Action 3: Traffic Safety Campaign
All road users should be reminded of rules and best practices for shared road use in a large campaign timed to seasonal and population changes in and around Ithaca.
This person is bicycling safely by riding on the right of the traffic lane while avoiding weaving in and out of obstacles such as parked cars. (Photo: Bike Walk Tompkins)
About This Action
For bicycling to be truly for everyone, it needs to be accepted by everyone. In an Ithaca where bicycling is commonplace, all road users understand the rules of the road and best practices that make sharing the road more comfortable to everyone. A marketing campaign should be developed to share and reinforce rules and best practices for interacting with bicycles on the road, with an emphasis drivers given their disproportionate impact on people walking or biking if a collision happens.
To reach as many people as possible, a marketing agency with experience in the Ithaca area should be involved to create a campaign strategy, adapt existing resources, and develop new messaging and materials. The campaign should extend beyond retelling the rules of the road. Using local crash data analyzed by our MPO, the campaign should target the most dangerous traffic behaviors occurring in and around Ithaca and share best practices to avoid such incidents. For example, while New York State does not have a “3-foot passing” law when vehicles are passing bicycles, it is best practice to allow at least 3 feet of clearance, if not more, when doing so.
The campaign strategy should include working with bicycling and driving “gatekeepers” such as driving instructors, bikeshare providers, or the DMV to share messages through their channels. A coordinated campaign would increase the breadth of impact.
These yard signs communicate a traffic safety message that’s so clear and compelling, they have become a commercial product available online and at hardware stores across the US. (Photo: Johnathan Foster)
Let’s Make It Happen
Bike Walk Tompkins is currently exploring the timeframe in which to launch a traffic safety campaign and looking for funding opportunities to kickstart this work. We need your help!
Are you an individual that has been personally affected by traffic violence and want to do something about it? Let’s talk.
Are you a marketing agency that has developed successful multimedia campaigns in the Ithaca market? Contact us with a sample of your work.
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