Eagan Holds Community Meeting To Address Bike Safety After Death Of Patric Vitek, 13
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some Minnesota lawmakers are coming together to talk bike safety in Eagan Tuesday night.
The meeting comes after seventh grader Patric Vitek, 13, was hit and killed while biking to school on November 1.
"Roads were not designed for bikes in mind," bicyclist Pete Hamer said.
READ MORE: 'Everybody's Going To Miss Him': Eagan Teen Patric Vitek Killed On Birthday While Biking To School
Hamer works at Freewheel Bike in Eagan and has been a cyclist since he was a child. He says biking in the city is often easier and feels safer than out in the suburbs.
"There is not as much awareness," he said.
Tuesday's meeting will address bike and pedestrian safety and what's being done about it statewide. Jill Chamberlain works for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota's Center for Prevention. She will be presenting about the Safe Routes to School program.
"Kids should be able to walk to and from school in their neighborhoods and in their communities," Chamberlain said.
Dakota County, School District 196 and the city of Eagan are already moving forward with plans to get approval to put speed reduction signs along Diffley Road in Eagan.
Chamberlain hopes pedestrian and cyclist safety doesn't require a tragedy to make improvements.
Chamberlain, State Rep. Laurie Halverson, State Sen. Jim Carlson, State Rep. Frank Hornstein and senior staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation are scheduled to speak at the meeting.
The meeting is open to the public and is being held at the Eagan Community Center. It starts at 6:30 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says seven bicyclists and 39 pedestrians are killed, on average, on Minnesota roads each year.