Motorists who endanger bicycle riders crackdown nets 233 tickets
A three-month-old ordinance targeting motorists who endanger bicycle riders has so far netted 233 citations, including 95 for improper left turns and 11 for driving on bicycle paths, Chicago Police said.
"It's a good start. It shows that they're taking it seriously," said Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
"I'm a little surprised, actually."
The ordinance, pushed by bike enthusiast Mayor Daley, raised fines for motorists who endanger bicyclists and clarified situations where bikes have the right of way.
The citations were issued between March 12 and May 31. Five bicyclists had been killed in collisions with vehicles in Chicago this year.
Sadowsky said drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians all have to exercise more care. He said he thinks the best news pedestrians and cyclists have had lately was not the ordinance, but the police sting targeting drivers who didn't stop for a cop posing as a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
"That will have a great application for bicyclists as well, because now we get people saying, 'Wow, they're actually looking at the rules of the road,'" Sadowsky said.