Tim Ryan, tryan@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Shawano Community Service Officer Chris Eggerts makes his way into the crosswalk on East Green Bay Street on Friday to see whether traffic will stop for him during an enforcement effort aimed at getting motorists to be aware of pedestrians.
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Shawano Police Lt. Mike Musolff displays a copy of the state statute handed out to motorists during a traffic enforcement effort Friday mandating that drivers stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Shawano police pulled over 13 motorists over the course of about 90 minutes Friday morning during an enhanced enforcement effort at two of the city’s pedestrian crosswalks.
The drivers got off with warnings this time around, but most were apparently surprised to learn they’d broken the law. They failed to stop for a pedestrian entering the crosswalk.
“Most drivers were under the impression they did not need to stop at a crosswalk for a pedestrian,” said Lt. Mike Musolff, who worked the detail with Officer Kurt Kitzman.
Drivers either ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks or simply not realizing they’re supposed to stop for them has long been a safety concern for Shawano police.
“Going forward, we’re going to be enforcing things more than we have been,” Musolff said. “We’re trying to get the word out there prior to that.”
State statutes require motorists to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and uncontrolled intersections. They must also yield to a person riding a bicycle or electric personal assistant mobility device.
Friday’s enforcement effort focused on two crosswalks along the Mountain Bay Trail; one on East Green Bay Street just west of Lakeland Road near Woodlawn Cemetery, and one on Main Street at Oshkosh Street.
There are also two other spots in town where the trail crosses Airport Drive and where it crosses Lincoln Street that concern police.
“Those crosswalks are probably the places where we have most of the trouble,” Musolff said.
“We need people to pay attention to people that are in the crosswalk, so they stop,” he said. “Drivers need to take some extra time to make sure that they have allowed those people to get through.”
Musolff and Kitzman, who handed out copies of the law to motorists they pulled over Friday, stationed their squads out of sight near the crosswalks while Community Service Officer Chris Eggert, dressed in civilian garb, braved the flow of traffic.
Eggert had a number of crossings Friday where he did manage to get traffic in both directions to come to a stop, even on the busy, four-lane Green Bay Street.
Musolff said it often takes just one motorist to clue in fellow drivers that they need to stop.
“Chances are if one person stops the people coming the other way are going to stop also,” he said.
There were exceptions, however.
On one of Eggert’s first attempted forays across the four lanes of East Green Bay Street, a vehicle in an outer lane stopped for him, while a vehicle in the lane closest to him continued to plow through the crosswalk.
“People get confused as drivers about when they need to stop,” Musolff said. “When somebody’s in a crosswalk, you need to stop. If they’re standing there waiting to cross and they look like they’re going to cross, you need to stop and allow them to cross. That is your duty as a driver.”