Every day, thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians travel around the UA campus. 

Starting Monday, Aug. 31 and through the month of September, the University of Arizona Police Department will have a campaign to educate everyone who travels around campus and how they can share the streets of the university in a safe manner.

“We want students and residents around the Tucson area to be educated about bicycle safety,” said Joe Bermudez, Crime Prevention Specialist. “There’s new traffic to be aware of and we want everyone to travel to their destinations safely.”

In the past few years, issues have come up such as bicycle theft and misuse of the lights on bicycles, which has caused accidents around campus. The campaign will teach students the proper way to lock up their bikes before attending class.

UAPD will handout bicycle lights for those who travel at night and don’t have them on their bike already. UAPD’s mission is for travelers and pedestrians to become aware of their surroundings in order to prevent future accidents.

With over 9,000 incoming freshman this year, UAPD decided the best time to educate new students is by running the campaign in the beginning of the year.

At all hours of the day during the campaign, officers on duty will be scoping campus to make sure travelers are obeying the Arizona state laws. If there’s a violation of the law, travelers and pedestrians will be ticketed. The cost of the ticket will depend on the court’s decision.

Riding through a stop sign can be quite costly and many college students are financially independent. UAPD suggests that students will benefit from educating themselves on the safety and rules for traveling.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for students to learn about bike safety,” said Talia Stone, a public health sophomore at the UA. “As a pedestrian, it’s scary and sometimes frustrating not knowing whether the biker is going to hit you or not; we definitely need more bicycle lanes built around campus.”

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