The City of Grand Rapids is praising its public education campaign for dramatically reducing the amount of accidents involving a bicycle and automobiles.
Named the Vision Zero campaign, city officials have made a concerted effort to educate drivers on two new ordinances in Grand Rapids. One requires drivers to stop for pedestrians at all crosswalks, the other mandates that motorists keep at least 5 feet between the right side of their vehicle and the bicyclist they are passing.
City officials say the new laws are making a difference. While just a few years ago Grand Rapids had Michigan's second-highest crash rate 2014, data released Monday showed zero bicycle-related fatalities were recorded in Grand Rapids from April 2018 through September 2018, while the 40 vehicle-bicycle crashes recorded during that six-month span were the City’s lowest total since 2008.
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss joined other to discuss the results at City Hall. A bicyclist herself, Mayor Bliss says the city is making significant progress when it comes to bike safety.
“I’m beyond pleased with the results,” Bliss said.
According to results from a new City-commissioned survey, more than 9 in 10 people in Grand Rapids now know they must leave a minimum amount of space – 5 feet – between their vehicle and a bicyclist when passing.