News

By Rich Pollack

    Thinking of crossing Atlantic Avenue or State Road A1A in the middle of the block or of riding your bicycle in traffic with earphones on?
    If so, you may want to think again, because police officers in Delray Beach will be out in force hoping to educate pedestrians and bicyclists on the importance of following laws and staying safe.
    Funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, the pedestrian- and bicycle-safety awareness effort will include an informational campaign with verbal warnings, followed a few weeks later by written warnings, and finally $64.50 citations.  
    The campaign, which began this month and ends in May, comes on the heels of a year that saw a dramatic rise of traffic fatalities in the city.
    Delray Beach recorded 11 traffic fatalities in 2016, more than double the five that were recorded in 2015. Last year marked a dramatic reversal of a trend that had seen fewer and fewer fatalities, with seven fatalities recorded in 2013 and six in 2014.
    Of the 11 fatalities last year, four involved pedestrians. There were many close calls, according to Delray Beach Police Officer Hannes Schoeferle of the department’s traffic unit.
    “We had countless crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians,” he said.
    According to statistics compiled by the state, Delray Beach ranks seventh in the number of bicycle- or pedestrian-related crashes among the 96 similar-sized Florida cities.
    Thanks to the $30,000 grant, the Police Department will be able to assign officers strictly to address pedestrian and bicycle safety for several hours each week, with the officers working overtime.
    Because they won’t be distracted with other calls, the officers on the special detail will be able to concentrate on explaining the program and the need for better awareness.
    “We have a chance to focus on spending time with the violators and explain why we’re doing this,” Schoeferle said.
    Schoeferle, who worked a similar special enforcement early last year, said the reactions he received from pedestrians or bicyclists he spoke with was mixed, with some recognizing the value of the effort and others wondering why the Police Department was focusing on minor infractions.
    Unlike typical traffic infractions like speeding or running a red light, violators of pedestrian- or bicycle-safety laws aren’t always aware they’re breaking the law.
    “It’s a different kind of enforcement,” Schoeferle said. “There’s a lot more talking involved.”
    In addition to offering explanations, officers will be handing out pamphlets outlining related laws.
    Among common violations officers see are:
    • Pedestrians crossing in the middle of a block, rather than at a crosswalk, often expecting that vehicles will stop.
    • Pedestrians walking on the side of the road or in a bicycle lane, rather than on the sidewalk.
    • Bicyclists wearing earphones covering both ears.
    • Pedestrians crossing an intersection against the pedestrian red light (the red hand on a crossing signal).
    • Bicyclists riding on the sidewalk and not stopping for the pedestrian red light.
    • Bicyclists not stopping for red lights, especially when riding in packs on A1A.