PLATTSBURGH, NY (Monday June 18th 2024) - The Plattsburgh Police Department recently had five officers complete Police Bike School with the attempt to grow the City’s police presence in an eco-friendly and more engaging way. With the help of the E-bikes, Plattsburgh City Police Officers will be able to navigate longer distances and make contact in more areas of the city, including special events, night patrols and community events hosted by the city.
The benefits of having officers on bikes are numerous. Alongwith being able to navigate longer distances and make contact in more areas of our City, cyclists can connect with officers on bikes on different levels compared to patrol officers. This provides a valuable opportunity to local law enforcement to educate bicyclists about road safety. This is an important aspect of community-oriented policing.
The Plattsburgh Police Department’s participation in Police Bike School and the addition of e-bikes is one of the many ways the City of Plattsburgh is working towards becoming a bike friendly city. The addition of “sharrows” (shared roadways for vehicles and bicyclists), off-road trails such as the Saranac River Trail, Terry Gordon Bike Trail, the planned implementation of phase three of the Saranac River Trail and community events that promote biking and bike safety such as the Bike Block Party that recently happened on May 11th, all contribute to a holistic approach to creating education and awareness about bike safety and a bike friendly culture in our city. All of these efforts help the City to build a better bike culture, and reinforce the City’s Complete Streets policy which was highlighted in many sections throughout the City’s newly adopted Comprehensive Plan. Efforts like these help the City to Thrive!
Operators of e-bikes must be at least 16 years old and helmets are required on an e-bike for 16 and 17 year olds. To learn more about the City’s Bike Friendly Plattsburgh Plan, visit the City’s website.
