Aliyya Swaby Photos
Cross student Kevin Jimenez in Pitkin Plaza.
Officer Hartman: Cyclists “part of traffic,” not an “impediment.”
As the city prepped for a meeting on bike culture in New Haven, several Wilbur Cross High School students were holding a bike gathering of their own at Pitkin Plaza, popping wheelies while circling the crowd of officials.
The teens’ tricks served as a more high-octane opening act to the main event Wednesday afternoon: The city announced a partnership with local police to educate both drivers and cyclists on road rules and enforce the laws, when necessary.
The New Haven Police Department is working on training more cops for its bike patrol unit. In the next couple of weeks, more than 50 cops will be cycling around various neighborhoods in the city. Starting this weekend, officers and local cyclists will bike around New Haven handing out cards to other cyclists with tips on street safety and specific traffic statutes.
Hausladen (right) talks with Luis Gonzalez (left), Galloway, Kev Myles and Tillery.
City transit chief Doug Hausladen handed those cards to some of the Cross students, who said they were from Fair Haven. Hausladen told them about the city’s first “Bike Month,” a series of bike-related events held throughout the month of May, organized by Elm City Cycling’s Caroline Smith.
None of them had heard of it.
“Next year, we’ll do a better job of getting to schools,” Hausladen said.
Shawn Galloway told the Independent that he and his friends often organized their own “ride outs” in the community, getting a lot of people from all ages.
“Any age” is welcome, his friend Kai Tillery (pictured) added. Recently two 80-year-olds joined their ride, he said.
The teens didn’t come or stay to hear the city’s announcement. Once the dozen or so in their group arrived at Pitkin Plaza, they headed out on their own ride.
Cycling activists have been working to make the city more bikeable, to promote more transportation “on two wheels, rather than four,” said police spokesman Officer David Hartman, at Wednesday’s main event. When he was younger, he said, the only people on bikes were either professional cyclists or young kids. Now, cyclists are “part of traffic,” not an “impediment” to traffic.
Elm City Cycling and the Downtown Special Service District are also partners in the road safety campaign and will be handing out cards with tips to cyclists starting this weekend. Police officers would “always rather educate than enforce,” Hartman said. “But enforcement is also one of our capabilities.”
The police department is training an officer for every new bike it buys, “so we don’t have bikes just sitting there,” Hartman said. They will be kept at the police substations.
Both cyclists and drivers will be encouraged to follow the law, he said, though drivers have more rules to follow than cyclists do.
Officer Mike Hurley, who patrols Fair Haven, will complete four-day bike training this Friday. If he passes, he will ditch his patrol car for a sturdy black Cannondale bicycle.
“I haven’t had much practice since high school or college,” Hurley said. “It’s been a while.” But he said he got the hang of it quickly. Biking will allow him to interact with community members while moving faster than he would on a walking beat. And, he said, “you’re not cooped up inside a patrol vehicle.”
Hausladen said the process of training more officers on road safety will help “change the culture” of the roads and of the police department.
What I love : Kids popping wheelies for an entire block when traffic is light.
What I hate : gangs of kids terrorizing sidewalks when they ride together.
If these kids can do critical mass rides, stay cool and not harass people, more power to them.