Edgewater, FL – A hiking trail extension that runs through Edgewater has police worried about how pedestrians and drivers alike get used to a new crosswalk.
Starting at 9am Tuesday, the Edgewater Police Department will begin “Operation Caught In the Crosswalk” at the new crosswalk location on West Park Avenue near Rotary Park.
EDP Chief David Arcieri says this operation – expected to last several weeks – is mainly educational though violators can be ticketed if they don’t obey the traffic rules.
“This is the location of the trail head for the new Rails to Trails project,” Arcieri added. “[The trail head opening is] coming up on November 7th.”
That new trail is connected to the pedestrian bridge that spans State Road 442.
EPD officers and some volunteers will play the role of pedestrians going through the crosswalk in order to test any drivers coming through the area.
“We’re not tricking people,” Arcieri stated. “We’re not hiding and jumping out of the bushes on people.”
Arcieri says the plan is to do similar operations at other key crosswalks in the city in the next few weeks, especially those around schools.
“The purpose of the operation is to educate and promote crosswalk safety for all citizens,” Arcieri noted. “Let’s all do our best to keep each other safe. Spread the word and don’t get caught in the crosswalk.”
Violators could get a $166 fine and 3 points on the driving record.
The dates and locations of the operation will be posted a week in advance on the Facebook pages for both EPD (click here) and the City of Edgewater (click here).
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.