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New signs warn: Yield to pedestrians

Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Pedestrians must yield to drivers otherwise. New signs show the way.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published March 27, 2005

REDINGTON BEACH - In about a month, failing to stop or yield to pedestrians crossing Gulf Boulevard could cost drivers more than $100.

The Florida Department of Transportation is about to install "regulatory" signs at every official crosswalk on Gulf Boulevard from Walsingham Road to the Pinellas Bayway.

Similar signs may be installed at the same time along other portions of Gulf Boulevard regulated by Pinellas County.

"This will make it easier for law enforcement to ticket drivers who do not stop or slow down when people are crossing the street," said Debra Kennaugh, DOT district safety and special projects engineer.

Under Florida law, it is a moving violation if vehicles fail to stop or slow down when a pedestrian is on a designated crosswalk. In Pinellas County, the fine for a moving violation is $114.50.

Kennaugh said that without an official sign stating that failing to yield is a violation of state law, police have been reluctant to ticket drivers who do not stop for pedestrians.

"Because it's an obscure law, here was a good chance that a judge would throw the ticket out," she said.

At the same time, any pedestrian crossing outside of a marked crosswalk is expected, under the same Florida law, to yield the right of way to all vehicles on the roadway.

Pedestrians are expressly prohibited from crossing outside of marked crosswalks (jaywalking) in areas between traffic control signals and could be fined $40.50 if they do so.

Currently, there are about 20 designated crosswalks along the state-controlled portion of Gulf Boulevard.

Kennaugh, who received unanimous approval for the new pedestrian yield signs at a meeting of the Big C on Wednesday, said the signs "will be installed in about four weeks."

Most of the crosswalks already have metallic yellow-green warning signs. Kennaugh said those signs will remain and the regulatory sign will be added at each crosswalk.

She has ordered the DOT sign shop to begin making the signs and has offered additional signs to Pinellas County traffic officials for installation on other areas both on and off Gulf Boulevard where there are designated crosswalks.

The signs carry the words "State Law," a red triangular yield emblem, a graphic of a person walking, and "within crosswalk."

Kennaugh said that under state law, if a pedestrian steps one foot off a curb or median onto a roadway crosswalk, oncoming traffic must stop or slow enough to allow the person to cross oncoming lanes of traffic.

This law does not apply to traffic on the opposite side of a divided highway, she said, until the pedestrian has crossed the median and steps onto the second roadway.

"We are concentrating on Gulf Boulevard first because it has so much pedestrian traffic," she said, adding that the regulatory yield signs may also be installed on other state-controlled roads in the county, such as U.S. 19 and Alternate 19.

[Last modified March 27, 2005, 00:34:19]