DMV COMMISSIONER, GTSC CHAIR ANNOUNCES 
AVAILABILITY OF COMPREHENSIVE BIKE SAFETY MANUAL

Governor's Traffic Safety Committee-Funded Grant Enables 
New York Bicycling Coalition to Develop Guidebook

Motor Vehicle Commissioner Raymond P. Martinez, who also Chairs Governor George E. Pataki's Traffic Safety Committee, today announced that a comprehensive manual on bicycle and pedestrian safety developed by the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) is now available.

"Through funding from Governor Pataki's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), the Bicycling Coalition has produced a problem-solving manual for bicycling advocates and transportation professionals," Commissioner Martinez said. "Titled 'Improving Bicycling and Pedestrian Safety,' this manual will provide New Yorkers with a valuable resource."

The publication is the fruition of a three-year pilot program begun in 1998 with funding from the GTSC. The NYBC studied problem intersections and dangerous portions of local road systems in four diverse counties - Albany, Kings, Monroe and Suffolk - and followed up last year with a series of safety workshops in those communities.

"NYBC is determined, through the development of products like this manual, to ensure that on-road bicycling -- whether for recreation, exercise commuting or racing -- remains a safe and viable transportation option throughout New York State," said Bill Eisenreich, NYBC President.

The NYBC plans to continue the workshops this year in conjunction with local bicycling clubs. The sites and dates include: Albany, May 2; Rochester, May 22; Hauppauge, June 6; and Brooklyn, June 19. The workshop facilitator will be Jeff Olsen of Saratoga Springs, who served many years as Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager for the New York State Department of Transportation. Olsen is a former Director of the Millennium Trails Project in Washington, DC.

Commissioner Martinez described the new manual as a user-friendly means to promote better communication about bicycle and pedestrian safety matters, which may also contribute to road improvements in the state's transportation infrastructure.

The manual and related safety information, including additional details about the four workshops planned for this spring, is available on the New York Bicycling Coalition website at www.nybc.net or on the GTSC website at www.safeny.com  Individual hard copies may be obtained from the NYBC, PO Box 8868, Albany, NY 12208, for $5.00 to cover shipping and handling fees. 

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