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Cliff Buchan
News Editor
Anyone who tries to cross US-61 (N. Lake Street) in downtown Forest
Lake knows it can be a tricky feat. It’s tricky even when using the
painted crosswalk that has an overhead lighted sign to help inform
motorists of the designated crosswalk.
Sometimes motorists just won't stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, police here say.
In a move to improve pedestrian safety and strengthen driver awareness, the Forest Lake Police Department completed an enhanced crosswalk enforcement detail this week.
When the two-hour detail was over, 27 motorists were handed tickets and pedestrians and downtown business owners were mostly pleased, said Forest Lake Sgt. Greg Weiss.
The detail was not announced in advance but did include several marked squad cars and featured bright yellow signs several blocks north and south of the downtown crosswalk.
The two-foot-by-three-foot signs delivered this message in bold black letters: “Enhanced Crosswalk Enforcement Ahead.”
It’s not certain if motorists saw the sign and paid attention or were daydreaming, Chief of Police Clark Quiring said later.
An officer wearing plain clothes worked the crosswalk much the same as any pedestrian trying to cross the highway.
Weiss said the project went well and achieved its goal of generating crosswalk awareness.
“Most of the people who drive that roadway drive it everyday,” he said. Weiss said about half of the tickets went to Forest Lake area residents who should be aware of the crosswalk and state laws that require motorists to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks.
“The pedestrians were grateful,” Weiss said. “The business owners, for the most part, were excited.”
Weiss said a common explanation from motorists was that they did not see the signs announcing the extra patrol.
“We had early warnings on both ends,” he said. “There were some people complaining. They just didn’t see them [the signs].”
Weiss said police plan to continue special details, including a seat belt enforcement saturation during the final days of May that will utilize Safe & Sober grant dollars.
And police are not done with crosswalk details either, he said.
“The project went well,” he said. “We will do it again this summer.”
Motorists who were ticketed face a maximum fine of $180 for a conviction of the petty misdemeanor driving violation, Weiss said.
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