CDOT, CTA video focuses on bus, bicycle safety

With more and more cyclists on Chicago’s streets, CDOT and CTA have pooled resources to promote safety via an informational video.  The 12-minute video instructs bus operators and bicyclists on how to share the road. The video covers:

• Minimum safe passing clearance

• Avoiding crashes at service stops

• Bicyclists’ safe positioning on the roadway

As of December 2009, the video is required viewing for the CTA’s 5,000 veteran bus operators twice per year, and it will be added to CTA’s existing bike-related training curriculum for new hires. CDOT’s Bicycle Program is using online networking resources to encourage Chicago cyclists and local bike clubs to watch the video online at www.ChicagoBikes.org/video, or on CTA’s Bike & Ride web page.

“The most important themes are mutual respect and communication. A positive attitude promotes safety and can prevent conflict,” said CTA President Richard L. Rodriguez.

“CDOT’s Bike Program has long promoted safety first and foremost, and this video is just the latest tool to achieve that goal,” added CDOT Acting Commissioner Thomas H. Powers. 

The project was funded in part with a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Highway Safety.