. This educational outreach campaign has been occurring in Marin since 2002, and the 2006 effort was one of the most successful.

The Checkpoints are set up in partnership with Marin County Law Enforcement and the California Highway Patrol to educate all road users about their shared rights and responsibilities. Street corners with a standard stop sign are selected as the typical Checkpoint location, so all road users are obligated to stop. Uniformed officers and MCBC volunteers provide literature in a friendly atmosphere about the ways everyone can safely and conscientiously share the roads. The flyers contain California Vehicle Code information, Codes of Conduct for bicyclists and motorists to foster respect for each other, plus safety and courtesy tips.

New this year was the opportunity to hold two Checkpoints on bike paths in Tiburon and Sausalito. MCBC set up an inviting table and sun shade where free water, Cytomax sport drink mix, and energy bars were offered, in addition to the safety flyers, to all who passed by. Four Checkpoints were conducted on four consecutive Saturdays, from 8-11 AM, during the hours that most riders head out for their weekend Marin rides.

Positive feedback was received from almost everyone encountered. Many people already knew about MCBC’s Share the Road campaign and told us to ‘keep up the good work.’ In comparison to past years when the Checkpoints were held only at street locations, more cyclists stopped and accepted the safety flyers on the bike paths, where they were not even obligated to stop.

MCBC Executive Director, Kim Baenisch, noted, “Teaming with the local law enforcement agencies continues to be an effective way to provide safety information to motorists and cyclists. Holding the Checkpoints on the bike paths proved to be a great way to reach more cyclists and walkers, who are usually also drivers.”

The Checkpoints are only one component of Marin County’s Share the Road campaign. Visit MCBC’s website, www.marinbike.org, to review the 2006 Share the Road activities, including September bicycle workshops and free Basic Street Skills classes held every other month.

Get educated, not ticketed!