copied below is my letter to Madison PD, and their response. Unless
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or his wife steps forward, this is likely to be
as far as it goes.
So it would be really nice if <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> steps forward,
seeing as how I've just stuck my neck out for the cycling community
(again - the media coverage of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's
GhostBikes campaign has been better than we've ever hoped for, but it
has also meant that I personally have become the scapegoat for every
motorist that has witnessed any illegal behavior by any cyclist anywhere).
thanks,
chuck
Chuck Strawser
Madison Project Coordinator
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703
voice: 608-251-4456
fax: 608-251-4594
www.bfw.org
Subject: RE: Enforcement for Bicycle Safety Class available soon
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 19:57:09 -0500
From: "Cam McLay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Chuck Strawser" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
"Stephanie Bradley-Wilson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "Jeanne Hoffman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
"Arthur Ross" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Chuck Cole" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Mr Strawser,
In answer to your questions, no Parking Enforcement Officers are not
authorized to make Traffic Stops for moving violations, whether of motor
vehicle or bicycle, and you conclusion that there is no violation being
committed in the scenario with which we are presented is correct.
I would like very much for us to have the opportunity to speak with the
person relating this incident. If such an incident were to occur, we
would certainly assure that this employee was educated on the
limitations of her authority and make the needed corrections to the
employees work behavior. We will make enquiries internally to determine
if this incident occurred.
I am familiar with Mr Corsi's excellent training. Members of the MPD
Traffic Enforcement Safety Team have attended that training, and a
retired member of our Team helps teach it. As the Parking Enforcement
officers are not empowered to do any such enforcement, we likely can not
afford to spend valuable training funds on training these personnel. I
doubtless will send students to the next session, but it will be police
officers authorized to do pedestrian and bicycle enforcement work.
The fact of the matter is, however, that anyone can post whatever they
want anonymously on the internet. The anonymity the internet provides
creates a situation where the truth hard to determine. Please forward
any contact information you are able to obtain to me, and I will assure
that we investigate the matter. In the absence of a person stepping
forward to take responsibility for their statements, disciplinary action
against an employee would be impossible. We are responsible to verify
the reliability of the information used as a basis for disciplinary
action, and that is largely impossible with an anonymous complaint.
Yours Sincerely,
Captain Cam McLay,
City of Madison Police Department
Traffic and Support Services Section
(608)266-4877
----------
From: Chuck Strawser [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wed 7/5/2006 12:32 PM
To: Cam McLay; Stephanie Bradley-Wilson; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: Jeanne Hoffman; Arthur Ross; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Enforcement for Bicycle Safety Class available soon
All: I've been informed that I gave you the wrong phone number for Larry
Corsi (WisDOT BOTS bicycle & pedestrian safety coordinator) in the email I
previously sent (below).
Larry's correct phone number is 608-267-3154. I believe his email address
is correct.
thanks,
chuck strawser
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain McClay, Lt. Bradley Wilson, et al.,
There was a post made to one of the local bicycle list-servs (copied below)
by someone who said that a Parking Enforcement Officer stopped his wife
while lawfully bicycling down Williamson Street during the rush hour
parking restrictions and told her that "it is against the law to bike on
Williamson Street" and that he would give her a citation if she didn't get
off her bike and walk. Judging by the date of the post and its wording,
this incident happened at about 4pm on Monday, June 19.
We have not been able to get in touch with the person who made the post;
consequently, we do not have the name of the cyclist, nor the name of the
Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO). But the post raises two troubling
questions:
1) Are PEOs actually allowed to make traffic stops and issue (or even
threaten to issue) moving violations? I thought they were only able to
issue parking tickets (non moving violations) and have vehicles towed.
Unless I'm mistaken, this PEO was severely overstepping his authority to
even stop a legal vehicle.
2) Even if PEOs do have the authority to make traffic stops and issue
moving violations, this PEO clearly does not know or understand that
bicycles are legal vehicles, and bicyclists have all the same rights and
responsibilities as drivers of other vehicles (or chooses to ignore the
law).
I respectfully request that the incident be investigated, and I suggest
that the PEO in question, and perhaps other PEOs, participate in
Wisconsin's Pedestrian and Bicycle Law Enforcement Training. Larry Corsi
(cc'd) is WisDOT's bicycle & pedestrian safety coordinator (BOTS Division),
and he is the main contact for the course (which qualifies as part of the
continued training law enforcement officers are required to undergo
annually). Larry can be reached at 608-267-3154, or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lieutenant Bradley-Wilson was quoted in an article in the Wisconsin State
Journal ("Living out of your vehicle has legal limitations" July 3, 2006):
"It's a sticky issue," she said. "Parking enforcement officers don't want
to feel like they are harassing a person who is just living there. We try
to respond to complaints and try to work with the owner of the vehicle.
Sometimes we are able to get the person to move, but they are probably just
moving on to another neighborhood."
We find disappointing the apparent contrast between at least one Parking
Enforcement Officer's actions in harassing a law-abiding cyclist, and the
general policy of the department to avoid harassing other road users.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter,
Chuck Strawser
Chuck Strawser
Madison Project Coordinator
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703
voice: 608-251-4456
fax: 608-251-4594
www.bfw.org
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: [msn-cm] Parking Enforcement Harassment
>Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:47:45 -0000
>From: crly_rchrd
<<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To:
><<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
ahoogroups.com>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Yesterday afternoon my wife was biking on Williamson St. just as
>the "No Parking" was going into effect. A parking enforcement officer
>honked at her, stopped her and threatened her with a citation
>because "It's against the law to bike on Williamson St." She informed
>the officer that she had business on that street & was told that she
>should get off her bike & walk. Needless to say, she was a little upset.
>
>Is there any recourse in a situation like this? Aren't streets that
>bikes are prohibited marked? I know that Willy Street isa not one of
>them.
>
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