As temperatures rise and daylight hours extend, the NIH campus experiences a seasonal shift in commuting patterns. More employees, fellows, contractors and visitors choose to travel by bicycle or scooter, taking advantage of improved weather and flexible commuting options. While this transition offers clear benefits like reduced traffic congestion and improved personal wellness, it also introduces heightened roadway safety considerations. In a campus environment, shared vigilance among all roadway users is essential.
Cyclists and scooter ridersshare travel lanes with motor vehicles. This mixed-use environment increases the potential for conflicts, particularly during peak arrival and departure times.
For drivers, the key principle is anticipation. Expect to encounter bicycles and scooters on any internal roadway, especially near building entrances, parking garages and shuttle stops. Because bikes and scooters are smaller and less visible than vehicles, they can be obscured in blind spots or during turns. Drivers should:
- Reduce speed, particularly in high-foot-traffic areas
- Check mirrors and blind spots carefully before turning or changing lanes
- Allow a safe passing distance when overtaking cyclists
- Yield appropriately at crosswalks and intersections
It is also important to recognize that cyclists and scooters have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators when riding in the roadway. Attempting to “squeeze by" within the same lane or rushing through intersections increases risk for everyone involved.
Cyclists and scooter users, for their part, must operate defensively. Riding predictably is critical. Riders should travel in the same direction as traffic, use hand signals to indicate turns and avoid weaving between parked vehicles or riding unpredictably between lanes. Visibility is a major safety determinant: wearing high-visibility clothing and using front and rear lights, even during daylight hours, can significantly reduce collision risk.
Helmet use remains strongly recommended for both cyclists and scooter riders. While some individuals may perceive NIH's lower speed limits as reducing injury risk, head trauma can occur even at moderate speeds. Proper protective equipment materially improves safety outcomes.
Pedestrians also play a central role in roadway safety. The NIH campus is highly walkable, and foot traffic increases in pleasant weather. However, distracted walking — particularly smartphone and headphone use while crossing streets — creates preventable hazards. Pedestrians should use marked crosswalks, make eye contact with approaching drivers and cyclists before entering the roadway, and remain aware of scooter traffic on shared paths and sidewalks.
Intersections, construction zones and parking garage entrances are especially sensitive areas. All users should obey signage directing them to safe pathways. Drivers exiting garages should anticipate bicycles traveling along the roadway or pedestrians stepping into crosswalks. Similarly, cyclists approaching these areas should assume that drivers may have limited sight lines. A brief reduction in speed and increased scanning behavior can prevent serious incidents.
Ultimately, the NIH campus is both a workplace and a community. We have a shared responsibility to keep NIH roadways safe for ourselves and others. Staff are encouraged to report issues and share their experience via the Safety Talk Back Reporting Tool. It only takes a minute to complete and can make a real difference in how we keep our NIH community safe.
As more colleagues choose active commuting options this season, roadway dynamics will become more complex. By proactively adjusting our behavior — slowing down, looking twice, signaling clearly and remaining attentive — we can ensure that warmer weather translates into healthier commuting without compromising safety.
