GPD to conduct high-visibility enforcement to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety
Press release from Gainesville Police Department
The Gainesville Police Department was awarded an additional $27,000 contract by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Institute of Police Technology to conduct high-visibility enforcement details to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Some of the roadways that will be included in this high visibility enforcement include: University Avenue, SW 13th Street, NW 39th Avenue, SW 34th Street, and SW Archer Road.
The goal of this enforcement effort is to increase awareness of and compliance with traffic laws that protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Enforcement efforts will focus primarily on education of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Violations may result in warnings or citations, depending on the circumstances.
Hopefully they’ll enforce ALL traffic laws, not just the ones city leaders have told them to enforce.
Jaywalking, texting while driving, bicyclist not following cycling laws… let’s not forget panhandling either. Don’t discriminate against me because I drive a car.
Yeah…the first thing I thought of was get the panhandlers out of the street medians!!!
Also charge those panhandlers for littering at their
Panhandling spots. Some have the audacity to bring
Chairs & umbrellas too!
I think the people asking for money can not be dealt with. See, we have freedom of speech, but no freedom from speech. I agree with you that they are a hazard and there should be ways of keeping them off the medians.
It’s a public safety hazard to panhandle in the center median. It is safer on the side of the road.
As long as you provide their free speech on the side, law enforcement should be able to keep them out of the middle. This seems reasonable.
On the side of the road, not the middle..
I’ve always likened the panhandlers to a cat. If you feed it, it’ll always come back for more. That’s part of the problem with Gainesville, they keep feeding ’em and they always come back and they never go away.
I have an idea, let’s have Alachua County implement the “Operation Catnip” program on the panhandlers. Maybe then we would see a decline in their population.🤔
I ride my 4-wheel mobility/disability scooter (not a moped) to and from the VA along SW Archer Rd. I have had instances while crossing the street in the crosswalk when I could reach out and touch a vehicle because they aren’t paying attention or they won’t yield the right of way for me to cross before they turn. It’s really bad according to other pedestrians I meet too.
They also should start with fixing the crosswalk lights that don’t work. Some don’t even change and also aren’t labeled/signed to cross the street the correct way. Nothing is standardized. They don’t change even when pressing the button. Others won’t even turn even though the flow of traffic is green and there is ample time to cross. How about people check the crosswalk before turning even on a green? Most crosswalk signs have blinders just like the traffic lights so drivers can’t see the crosswalk sign, even if they can see they don’t understand the lights don’t change or buttons don’t work.
The crosswalk signs should change as the light changes with appropriate time to cross. The majority don’t. I’ve waited through a couple cycles before and learned which don’t. Also hitting the crosswalk button should trigger the PLC timing to change the light that doesn’t cycle on its own, especially when there is no traffic.
RE Sidewalks: There are a couple places along the sidewalk also where it’s so bad that I have to go on the grass because there’s a bad crack/raise is in the concrete. One is right in front UF Veterinary Clinic along SW 16th Ave. I’ve hit it before sending my coffee cup 5 ft in the air.
Speaking of high visibility…notice the fog this morning? How about ticketing vehicles driving without lights on. There is a lawful time and conditions that require the use of headlights.
Major problem in Gainesville: teen gangstas shooting each other.
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Major GPD priority Bicycle safety.
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Tony Jones and Clovie Watson: Epic FAIL.