Targeted Enforcement, And Why It’s Time To Have More Of It For Pedestrians
Written by Boston Biker on Apr 30For the last couple of days I have been seeing cyclists in packs standing in front of a Cambridge cop getting a lecture about why they shouldn’t run red lights, some even being issued warnings/tickets.
They usually hide out at the same spots (near the Longfellow bridge, at the corner of prospect and mass ave, various other places), and if you are clever (or just paying attention), you can always see them waiting to catch people who break the law.
A lot of people hate this, but I LOVE it. I have written ad nauseum about the problem with the road culture here, Boston road users do things that people in other areas simply don’t, including running red lights, running stop signs, j-walking, speeding, not using signals, and in general being huge jerks. The only thing that people seem to value is their time, so forcing them to pull over and get a lecture, a warning, or a ticket wastes their time, and I think generally makes them less likely to do the bad behavior again.
I have seen plenty of (almost exclusively) Cambridge cops pulling over cars, and cyclists and giving them tickets/warnings. But there is one user group that always escapes the targeted enforcement, pedestrians.
It’s time for this to change. Pedestrians need targeted enforcement, the same way cyclists and motorists do. If you don’t believe me simply go to any street corner and watch them break just about every law that is breakable. Downtown Boston, near any T-stop, and a million other spots you would talk yourself hoarse giving warnings to J-walkers. They are a danger to themselves, and others, but they hate being bothered, and maybe just maybe they would knock if off given enough warnings.
I love targeted enforcement, I love it when I see red light runners getting warnings, and tickets being issued, its long overdue to include pedestrians in the group of road users being targeted for enforcement. In theory this should already be happening (see here), but in practice pedestrians are never targeted, we will never change the road culture of Boston until we educate all user groups equally.
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to “Targeted Enforcement, And Why It’s Time To Have More Of It For Pedestrians”
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By Charlie on May 1, 2015 | Reply
I tend to agree. I sympathize with many people who jaywalk (I do it sometimes too) since many of our traffic signals are outright hostile to pedestrians, requiring excessively long waits or saying Don’t Walk when clearly it is actually safe to.
If there is no traffic coming (including bikes), I’m totally fine with people jaywalking. But when people step out into traffic, that’s not okay. Lately, the big thing I’ve noticed is people stepping out in between parked cars and not even looking.
First we’d need to increase the jaywalking fine from $1. Then, the police would need to actually enforce it. But I would definitely be in favor of that when people are creating a dangerous situation.
By Boston Biker on May 1, 2015 | Reply
I am not even sure you would have to issue fines, the inconvenience of just having to sit there while the officers write you out warnings would be enough I think to make most people perk up and pay attention.
By Just Bob on May 1, 2015 | Reply
I’m not a big fan of more enforcement. If targeted enforcement is needed for all road users, then I believe it’s time to look at the underlying problem – why everyone breaks the laws. I believe everyone is just frustrated. Everyone who drives, bikes or walks this area believes it’s difficult to get around. Let’s starting making it easier and then, maybe, people won’t be so frustrated and will start obeying the laws. Or maybe I’m just a delusional optimist. Time the lights to let traffic flow. Set the walk lights to realistic walk and don’t walk times (and don’t have them change to don’t walk too long before the traffic light changes).
As for bikes, you’ve covered the infrastructure problems, but there are places where stopping at a red light and then going through is safer for both drivers and bicyclists. It often enables the biker to get into a safer zone before traffic starts moving (see Comm Ave around Charlesgate). But stopping and making sure it is clear is essential.
By Embrace the suck on May 1, 2015 | Reply
Problem is you are displaying the same attitude toward pedestrians that automobile drivers display towards cyclists.
The infrastructure sucks for drivers, peddlers, and pedestrians and civility of all the parties suck. Until that changes as a whole the whole world is going to suck.
By Mark on May 2, 2015 | Reply
You may have picked the worst intersection in the city to illustrate your point – people on foot trying to cross here far outnumber the people in cars and the people on bikes, yet the people on foot have to wait the longest to get a walk light. People on foot should be our friends, but it’s people on bikes riding as if they own the road and not sharing it with other vulnerable road users that piss people on foot off and make them our enemies.
Jaywalkers aren’t the problem.