GOVERNMENT
Pedaling safety MPD’s inaugural bike rodeo teaches behind the handlebars
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MONICA D. SPENCER
F OR MORE THAN AN HOUR ONE FRIDAY afternoon this spring, a winding line of children on tricycles and bicycles practiced navigating mock intersections, traffic signs and roadway obstacles outside the Maricopa Library & Cultural Center. It was part of Maricopa Police Department’s inaugural bicycle rodeo in late April, an event designed to promote cyclist safety among local youth. Families could have helmets properly fitted, get lights and reflectors installed on their bicycles and get a quick tune up. Chief Mark Goodman said the event was part of the department’s ongoing community safety initiatives around bicycle safety, adding MPD wants “to try to prevent some of those incidents where kids and bicycles and cars may all come together at the wrong place.” The event followed a string of 2026 crashes involving young pedestrians and bicyclists, including multiple children hospitalized and a 24-year-old woman killed. “We want to try to prevent that and ensure safety for our community,” Goodman said.
InMaricopa.com | June 2026
June 2026 | InMaricopa.com
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