Cape May Police Department is hoping to get the summer rolling safely with a booth at Cape May’s Harbor Fest on June 20.
Police Chief Diane Sorantino said that the department is using the festival as an outreach opportunity to answer questions for citizens and visitors and let them know about local and state laws that are in place to keep them safe.
“We have such a high volume of bicycle traffic (here),” Sorantino said, plus pedestrians, skateboards and motor vehicles.
If the laws aren’t properly enforced, injuries can happen, particularly when bikers on the sidewalk put pedestrians at risk.
“We are trying to get that traffic off the sidewalks and into the proper place,” Sorantino said.
Bikes and skateboards are not permitted on the sidewalks or the Washington Street Mall at any time, but they are allowed on the seaside Promenade until 10 a.m. daily.
Sorantino said that in most cases, offenders are not aware of the laws, so the Harbor Fest booth will allow them an opportunity to get the word out.
Police will also be sharing information about bike helmet regulations.
All bicyclists and skateboarder under 17 years old are required by law to wear a helmet.
A helmet can protect young riders from the most serious injuries should an accident occur, but often because of a lack of understanding of the law or peer pressure, many riders forego the use of helmets.
“You’d be surprised about the amount of calls we get about kids not wearing helmets,” Sorantino said. “We’ve taken some criticism for not enforcing the law, so we plan to be fair and give warnings, and also to give citations where necessary.”
Police will also be sharing information with citizens on how to avoid having their bike stolen.
“Nearly 80 percent of our bikes that are stolen are unlocked,” Sorantino said. “Some are stolen right out of the front yard.”
So police will be advising bike riders to lock their bikes up wherever they are—the beach, a store or restaurant, or even at home. They will even have some bike lock to give away at the booth on a first-come-first-served basis.
Sorantino said that while the main thrust of the booth will be to inform people about traffic and bike safety, officers will also be on hand to answer any questions people might have.
“We get all kids of questions about hiring and our summer program,” she said, but also there’s a “pretty broad spectrum” of other questions as well.
“It’s a good place for people to come and ask questions, “ she said.
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