ALHAMBRA, Calif. - Alhambra Police Department will conduct a bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operation on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 6:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The focus of the operation will be on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
These violations include drivers speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, failing to stop for signs and signals, or any other traffic violation. Officers will also look for pedestrians who cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Bike riders will be stopped when riding on the wrong side of the road, not complying with stop signs and signals, or other violations of the same traffic laws that apply to them as drivers.
"The Police Department remains dedicated to these efforts to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries," Sergeant Brian Chung said. "our message to anyone on the streets in Alhambra is: whether you are on wheels or on foot, it's your responsibility to safely share the road."
To keep you and your family safe, the Alhambra Police Department offers the following tips when out biking, driving, or walking:
Pedestrians
- Be predictable. Use crosswalks, when available.
- Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
- Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. At 30 mph, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
- Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors and reflective material, and carry a flashlight -- particularly at dawn, dusk, or at night.
- Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.
Drivers
- Follow the speed limit and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
- Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
- Never drive impaired.
Bicyclists
- Obey traffic laws, use hand signals, use lights at night (front white light and rear red reflector), and wear a helmet.
- Bicyclists must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
- Avoid the door zone: do not ride too close to parked cars.
- Yield to pedestrians. Bicyclists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks at intersections.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Media Contact: Michael Montano, Sergeant
(626) 570-5117, mmontano@alhambrapd.org