MANY CYCLISTS AND MOTORISTS want stronger enforcement of Maine bicycling laws. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Law Enforcement Collaborative is working to make that happen. The collaborative includes police, transportation officials, cyclists, attorneys and bicycle safety educators.
LAST MONTH, the collaborative released a new reference guide that helps officers determine whether motorists and cyclists have violated Maine laws. The collaborative also organized traffic enforcement details in Portland and several nearby communities that focused on those laws.
OVER THE COURSE of one day in mid-June, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and police in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland and Yarmouth issued 28 citations and 51 warnings to motorists. The most common offenses were speeding and distracted operation.
DURING THAT SAME TIME, officers issued four citations and eight warnings to cyclists for offenses such as not stopping at a stop sign, riding on the wrong side of the road, going the wrong way on a one-way street and failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
LT. FRANK CLARK of the South Portland Police Department said the collaborative hopes officers throughout Maine will use the reference guide to enforce bicycle and pedestrian laws on an ongoing basis.
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