Bike Safe, Lake Tahoe; Campaign launched by Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition is stressing bike safety in their new multimedia education campaign to promote safe bicycling for Tahoe visitors and residents.

“We hope these safety tips help ensure people enjoy riding their bicycles at Lake Tahoe,” said Curtis Fong, vice president of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition. “This is the greatest and most beautiful place in the world to ride a bike, and we want to help make sure that bicyclists are aware of safe riding practices when bicycling on roadways or bike paths around Lake Tahoe.”

The Bike Coalition’s safety campaign includes tips for people riding bicycles on Tahoe’s roads and separated paths, and will be distributed via:

Posters and rack cards that are being distributed throughout the Tahoe-Truckee Region as well as key spots in Reno, Television spots, radio public service announcements, and print ads, Online using social media, and the Bike Coalition’s website, tahoebike.org.

Key tips include biking the same direction as traffic, using lights, reflectors and bright clothing to be visible to drivers, passing on the left when on a multi-use path, using proper hand signals, and obeying traffic safety laws. A full list of bicycle safety tips is available online at tahoebike.org/bike-safety. Links to the TV spots and radio PSA are included on this web page.

“Riding a bicycle is a great way to stay fit and healthy and Lake Tahoe has miles and miles of beautiful bike paths and bike lanes and is being recognized as a high altitude training and bicycling destination, but that doesn’t mean conflicts between bicyclists and motorists can’t happen,” said Fong. “We hope these simple tips will help provide bicyclists and motorists with safety information to help create a more bicycle friendly community.”

In addition to tips for people riding bikes, the Safety Campaign includes advice for motorists, with a pilot program to install special electronic sign boards in key locations around Lake Tahoe roadways to remind motorists to watch for bicyclists, share the road and give bicyclists three feet when passing.