UPDATED 10/11/24
OCTOBER IS SAFETY MONTH
Each October our campus celebrates safety month to promote safe transportation habits on and around campus. Whether you bike, scoot, walk, or drive, it's important to know how to safely interact with others in traffic, ride predictably, and with care!
Join us for a month full of fun activities and events that will help keep you safe while on the road! See our calendar of events and details below.
Ride with Care:
- Follow Traffic Signs and Wait Your Turn: Obey traffic signals, stop at stop signs, stay in your lane and always yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Slow Your Roll: Mind your speed and give yourself at least 20 feet before stopping. Remember Terps, slow and steady wins the race.
- Ride on the Road (and Stay in Your Lane!): On low-speed roadways, micromobility devices are to operate in roadways like other moving vehicles. Don't weave in and out of traffic. On campus, remember to dismount at crosswalks, walk your wheels on sidewalks and yield to pedestrians.
- Make Space for Each Other: Leave 3 feet between yourself and another vehicle when passing—don’t try to squeeze by.
- Be Predictable: Make your intentions clear to everyone. Don’t make abrupt turns or swerve around other vehicles. Use hand signals and make eye contact with other travelers to cue your intentions.
Visit the Safety Starts with You page for more important safety information across all modes of transportation.
Take the pledge to demonstrate your commitment to share the road and help keep our campus streets safe!
Safety Month Events
This month, receive free giveaways, join us for fun events, and learn new things about safe transportation on campus!
Kick-Off Event: Gear Up!
Tuesday, October 1 | 11 a.m.–2 1 p.m. | STAMP, SE Entrance STAMP FOOD COURT | Giveaway: Helmets & Bike Lights
Stop by our Safety Month kick-off event to grab a free helmet and lights, get some snacks, and take a look at our pop-up shop, where we’ll be selling locks and more bike gear!
Campus 101 Tour
Thursday, October 3 | 1 p.m. –2:30 p.m. | Meet at DOTS Front Lawn | Register
Grab your helmet and your wheels and join BikeUMD on a campus-wide tour of our bike/scooter resources and facilities, including our two brand-new bike lanes!
RSVP required.
We Didn’t Start the Fire: Ice Cream Social with the UMD Fire Marshal
Tuesday, October 8 | 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | DOTS Front Lawn | Giveaway: Ice Cream & Bike Lights
Join BikeUMD and the UMD Fire Marshall for an ice cream social and a Q&A to learn more about the lithium-ion batteries inside your e-micromobility devices and how to keep them safe and in good condition.
Come Out and Ride
Friday, October 11 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Register
Celebrate National Coming Out Day and connect with your community by joining a group ride to Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville. This is a beginner-friendly ride that primarily takes place on bicycle+pedestrian trails. During the ride, we will stick together and travel at a conversational pace. All wheels are all welcome!
RSVP required.
Be a Bike-Friendly Driver
AM LOCATION
Tuesday, October 15 | 8:30 a.m.–11 a.m. | Lot 4b | Giveaway: Coffee & Free Veo Rides
Stop by our table in Lot 4b for free coffee! Learn more about navigating our new cycle track as a driver and then hop on a Veo for a complimentary ride to your destination! If you're planning to take the Veo bring a thermos to secure your coffee.
PM LOCATION
Tuesday, October 15 | 2 p.m.–4 p.m. | Lot 9b | Giveaway: Smoothies
Stop by our table in Lot 9b on your way home for free smoothies and some tips on navigating our new cycle track as a driver.
Farmer's Market Flat Fix Clinic
Wednesday, October 23 | Noon -3 p.m. | Tawes Plaza | Giveaway: Patch Kits & Bike Lights
Learn how to fix your bicycle’s flat tire and perform a pre-ride safety check with the help of the RecWell bike shop’s mechanics!
Bike/Walk to Breakfast
Thursday, October 24 | 9 a.m.–11 a.m. | DOTS Front Lawn | Breakfast treats & Lights
As we near the end of October, join us for a free breakfast to celebrate Safety Month and Walktober. Complete a transportation-themed MadLibs and return it to the DOTS office for a chance to win a bike/pedestrian safety kit!
Roll to the Polls
Tuesday, October 29 | 10 a.m.- noon | Stamp Student Union (front entrance)| Register
Want to skip the lines on election day? Join us on Tuesday, October 29th for a short, guided bike/scooter ride to vote early at the College Park Community Center, a polling location for Prince George's County registered voters. Bring your helmet (let us know if you need one when you RSVP!) and a form of ID. Ride loops will occur roughly every 30 minutes between STAMP and the polls!
Fall Foliage Ride w/UMD Arboretum
Wednesday, October 30 | 1 p.m.–3 p.m. | Meet at DOTS Front Lawn | Register
Fall is one of the most beautiful times in Maryland with the changing colors of the trees and the crisp, cool air. Join BikeUMD and the Campus Arboretum as we take a ride through the trees and trails around campus and learn more about the flora and fauna that surround us.
RSVP required.