As part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness of vehicle and pedestrian safety on campus, UCAPD is enforcing a state law to improve sidewalk safety. UCAPD would like to remind the campus community that it is prohibited to drive or park motor vehicles on the university’s sidewalks. All state laws and regulations pertaining to sidewalk safety will be enforced by UCAPD. Anyone who chooses to violate these laws will be subject to citation. Director of Organizational and Community Services Arch Jones said that the UCAPD wants to remind everyone to be safe and if issuing citations is what it takes the department will do so. “Last semester, the university introduced ‘Brakes for Bears’ to raise public awareness for safety in crosswalks. Pedestrians and drivers both must be aware of what’s going on which is along the same lines as pedestrians and vehicles on the sidewalk,” Jones said. He said that the UCAPD is trying to limit risks by banning vehicles from the sidewalks and that sidewalks are for pedestrians and golf cart drivers need to be aware of that fact and careful for where they are going. Those who choose to ride bicycles or drive golf carts around campus need to use the campus roadways whenever possible, no matter how convenient the sidewalks may be, he said. Sidewalks on campus are there for pedestrians in order to allow the mobilization to and from classes less hectic. Bicycle and golf cart operators have been reminded that by Arkansas law and university regulation that if they are caught on campus sidewalks, they are subject to citation. If it becomes necessary to drive on campus sidewalks, operators of bicycles and golf cart drives must be informed and reminded that pedestrians always have the right-of-way. Major Glenn Stacks said that there is no Arkansas law prohibiting bicyclists from riding on the sidewalk. “It is not against the law to ride a bicycle on the sidewalks, but pedestrians do have the right-of-way,” Stacks said. If anyone, student or faculty, is caught putting either passengers or pedestrians at risk, they will face  receiving a citation, said Jones. “We want a safe campus here at UCA, and just as ‘Brakes for Bears’ raised awareness for the right of way in the crosswalk, we want to raise awareness that pedestrians on the sidewalks always have the right of way over a bicycle or a golf cart,” Jones said. He said that he drives a golf cart around campus himself, but he prefers to drive his cart between classes whenever necessary. UCAPD said that all members of the campus community are asked to voluntarily comply with these parking and traffic regulations in order to reduce the risk of injuries and accidents and to enhance the quality of life on campus. Jones said that students no longer have to worry about walking on the edge of sidewalks to and from classes in attempts to avoid on-coming and going golf carts, because now the operators are forced to use their vehicles on the campus’ roadways.