Bicyclist traffic school now in East Bay BIKE ABOUT TOWN

Cal students attend a Bicycle Traffic School class. The monthly class got its start on campus in 2011, after many bicyclists received tickets when campus police stepped up enforcement. Cal students attend a Bicycle Traffic School class. The monthly class got its start on campus in 2011, after many bicyclists received tickets when campus police stepped up enforcement. Photo: Courtesy East Bay Bicycle Coalit Photo: Courtesy East Bay Bicycle Coalit Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bicyclist traffic school now in East Bay 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The East Bay Bicycle Coalition is teaming with the city of Alameda and UC Berkeley to lead the way in a new kind of traffic school - for bicyclists.

People ticketed in Alameda or on the Berkeley campus while riding their bikes have a new option to reduce their fine by taking a two-hour safety class taught by certified bicycle safety instructors. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition will partner with the police departments in Alameda and on the Berkeley campus to offer these free classes, and is working to bring Bicycle Traffic School to more cities in the East Bay.

Started at UC Berkeley

Bicycle Traffic School got its start in the East Bay on the UC Berkeley campus in 2011, after many bicyclists received tickets when the campus police department stepped up enforcement of "dismount zones" - areas on campus that require people to walk their bikes. Following some anger about the hefty fines for these violations, the first Bicycle Traffic School classes were offered by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition in partnership with the UC Berkeley Police Department.

By taking one of these classes, the fine for bicycling in a pedestrian zone (or dismount zone) would be reduced from $220 to $50. These free classes are offered monthly on the Berkeley campus and are open to the public. Details on upcoming UC Berkeley classes, including one from 3-5 p.m. Jan. 31, can be found at www.ebbc.org/safety.

Classes in Alameda

Last month, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition offered the first Bicycle Traffic School class in Alameda in partnership with the Alameda Police Department. These two-hour classes are free of charge and open to the public. No bike is required. Attending a class and receiving a signed certificate within 30 days of a violation will enable the cyclist to pay a reduced fine of $50, as opposed to the original ticket fees, which can often be in excess of $200.

"This program will allow us to reach bicyclists who might not choose to attend a safety class voluntarily, but who are sometimes the people most in need of this information," says Robert Prinz, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition's education coordinator. "We have also been working with the Alameda PD to ensure that enforcement will be targeted to have the biggest impact on safety, without discriminating against cyclists disproportionately."

The goal of this program is to decrease the number of bicycle collisions, injuries and fatalities in Alameda through safety education while reducing the money spent by public agencies on court appearances, enforcement and emergency services. Teens and adults who don't have citations can also attend these classes for free. The next class in Alameda is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday (Alameda Fire Department Conference Center, 431 Stardust Place, Building 522, Alameda Point); for more information and to register for a class, go to www.ebbc.org/AlamedaPD.

The East Bay Bicycle Coalition offers free adult, teen, family, and youth bicycle safety classes throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in English, Spanish and Cantonese. For more information and a schedule of classes, go to www.ebbc.org/safety.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition offers free bicycle safety classes in San Francisco, and upcoming classes are listed at www.sfbike.org/edu.

Bike About Town is presented by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, a 4,000-member nonprofit working for safe, convenient and enjoyable bicycling for all people in the East Bay. For more biking resources, go to www.ebbc.org.