NPR police targeting jaywalkers to reduce carnage

Pedestrians who don't obey traffic laws end up as pedestrian injury and fatality statistics.

Some walkers who apparently don't know this have begun learning the lesson the hard way. They have been getting a ticket during a recent New Port Richey Police Department crackdown on jaywalking violators.

New Port Richey ranks among the most dangerous cities in the state for pedestrians and bicyclists alike. Among 97 cities with populations of 15,000 to about 75,000, New Port Richey ranks fifth for traffic fatalities and injuries.

Even worse, the city ranks first for pedestrian injuries and deaths and eighth for bicyclist accidents, according to Police Chief Jeffrey Harrington.

The numbers, from a Highway Safety Matrix for fiscal 2011 compiled by the Florida Department of Transportation, prompted the Police Department to take strong measures. A pedestrian safety campaign started last August, with a warning period to jaywalkers before tickets were issued.

Other steps are being taken to correct hazards for walkers and bicyclists.

During two enforcement sweeps in January along U.S. 19, officers wrote 34 citations to pedestrian violators, five warnings, six moving violations and one nonmoving violation, according to a report from Sgt. Erik Jay, the department's traffic supervisor.

Most citations were handed out to pedestrians who failed to cross at marked crosswalks. If a pedestrian safety brochure doesn't convince violators to change their habits, $62.50 traffic tickets might persuade them.

"They let their friends know," Officer Joe Pascalli said about violators who get tickets.

The worst spot for pedestrians seems to be U.S. 19 at Green Key Road, Pascalli said while watching the intersection from an unmarked Dodge Charger. Walkers tend to dart among the U.S. 19 traffic, about a block north of Main Street, to get to restaurants and a small motel.

U.S. 19 improvements are planned in the second phase of an FDOT project to close some medians, redesign other medians and add continuous right turn lanes in most areas. Construction on the first phase of the project, from the Pinellas County line to Marine Parkway, started on Oct. 4.

The city plans to add red-light cameras at many intersections as well.

"People don't understand that's a violation," Pascalli said about jaywalking. "A lot of people don't understand the law." Pedestrians usually tell an officer that they have to walk too far out of the way to get to a marked crosswalk.

In the busy downtown area, traffic at Main and Adams streets rated special, collapsible signs within the crosswalk in the middle of the downtown intersection. The signs remind motorists to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Police officers will pull over drivers who fail to yield the right of way to walkers.

"These cars are just flying by," Pascalli said while observing traffic at Main and Adams. A popular restaurant sits on the northeast corner.

The signs also are posted in the middle of the street at a crosswalk to Sims Park at Main and Lincoln streets.

River Road near the Genesis elementary school also bears the reminder signs, among other heavily traveled spots in the city.

Some traffic signals in the city show pedestrians how many seconds remain for them to safely cross after pressing a button to activate the crosswalk timer.

Education remains the key, for pedestrians and motorists alike, Harrington concluded.