By Hugh Garbrick

The Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) has committed the month of October to addressing bicycle safety on campus.

On Oct. 9 near the Chemistry Building, senior geology major Andrew Lazara and DOTS sustainability coordinator Marta Woldu handed out free breakfast to bikers in exchange for their promise to adhere to the rules of the road by signing the Bike Safety Pledge. This initiative is part of the Same Road, Same Rules campaign.

“There is not a lot of shared acknowledgement on…how one should navigate the streets on our campus,” Woldu said. “We try to promote same roads, same rules.”

In the state of Maryland, bicycles are considered equivalent to vehicles on the road, while sidewalks are intended for pedestrians, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.  

“Motorists on the streets can be intimidating for new cyclists,” Waldu said. “We help them recognize that their rights are to be on the road — to take up the full length of the road as a vehicle.”

DOTS recommends that motorists be patient with cyclists and give them space on the road.

John Jordan, an assistant researcher in Information Sciences, stopped by the breakfast table during his cycling commute.

“When I’m biking I really try and avoid busy roads, and ones where there are a lot of cars, especially when they’re faster than me,” Jordan said. “I always wear my helmet, and I have some little kids, so I make sure that they travel in safe places.”

As of Oct. 10, 120 people had signed up to take the Bike Safety Pledge, according to Woldu.

To check out the remaining events for Bike Safety Month, visit transportation.umd.edu/bike/safety.html.