Boston looks to make city safer for bicycles

“We wanted to really tackle the issue of bike safety in a significant way,’’ said Nicole Freedman, director of bicycle programs for Boston.

Officials used data from Boston Emergency Medical Services and the city’s Boston Bikes agency to identify about 10 key high-crash zones where accidents between cars and bicycles are prone to occur, Freedman said.

In coming weeks, officers will issue citations to cyclists and motorists at those intersections to discourage the most dangerous, and common, behaviors.

For drivers, that includes making turns or opening car doors without checking for oncoming bikes.

For bike riders, running red lights and riding against traffic are the chief violations.

Freedman and the Boston Police Department said they would not release the locations of the dangerous intersections because they want drivers and bikers to be vigilant at every intersection.

Scott Paré, deputy director of public safety at the Boston University Police Department, said that some of the sites will be along University Road, at intersections between Kenmore Square and the BU Bridge.

“It’s a big turnaround spot and crossover point,’’ Paré said.

BU officers will primarily target bicyclists who make unsafe maneuvers on the road or who do not wear helmets, Paré said. Initially, officers will simply remind bike riders to practice safer cycling habits. As the campaign goes on, police will hand out tickets.

“Our focus is on the cyclists right now,’’ Paré said. “They have to understand the rules of the road.’’

As part of the bike safety campaign, officials will pass out fliers to cyclists on proper bicycle etiquette.

The Boston Public Health Commission plans to distribute several hundred helmets to bike enthusiasts for free.

Encouraging safe practices among Boston cyclists is particularly important because of the impending launch of New Balance Hubway, said Mary McLaughlin, general manager of the local bike-share program.

Before the end of the month, Hubway will plant about 600 bicycles in downtown, Roxbury, the Seaport District, Allston, Back Bay, Fenway/Kenmore, Brighton, the South End, and the Longwood Medical Area.