RALEIGH – Seven communities will soon benefit from participation in Watch for Me NC, a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle safety program aimed at reducing bicycle and pedestrian crashes and fatalities in North Carolina.
“We are excited to welcome these new community partners and their ideas as we work together to improve safety for all road users,” said Hanna Cockburn, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Division. “The Watch for Me NC program continues to mature and now serves as a model for other cities and states across the nation.”
The program leverages the strengths of law enforcement and public education to encourage safe and secure places to walk and bike. The NCDOT selected the following new partners to join 29 returning communities across the state:
• Alexander County
• Clayton (Johnston County)
• Fayetteville (Cumberland County)
• Forest City (Rutherford County)
• Franklin (Macon County)
• Hendersonville (Henderson County)
• Spindale (Rutherford County)
The program provides training for law enforcement officers on methods for improving safety for road users in their areas. Communities will also receive technical assistance, materials, and purchased media promotion such as billboards to help raise public awareness about important pedestrian and bicycle safety issues.
The UNC Highway Safety Research Center provides technical support with campaign implementation and evaluation. For more information about the program, visit watchformenc.org. Click here to learn what past communities have done to improve safety.
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