Bicycles

Background

Pedestrians and cyclists are our most vulnerable users of our streets.  Traffic safety must be learned and practiced by both drivers and pedestrians/cyclists to save lives.

The concept of a Safety City was introduced in 1937 in Ohio by a patrol officer in response to a child traffic fatality.  Child deaths had been on a steep rise since the popularization of motor vehicles and the prioritization placed on their dominance in the streets.

A safety city, or traffic garden, is a set of small-sized streets with scaled-down traffic features and urban elements where children and other new learners practice using streets in a place that is free from motor vehicles. Traffic gardens allow children to learn about traffic rules and devices, safe navigation of cities, resolution of conflicts, and how to appropriately handle interactions with other travelers on the road.

Warren County Invests

The Warren County Bicycle Safety Park, traffic garden, is a collaborative effort between Warren County Fiscal Court, Bike Walk BG, Warren County Parks and Recreation, and Warren County Public Library and is numbered among only a handful located in the state of Kentucky.  A relatively small investment of space and resources created this park for Bowling Green and Warren County’s children to learn how to use our streets more safely, both as pedestrians/cyclists, and as drivers in years to come.

The park is located at the Fringe (717 College St.) in downtown Bowling Green.  Also located at this address is the Warren County Bike Co-op. The Safety Park is free and open to the public for use. BikeWalkBG will attempt to accommodate planned groups to teach bicycle safety.