By Matthew Santoni, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, December 3, 2009

A scuffle over scofflaw bicyclists in the City of Brotherly Love has Pittsburgh officials looking for ways to help everyone get along on the road.

In October, accidents between pedestrians and bicyclists in Philadelphia left two people dead and at least one recovering from a fractured skull.

The incidents spurred a crackdown on bicyclists who break traffic laws; a surge of “bicycle ambassadors” trying to remind riders of the rules; and legislation aimed at requiring bikes to be registered in Philadelphia.

Being on a bike most of the day, I can say we do not have an epidemic of cyclists breaking the law – Pittsburgh officer Matt Lackner, assigned to the bicycle unit Downtown

In Pittsburgh, city police, planners, transportation groups and bike advocates discussed Wednesday ways to pump up education and enforcement of the oft-forgotten laws that govern the relationship among vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

“We need to discourage aggressive use of the street by any user — aggressive driving, aggressive biking, aggressive walking,” said Stephen Patchan, bike/pedestrian coordinator for the city’s Planning Department. “It’s really just taking your time and getting to your destination safely.”

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