Safety

Register your Bike:

Please register your bike with DPS when you arrive on campus. They will give you a unique number for your bike, so if it is lost or stolen, DPS will be better equipped to track it down. DPS is located in Kaufman Hall.

Around Carlisle:

It’s important to use caution while riding on the road with cars. The League of American Bicyclists has a beautiful guide on safe cycling. All of this general information may be applied to all states. In Carlisle, you are prohibited from biking on sidewalks in the downtown district (you shouldn’t be biking on sidewalks anyway) and Pennsylvania you must have a front white light and rear red reflector while biking at night (you should have those regardless). Also, if you haven’t had enough, you can be an expert by reading up on PA’s Biking Laws.

What are some of the important concepts to take from these documents?

  • Wear a helmet In 90% of bicycle crashes that resulted in a fatality, the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet.  Protect your noggin’!
  • Bikes are considered vehicles Lots of rights, but lots of responsibilities ensue
  • Motor vehicle laws apply to people on bicycles.
  • Laws are enforced by municipal and state police, citations may be given.
  • Use the bike lane when possible – if it is unsafe though (open car door, debris, construction) you are not required to stay in the bike lane.  Ride as far to the right of the road as is practicable.
  • Ride single file; it’s safer anyways.
  • Yield for pedestrian; they always have the right of way.
  • Use traffic signals, be predictable so drivers and pedestrians know what you’re up to.

Frequently asked questions:

Are there bike racks in Downtown Carlisle? Yes, there are! Commuter Services of Pennsylvania has a map of municipalities throughout South Central PA.  You can search in Carlisle or anywhere in the region!

What is the Carlisle Road Diet? Great efforts have been made to convert Carlisle into a more bike friendly area. If you are wondering how the bike lane on High Street came to be, take a look at the Carlisle Road Diet.