Conway cyclists tried to find solutions for aggressive animals and motorists during a special Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board meeting Thursday, Sept. 29, in Conway City Hall.
Terry Coddington, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator led the panel and said this was the city’s first meeting of its kind.
“We’ve seen an increase in bicycle-related incidents; whether it be with motorists, dogs, that type of thing,” Coddington said. “We want to be proactive as a city, as cyclists in the community, we want to be proactive at addressing these issues.”
Panelists included Coddington, Police Chief William Tapley and Conway city attorney Charles Finkenbinder.
Members of the Conway Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and Conway Advocates for Bicycling were in attendance, as well as community cyclists. Coddington’s chief concerns were loose dogs and aggressive motorists.
“We’ve had some cyclists get attacked. In some cases you don’t get attacked, [but] they run out in front of you and there’s damage to property,” Coddington said.
Tapley said loose dogs should be reported to animal control.
“The proper thing to do is to contact animal control and let them know there is a loose animal in the area. They may not find it the first time, they might not find it the second time but as we move on, they can figure out where the animal comes from, make contact with the owner, make sure they’re aware of their responsibilities and, if need be, they can issue citations,” Tapley said.
Stray animals can pose safety concerns for cyclists and reporting their whereabouts is more complicated than a single phone call and capture, Tapley said.
“It’s really not as easy as we get one phone call about a dog being out, we go out [and] find the dog and take care of it. [Animal control] have spent weeks trying to locate animals,” Tapley said. “Just because you’re on Ash Street and the dog is there, that doesn’t mean that dog is owned anywhere in that neighborhood.”
Some run-ins with dogs have damaged cyclists’ property but did not result in injury, according to Coddington. Tapley said information reports for these cases are still helpful, but to avoid making contact with the owner of the animal.
“You can file a report. I would not recommend trying to make contact with the homeowner. That generally does not end well and you never know what you’re getting into. The main thing is, if you’re in good shape and you don’t have to make contact with them, let somebody else do that,” Tapley said.
The reports may be labeled information reports if a city ordinance or law is not broken in the situation, Tapley said. “But the report can still be written and you can follow up through the civil process.”
Coddington recommended cyclists rethink their routes if they are routinely encountering unpredictable animals.
“If you find yourself riding a certain road and [have] to grab the pepper spray in advance of encountering the dogs, that’s probably a sign that you should have adjusted your route,” Coddington said. “There’s [an] inherent risk with what we do. It’s OK to change the route.”
Pets are personal property under the law, so they cannot be seized without evidence, Coddington said. However, information reports can help build a case against an animal. “[Reports] would be helpful later on if this dog is a nuisance and there are multiple reports [for] potentially removing the animal,” Coddington said.
Tapley encouraged cyclists to remain composed in the presence of unpredictable animals.
“Pepper spray, dog spray, something like that would be fine … when you cross the line into malicious, you’re in a different category,” Tapley said. “You have to be aware of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Is it for safety? Or whether you’re doing it because you’re upset? Those [two things] mean different results.”
The panel had similar advice for unsafe motorists that endanger cyclists.
“It’s tough to get a tag number when somebody is rushing past you at 50 miles per hour, but I’ve become an expert at it,” Coddington said.
Making information reports can determine the frequency of an incident, which can help protect cyclists.
“We’ve heard of instances in other communities where it’s habitual, as far as the community against the cyclists. I’ll use Little Rock as an example. Every time the Big Dam Bridge rolls around, the tacks come out on certain roads,” Coddington said.
Information reports can also help Conway add or update infrastructure, such as bike lanes or dividers, to keep cyclists safe.
“We’re not saying you have to get injured before change is made, but the data helps,” Coddington said. “We need to bring the community along with us. I don’t want to create an us versus them mentality.”
BPAB will next meet 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20, in Conway City Hall. It is open to the public. The meeting will be recorded and posted to the City of Conway’s YouTube channel.