POTSDAM – Potsdam police will conduct a safe bike initiative following concerns voiced by several citizens at the Oct. 3 Potsdam village board meeting for the safety of bicyclists operating on village streets

With the return of the student population creating an influx of both vehicular and bicycle to the Potsdam roadways, riding within the rules of the road is imperative to maintain safe travel in and about the village, Potsdam police said in a prepared statement.

In response, the Potsdam Police Department will, over the next several weeks, conducting a safe biking initiative. Officers will stop and identify bicyclists they observe operating in an unsafe manner and address the observed infractions, be it with a verbal warning or a traffic ticket citing the violation.

Police want to remind bicyclists of several of the relevant New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws pertaining to bicycle operation:

• All cyclists are subject to the same traffic laws and rights as a motor vehicle operator. This includes stopping at red lights and stop signs, stopping at crosswalks when a pedestrian is in or entering the crosswalk, signaling turns, yielding right of way at intersections, etc.

• Village of Potsdam Municipal Code allows for juvenile bicyclists to operate on village sidewalks, permitted they do so with proper care and yield right of way to pedestrians.

• No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number of riders for which it is designed and equipped.

• Bicycles shall be ridden on the right side of the roadway, as far right as possible. The exception to this is when making a left turn. In that case, the cyclist, using proper hand signals, should move to the proper lane to make the turn. (Bicycles move with traffic, pedestrians walking on the roadway face traffic.)

• At night, all bicycles shall be equipped with a white light on the front and a red or amber light on the rear.

• All signals required to be given are as follows: Left turn - left hand and arm extended horizontally; right turn - left hand and arm extended upward or right hand and arm extended horizontally. Stop or decrease speed - Left hand and arm extended downward. All turns are to be made by using these signals and the cyclist needs to make sure that it is safe to change lanes.

• Bicyclists are prohibited from wearing more than one earphone attached to an audio device.

Additional laws pertaining to the operation of bicycles and other play devices (i.e.in-line skates, skateboards, etc.) can be found in Article 34 of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law (Sections 1230 & 1241) or may be reviewed on the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee website -http://www.safeny.ny.gov/bike-vt.htm

Tips for safe riding can also be viewed on the Department of Transportation website - www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/bicycle/safety_laws/safety-tips.