Share The Road Campaign Expands
by Pete Phair

"Hi, I'm Eric Weinrich. And when I'm not playing hockey for the Portland Pirates, I'm riding my bicycle..."

So begins the latest Share the Road ads featuring the Bicycle Coalition of Maine's official spokesperson. Whether you've heard them on the radio or seen them on television, the new spots have attracted a lot of attention. That's no surprise, considering that a total of 217 television spots and 811 radio ads were broadcast between June and September. Some radio stations will continue to air the ads during the next several months.

As a follow-up to last year's Share the Road campaign, the 2007 project focused on reaching Mainers through four major media markets - Portland, Bangor, Augusta and Presque Isle. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety provided a $10,000 grant to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) for the campaign, with an additional $20,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation.

The two television ads were produced in June. Weinrich also recorded two radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring a Share the Road message.

Pete Phair, one of the BCM staffers working on the project, attributed much of the campaign's success to Weinrich. "He is so well-known in circles all over Maine that his endorsement carries substantial weight," said Phair.

The campaign features two separate ads geared toward motorists and bicyclists. Motorists are prompted to yield to bicyclists when turning, to give at least three feet of clearance when passing, to check for bicyclists before opening their car doors and to avoid honking at bicyclists.

Bicyclists are reminded to ride with traffic, to use lights at night and to obey all traffic laws as any other vehicle would. The ads stress that cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as any vehicle on the road.

Jeff Miller, BCM's executive director, said the ads spread the message about sharing the road while also educating Mainers about provisions of the state's new bike safety law. "The campaign will help create a safer environment for Maine bicyclists," he said.

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