Wello, community partners expand Yield to Your Neighbor campaign to increase bike, pedestrian safety awareness

It’s safer, it’s courteous, and it’s the law. These are just a few reasons why we yield to our neighbors when we are moving about through our community.

Wello’s Yield to Your Neighbor campaign returns this month for its third year.

This campaign aims to make it safer and easier to walk, bike and roll throughout our community. By raising awareness around the simple action of yielding, we can make it safer for not just bicyclists and pedestrians, but drivers as well when they are behind the wheel because all people are playing their role and doing what is expected.

So what’s new for Yield to Your Neighbor for 2023?

New 'Frogger' partner

We welcome the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department as our newest agency to join Brown County law enforcement departments to host Crosswalk Education and Enforcement or “Frogger” events. Returning partners include Ashwaubenon Public Safety, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, De Pere Police, Green Bay Police and Pulaski Police.

Frogger events will take place on June 22, Aug. 31 and Oct. 5 this year. Just like in previous years, Wello will share a map of the locations and times for these efforts prior to them taking place on our social media outlets and website.

What do you do if you’re driving through one of these areas? Simply do as the state law says and yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk. The person crossing will only attempt to cross when there is more than enough time for a driver to properly yield to them.

What do you do if you’re walking and need to cross the street during an operation? Use the crosswalk, make it known to oncoming traffic that you intend to cross, look both ways before crossing, be aware of your surroundings and avoid distractions such as being on your phone.  This is the expectation for every driver and pedestrian every day of the year and not just during Frogger events.

New marketing platform

Thanks to support from Schneider, Wello was able to purchase Yield to Your Neighbor magnets. We are working with Green Bay Police to place these magnets on their vehicles. We hope to rotate these magnets to other law enforcement departments to spread the message through their municipalities. You may also see the Yield to Your Neighbor logo and message on billboards and buses.

Wello will continue to use our social media platforms and yard signs to share the yield to your neighbor message. If you would like to pick up a sign, contact us through our website. You can also pick one up from our booth at the Bellin Run Health and Fitness Expo on June 9.

New education event

A new event as part of the Yield to Your Neighbor campaign will be a bike rodeo. This event aims to provide bicycle safety lessons to children. This event is bringing new partners to the campaign, including the Green Bay Bicycle Collective, who will lead the bike safety training; BayCare Clinic, who is donating helmets that will be provided for free to children; the Center for Childhood Safety, who will assist with helmet fittings; the Green Bay Area Public School District’s food service, who will be on hand providing free meals to children (18 years and younger and $5 for adults); and the Green Bay Police.

This event will take place in early August so be sure to follow us on social media or visit our website at wello.org when more details become available.

Lots of exciting new additions to the campaign over the next few months but in the meantime, be sure to always yield to your neighbor because it’s safer, it’s courteous, and it’s the law.

Mario Gonzalez is the communications and marketing manager for Wello. Wello's purpose is to co-create community conditions that are fair and just to drive high levels of health and well-being for all. Share your thoughts, questions and topic suggestions by emailing hello@wello.org.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wello's Yield to Your Neighbor campaign for pedestrian safety expands