Pressed by disabilities community, St. Paul targets drivers who don't stop for pedestrians

April 11--Pedestrians are struck by drivers in St. Paul roughly every other day on average, and the trend has drawn the notice of the disabilities community.

Drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians in marked and unmarked St. Paul crosswalks can expect traffic citations. This year there are 60 enforcement events planned as part of the city's 2017 "Stop for Me" campaign.

Launched by St. Paul Smart Trips at select crossings, the public safety campaign grew to become a citywide effort during a heavy spate of pedestrian crashes last year and involves volunteers from community groups crossing busy streets under the supervision of St. Paul Police Department.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell and Ramsey County Sheriff Jack Serier came together with disability advocates on Monday to emphasize that pedestrians in wheelchairs and walkers -- much like the city's growing senior population -- may need extra time to cross.

Mark Hughes said he has been hit twice by drivers while trying to cross busy St. Paul streets at crosswalks.

"I can't run and get out of the way," said Hughes, who uses a wheelchair. "I can't step up on the curb."

In the 1994 and 2003 incidents, he emerged unscathed. But his experience isn't uncommon.

Most of the members of the St. Paul Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities have similar stories to tell. Hughes, who co-chairs the committee, appears in a new public service announcement on the St. Paul Neighborhood Network cable access channel. The spot has also been converted for radio play.

"I've had cars not stop before the first white line," said Kari Sheldon, a Rice Street-area resident who uses a wheelchair and appears in the ads. "Sometimes I can't cross because sometimes they can't back up."

RAMSEY COUNTY JOINS EFFORTS

In addition to the city's "Stop for Me" effort, Ramsey County and St. Paul Police are launching a distracted driving and pedestrian safety enforcement wave that began Monday and runs through April 23.

Funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will pay overtime wages so deputies and officers can work extra shifts to focus on distracted driving and pedestrian safety.

It's illegal in Minnesota for drivers to read or compose text messages, send emails or take photos while in traffic, even when stopped at a stop light.

In 2016, 188 pedestrians were hit by drivers on St. Paul streets, and another 54 pedestrians have been struck in 2017, leading to 44 injuries this year. In late February, 35-year-old Scott Spoo was hit and killed crossing Mississippi River Boulevard.

St. Paul Police Sgt. Jeremy Ellison, who coordinates the state's "Toward Zero Deaths" grant for the department, said two-thirds of the city's 60 "Stop for Me" enforcement events planned this year will take place at high volume roads like Rice Street, Arcade Street and University Avenue. The other third will take place in neighborhoods, including unmarked crosswalks.

He said the events help train pedestrians as much as drivers.

"We teach pedestrians to get one foot in the crosswalk, make eye contact, and make their intention that they want to cross the street clear," Ellison said.

The police department uses a cone planted by the side of the road to determine if a car has enough room to make a safe stop before reaching the crosswalk. On a 30 mile per hour road, for instance, the cone will be planted 193 feet from the crosswalk, or about two seconds away. If a car is already past the cone when the pedestrian steps into the street, "they won't even get stopped," Ellison said.

"We're not trying to be tricking people. If there's another vehicle blocking their view, we'll take that into account," he said. "Research shows that receiving a citation is the best way to change driver behavior."

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