City cops will spend a month making an extra effort to stop drivers from running over cyclists and pedestrians.
They’ll do so as part of a statewide pilot Department of Transportation (DOT) pilot program called “Watch For Me CT.”
Under the program, New Haven police spokesperson Sgt. Shayna Kendall reported in a release Tuesday, cops will “conduct education and enforcement” from Dec. 12 through Jan. 17 at four downtown crosswalks used by many cyclists and pedestrians: at Chapel and Church streets; Chapel and Temple; Chapel and College; and Chapel and High.
“Officers will be conducting education and enforcement at the heavily traveled crosswalks for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way. Educational materials handed out will have information that will increase awareness about safe behaviors and knowledge of laws for pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists,” Kendall wrote.
The release reminds drivers that, under state law, “each operator of a vehicle shall grant the right-of-way, and slow or stop such vehicle if necessary to so grant the right-of-way, to any pedestrian crossing the roadway within such crosswalk, provided such pedestrian steps off the curb or into the crosswalk at the entrance to a crosswalk or is within that half of the roadway upon which such operator of a vehicle is traveling, or such pedestrian steps off the curb or into the crosswalk at the entrance to a crosswalk or is crossing the roadway within such crosswalk from that half of the roadway upon which such operator is not traveling.”
Another state law, with wording drafted in response to New Haven police suggestions, is supposed to lead to fines to drivers who run over pedestrians and cyclists. Read here about how the department has ended up not making use of that law.
Officers will be conducting education and enforcement at the heavily traveled crosswalks for motorists bicyclists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way. Educational materials handed out will have information that will increase awareness about safe behaviors and knowledge of laws for pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists," Kendall wrote.
About time they went after every one.Not Just motorists
My bad. look at how Bicyclists Doorman and Pedestrians are Fighting it out over Bike Lanes.New Haven To will have this same problem.
Where Bicyclists, Doormen and Tourists Battle for Turf
New York City bicyclists say people who walk across bike lanes need to pay attention. But doormen at high-end hotels worry about collisions as lanes expand.
Jason Seda saw the car door open and the man get out. He also saw the bicycle coming.Mr. Seda, a doorman at the Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan, stepped into the bicycle lane and raised both arms. The bicyclist braked, stopping without slamming into Mr. Seda — or the man, who crossed the bike lane and stepped into the hotel."He was going to hit him," Mr. Seda said later.One doorman, Patrick Grennan, said some bicyclists zip through the bike lane as if "they think it's the H.O.V. lane on the highway."Some bike lanes bear skid marks as evidence of close calls or collisions. Miguel Ureta, a doorman at the James New York-Nomad, a hotel on East 29th Street, said one set of tracks belonged to a bike that hit a woman. He said she was thrown about 15 feet but was not injured seriously enough to need medical attention.Some limousine drivers say they are dealing with more dents because of increased bike traffic. leaving a scratch a couple of inches long on the back door on the driver's side.The repair would cost about $1,300, he said. "I already checked."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/nyregion/nyc-bike-lanes-hotels.html?action=click&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=Article&region=Footer&contentCollection=New York