Lieutenant Mark Kruger, 2nd in command at the Police Bureau’s Traffic Division had this to say about this morning’s enforcement action at Broadway and Flint:
“Today we worked a mission at Broadway and Flint because we have a complaint from the Water Bureau of bicyclists running the stop sign there and creating a hazard. PDOT informs us that this intersection is the third highest bike crash intersection in the city. The public can expect more enforcement of the area to come.”
He also added that, “Despite the desire for healthy commuting everyone still has to obey the traffic laws.”
And here are the stats from the “mission”:
- 16 bike moving violations (there were 23 total in November)
- 13 motorist moving violations
- 4 bike warnings
- 3 bike equipment violations
- 1 motorist towed
Many more tickets would have been issued (to the tune of $242) if it weren’t for the help of several people who warned unknowing cyclists of the sting as they approached the intersection.
I think it’s time for PDOT, the BTA and the Police Bureau to all come to the table and figure out a more constructive way to deal with their shared concerns for traffic safety.
Without a coordinated game plan that brings together all the engineering, education, and enforcement issues, these stings (aka enforcement actions or missions) will continue to frustrate a lot of people who feel our police resources would be much better spent in other ways.