Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
As the warmer weather approaches, more pedestrians and bicyclists can be expected to be using city streets and trails for exercise and sight-seeing.
It’s also the time of year Shawano police say they see an increase in complaints and concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Police Chief Mark Kohl said pedestrians and motorists have rules and responsibilities to follow.
At intersections and marked crosswalks, the operator of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian or bicyclist who has started to cross the roadway. It is recommended that drivers reduce their speed when approaching crosswalks where pedestrians are waiting to cross.
Once the pedestrian enters the roadway, vehicle traffic must yield to the pedestrian.
Whenever any vehicle is stopped at an intersection or crosswalk to permit a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross the roadway, the operator of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
“We have received complaints that some vehicles have passed those that are stopped for pedestrians, coming close to striking pedestrians in the crosswalk,” Kohl said. “This includes four lane-roadways, such as the Mountain Bay Trail crossing on Green Bay Street.
“In order for the motorist to have a duty to yield, the pedestrian must be crossing within the crosswalk and should not have entered in such a manner as to make it difficult for the motorist to yield.”
The city has added bright orange flags to help identify pedestrian movement in the crosswalk at the Mountain Bay Trail crossing on Green Bay Street.
Motorists should also be aware that blind pedestrians have additional rights when crossing a roadway. An operator of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle before approaching closer than 10 feet to a pedestrian who is carrying a cane or walking stick which is white in color or white trimmed with red and which is held in an extended or raised position or who is using a service animal.
If a pedestrian has started to cross the roadway in a crosswalk or intersection, all vehicles must yield to the pedestrian in that crosswalk. All vehicles must stop in both directions and you cannot pass a vehicle that has stopped in traffic to allow a pedestrian to pass.
“The fact that the pedestrian may be violating any of the laws applicable to pedestrians does not relieve the operator of a vehicle from the duties imposed by this requirement,” Kohl said.
Fines for violating a pedestrian crosswalk law can range from $100 to $250 per violation and points will be assessed to the offender’s driver’s license.