Sean C. Morgan
Most drivers stopped during a three-hour crosswalk enforcement operation on Monday behaved appropriately and cautiously, police said.
Nearly all vehicles stopped appropriately to allow Community Services Officer Gina Riley to cross Main Street at 13th Avenue.
Police issued seven citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk during the three-hour period, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. Police gave 15 verbal warnings.
Two drivers were arrested for misdemeanor driving while suspended, Lynn said. One of the two was stopped as part of the operation. The other was stopped because police officers recognized the driver and knew the driver had a suspended license.
The primary purpose of the operation was driver education and to increase awareness of pedestrians, Lynn said, and the police weren’t trying to trick anyone. They set up signs ahead of the operation area in both directions.
Orange cones marked 160 feet from the crosswalk at 13th Avenue, the amount of time necessary to slow down and stop at 35 mph, 10 mph over the speed limit, which is in favor of the driver, Lynn said.
The cones were located in the median strip near the east edge of Apple Creek Cafe and the Downtown Lounge driveway.
Riley repeatedly crossed Main Street, using one of the two crosswalks available at the intersection.
If a driver failed to yield after she showed her intention to use the crosswalk, then police officers were on standby to initiate a traffic stop, Lynn said.
Drivers are required to yield to a pedestrian who is within a lane and a half of the vehicle, Lynn said. Drivers also cannot pass a vehicle heading in the same direction that is stopped at a crosswalk.
“When somebody’s stopped, be cautious,” Lynn said. “They may be turning, but there might be somebody on the crosswalk.”
Stopping should be done safely, Lynn said. “Nobody says you have to dynamite your brakes to get stopped. They have to have time to come to a stop, and that’s what’s incumbent on the pedestrian, to pay attention.”
Police used the intersection of 13th and Main for the operation based on comments by area business owners.
“We always hear chatter about it, a few intersections in particular, like this one,” Lynn said.
“If it works out, we’ll do this yearly,” Lynn said. “The last thing we want to do is investigate an MVC pedestrian injury or, God forbid, a death.”
Eventually, once they figure out how, police will address issues on the pedestrian side of the equation. While running the operation, they noticed bicyclist behavior that needed to be addressed as well.
Bicyclists should walk their bikes in crosswalks or use the street and wait for traffic to clear before crossing, Lynn said. Bicyclists must follow the same rules as vehicle drivers.
Police have stressed the vehicle side of the issue because in any situation, the pedestrian will lose, he said.