PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
For more information, please contact:
William Porter, Communications Director
First-Ever Bike Education Day Kicks Off
with Aspen Police Department and Street Smart
The City of Aspen invites the community to join the Aspen Police Department and Street Smart on Wednesday, July 19, for their first-ever Bike Education Day. This interactive day of learning and engagement is designed to enhance the safety and enjoyment of the city's streets and trails.
This event emphasizes education over enforcement. The city will reward good behavior with incentives such as bells and water bottles, while sharing information on essential biking etiquette and safety rules.
The importance of this event is underscored by statistics showing that bicycle-related injuries and accidents have been on the rise nationwide. In the U.S. alone, over 800 bicyclists died in traffic crashes in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). And locally, while Aspen remains a bike-friendly city, there have been instances of traffic violations and near misses involving bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles. This highlights the need for education, awareness, and understanding about the importance of bike safety and respect for all road users.
As part of Bike Education Day, police officers will be in the commercial core engaging with the community throughout the day and will be located at various key locations during specific hours:
In the afternoon, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, officers including Lee Malik and Charlie Martin, will be available to engage with the community.
Officers and rangers will be educating on area trails, Stein Park, Marolt Bridge and potentially by the schools or ARC during the afternoon.
Police Chief Kim Ferber announced, "We envision a city where safety and respect are not mere expectations, but integral components of our shared culture. To actualize this, we are emphasizing education over enforcement. Our first-ever initiative of this kind is designed to illuminate the importance of proper bike etiquette, encouraging our citizens towards thoughtful road behavior so our city is a safer and more enjoyable habitat for all."
This event marks an important step in promoting safe and responsible biking in the City of Aspen, and everyone is encouraged to attend and contribute to this communal learning experience.
The Street Smart initiative is an integrated, inter-departmental endeavor to enhance public safety and foster environmentally sustainable practices. This collaboration, which includes the Engineering Department, Aspen Police, and Parks Department, focuses on elevating the safety measures for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the city.