Main Street is one of the busiest areas in town. From the number of restaurants and stores to pedestrian traffic and on-street parking from North Church Street to Chester Avenue, crosswalk safety is important.
The Moorestown Police Department is working jointly with the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department to implement crosswalk safety in the township. A $30,000 grant was recently awarded to the county by the state’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety to help enforce pedestrian safety.
The money will be used to conduct 30 patrols throughout the county until June 30, 2014. One has already occurred in Moorestown.
According to Police Lt. Lee Lieber, Moorestown requested assistance from the county.
“We are trying to promote pedestrian safety and educate pedestrians so they see the proper way to enter the crosswalk,” instead of stepping off the curb and running into the street, he said.
According to the sheriff’s department, the Pedestrian Enforcement Grant will have undercover officers posing as pedestrians using the crosswalk. If vehicles don’t stop within the proper distance of the crosswalk or drive through, violators will be given warnings and tickets.
A $200 fine, plus court fees, would be given to violators with a possible sentence of community service. If a pedestrian is struck and seriously injured, fines would increase up to $500 and come with a sentence of up to 25 days in jail.
“The stopping distance is determined at the speed they should be traveling. If the driver continues on through, they will be stopped,” Lieber said.
According to the state Motor Vehicle Commission’s driving handbook, the proper braking distance for drivers traveling at 20 mph is 25 feet with a reaction time of 22 feet. The faster the vehicle, the longer it takes to stop. Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield said the first time officers patrol the crosswalks is for educational purposes, passing out cards with pedestrian safety information and issuing summonses to violators.
“The second time, they will take a harder stance. I think by doing this throughout the county, it will create a greater awareness,” she said.
If drivers don’t stop after an offense, the license plate will be recorded and a ticket will be mailed to the offender’s home.
Since 2009, 25 pedestrians have been involved in crashes, while 39 fatalities occurred between 2007 and 2011. A county officer, along with one municipal officer, will patrol the crosswalks for a few hours. She said the department selects the time of day best suited for patrolling, and the grant covers local officers’ overtime.
This is the first year the county received this type of grant from the state.
“If we can continue to receive funding for this, it will make us more effective. The more we are out there, the more people will see us,” she said.
