Morgan Hill Police officers will step up enforcement of speed
and safe driving laws downtown during March and April, with
particular attention paid to crosswalk safety and pedestrian
right-of-way.
Morgan Hill Police officers will step up enforcement of speed and safe driving laws downtown during March and April, with particular attention paid to crosswalk safety and pedestrian right-of-way.
The extra diligence is part of the City Council’s multi-pronged effort to put a halt to rampant speeding that endangers walkers and worries downtown merchants.
“Operation Slow Down Town will begin shortly and is designed to ensure that people can enjoy Morgan HIll’s wonderful downtown safely,” said Lt. Terrie Booten.
The last fatal accident downtown involving a pedestrian occurred in 1998 when two people were struck and killed in the Fourth Street crosswalk during a dark and rainy evening commute.
“Although this was over six years ago, pedestrian safety remains a paramount concern,” Booten said.
The city vehicle code requires that drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing the street within a marked crosswalk or at any intersection. Crosswalks at First and Third streets are additionally marked with bright yellow signs and Second Street with a traffic light.
Chronic speeders, exceeding the 25 mph limit also put the public at risk, Booten said.
In January the City Council decided to slow traffic down by using removable speed cushions, diagonally striped crosswalks, narrowing the lanes – though keeping two lanes each way – more trees in the Fourth Street median and using temporary barriers in front of the community center to determine the entrance to a “special area” downtown.
Council also reserved $5,000 for extra traffic enforcement by the police department.
Booten asks that drivers pay attention, avoid a citation and help keep pedestrians safe.
