Police to focus on enforcement of new crosswalk laws

Earlier this year, the Boulder City Council passed three new laws pertaining to crosswalk safety. From Sept. 17-28, as part of “September Crosswalk Safety Weeks,” the Boulder and CU-Boulder police departments will focus on enforcing these new laws at crosswalks on and around campus.

Here are the new rules:

• "Stop at crosswalk required" [7-4-77] stipulates that when one vehicle stops to yield for a person in a crosswalk, another vehicle going the same direction in an adjacent lane cannot overtake and pass that vehicle.
• "8 mph speed limit for bicycles in a crosswalk" [7-5-5] establishes a speed limit of 8 mph for bicyclists during the immediate approach, entry and traversal of any crosswalk that spans a roadway.
• "Pedestrian obedience to traffic signal required" [7-5-15(f)] targets the use of flashing crosswalks (those with flashing yellow crosswalk signs) by requiring a person crossing to enter the crosswalk with the warning device activated.

Fines for breaking these ordinances range from $50 to $125. Drivers may also receive points against their license.

A recent city of Boulder report found that crosswalks at intersections are the most common location for collisions and identified 15 of the most accident-prone spots. Four of the intersections are along Broadway, adjacent to the CU campus.

For more information on these laws and the ongoing “Heads Up: Mind the Crosswalk” public education campaign, visit http://bitly.com/BoulderCrosswalkSafety.