Full Notification

Operation Safe Crossing

During the summer of 2021 the Janesville Police Department, utilizing grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation conducted four, four-hour crosswalk enforcement operations in the City of Janesville.  The crosswalk enforcement operations occurred at the following locations:
 

• Milton Ave and Blackbridge Road
• 00 block of S. Main Street (Between E. Milwaukee Street and E. Court Street)
• W. Court Street and S. River Street
• 900 block of Beloit Ave (Near Dawson Fields)

The goal of the operation was to educate motorists of their responsibilities when encountering those crossing the roadway, and enforcement of egregious violations.  The police department utilized plain clothed officers along with normal pedestrian and bicyclist traffic at the designated locations to identify motorists who failed to yield to the right away of those crossing the roadway.  Those stopped for violations were given an educational pamphlet on their responsibilities when encountering a pedestrian or bicyclist crossing the roadway.
 
Our Operation Safe Crossing efforts showed that 85% of motorists stopped for a pedestrian or bicyclist crossing the roadway.  As a result of our efforts officers made eighty-three traffic stops for failure to yield violations, which resulted in sixty-two warnings and twenty-one citations.
 
The statistical information from the operation was shared with the City of Janesville Engineering Division which may be used to help identify what, if any, special signage, signal, or design changes may be needed to improve pedestrian safety at the specific crossings monitored during these operations.
 
The Janesville Police Department intends on continuing to pursue future grant funding to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety throughout our community.   
 
 

Incident Number: N/A

Location: Janesville, WI

By: Sgt. Thompson

Date: 10/10/21