Local bicyclists now have an easier way to report harassment and collisions. Cincinnati has added a "Bicyclist Incident" form on its customer service website, 5916000.com. It's also on the city's mobile app, Cincinnati City Hall Mobile, which is GPS-enabled so cyclists can accurately report their location. (The app is available through Apple's App Store and Google Play.)
"In our latest survey of Cincinnati cyclists, 266 people told us they'd been a victim of harassment while riding a bicycle in the past 12 months," said Melissa McVay, Senior City Planner in the Department of Transportation and Engineering in a release. "This new tracking system will help us figure out where this is happening most often and do something to curb it."
The data will help the city conduct more targeted education and enforcement of bike and motor vehicle laws. The reports aren't intended to replace a police report for emergency situations like a collision with serious injuries.
The city says typical accounts of harassment often involve glass bottles being thrown at cyclists, or drivers trying to knock cyclists off their bikes by passing to closely.
The city offers Pocket Guide to Bike Laws at www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikes/bikelaws/.