TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Eve R. Irvine, Chief of Police
Tim Hageman, Police Captain
Andrew Harrod, Police Lieutenant
Julie Dahlgren, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Six Month Update on Enforcement of Bike Path Hazards Ordinance Regarding Flashing Lights at the Pier (Ordinance No. 15-0005 - Amending and Restating Municipal Code Provisions Governing Bike Path Hazards) (Police Chief Irvine).
ACCEPT UPDATE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Accept the update on the enforcement of the Bike Path Hazards Ordinance No. 15-0005.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
Municipal Code Section 14.28.140 Bike Path Hazards provides public safety officials the ability to designate areas of the Bike Path as “Walk Only” zones, requiring bicyclists to dismount and walk their bikes in order to ensure the safety of both bicyclists and pedestrians. This is most often utilized near the Pier at the Bike Path crossing at times when the volume of pedestrians and/or bicyclists is high.
Installation of a flashing light system began in March 2015; the flashing lights provide increased visibility of the “Walk Only” zone and enhance pedestrian safety in the Pier area.
On May 19, 2015, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 15-0005 amending the existing MBMC Section 14.28.140 to add language that allows the "Walk Only" zone on the Bike Path to be designated by the presence of flashing lights.
When the ordinance was introduced in May 2015, City Council requested that staff return in six months to provide an update of the enforcement efforts. The following report provides an update on how the enforcement of this ordinance is working.
DISCUSSION:
Installation of the flashing light system in the area of the Pier began in March 2015 and became fully operational at the end of July. Since July, the flashing light system has been activated several times on busy summer weekends, as well as during special events in the pier area.
In the past three months, 9 citations have been issued to bicyclists who did not dismount their bikes in the designated “Walk Only” area. Approximately 20 warning citations were also issued. We will continue to monitor the area and cite violators, when appropriate.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The adoption of Ordinance No. 15-0005 was noticed in the Beach Report on May 28, 2015.
To increase awareness of and compliance with the designated “Walk Only” zones, the Police Department deploys portable signage along the bike path alerting bicyclists of the upcoming safety zone (e.g. signage deployed 300 feet from the “Walk Only” zone notifying bicyclists to prepare to dismount their bikes).