Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Talk, tickets get across the danger of Gulf Boulevard

Gov. Bush hears about the plight of pedestrians, and 59 drivers get an expensive reminder of crosswalk etiquette.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published August 17, 2005

REDINGTON BEACH - Pedestrian safety on Gulf Boulevard is not an issue that is going to be soon forgotten if beach officials have their way.

Last week, Redington Beach Mayor Bob Fountaine traveled to Tallahassee to appeal directly to Gov. Jeb Bush and Department of Transportation officials.

And just this past weekend, a squad of seven Pinellas County sheriff's traffic enforcement deputies targeted Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, North Redington Beach and Indian Rocks Beach.

They issued 59 tickets to drivers who failed to stop when pedestrians used official crosswalks.

Through the Barrier Islands Government Council, Fountaine and other beach town officials have repeatedly asked the DOT to consider a number of measures to reduce speeds and increase pedestrian safety along the 25-mile-long beach thoroughfare.

When a recent DOT study concluded that speed limits did not need to be lowered, Fountaine said he decided to approach the governor directly.

"Statistics of accidents alone don't indicate what the traffic environment is really like on Gulf Boulevard," Fountaine said. "Crossing this road to go to the beach is harrowing and dangerous."

Fountaine declined to reveal the specifics of his meeting with Gov. Bush, saying he wants to "work with" state officials to make the road safer for pedestrians.

"We had a comprehensive discussion. The governor told me his people would look into it and get back to me within a couple of weeks," Fountaine said.

Bush confirmed last week that he has asked state officials to look into safety issues related to Gulf Boulevard.

Lowering the speed limit on Gulf Boulevard to a maximum of 35 mph is high on the BIG-C's wish list. Beach officials also seek traffic calming measures, reduced lane widths and better use of signs. The DOT recently installed official warning signs at designated crosswalks that allow local law enforcement to cite drivers who do not yield to pedestrians. The department also has approved three additional crosswalks in North Redington Beach where a Clearwater resident was killed in June while trying to cross Gulf Boulevard.

The accident happened on a Saturday evening as a couple crossed the road to attend a family reunion. They were not in a designated crosswalk and stepped from the median into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Last November, a 5-year-old Connecticut girl was struck and killed as she and her family crossed Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach.

Saturday, the Sheriff's Office moved its electric message trailer onto Gulf Boulevard to remind drivers to "yield to pedestrians in crosswalks."

To make sure drivers got the message, deputies stopped 78 motorists for violations and issued 59 citations - at $114.50 a pop - for failing to yield to pedestrians. The drivers also were given a flier explaining why they were just fined.

The flier noted that Florida has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in the country, with more than 500 pedestrians killed and 8,000 injured each year. It said state law requires drivers in all lanes to stop for pedestrians when they are in crosswalks.

"We found that motorists just aren't stopping," said Sgt. Jason Lyons, who led the traffic enforcement squad. "People are either not seeing the pedestrians or are not paying attention. It's like they have their heads in clouds."

Lyons said that some drivers were talking on their cell phones or trying to read maps. "A lot of people said they didn't know they were supposed to stop. Some even denied there was a crosswalk," he said.

Most of the drivers stopped by deputies were Pinellas County residents. Lyons said that by the end of five hours, many more cars were stopping for pedestrians.

"It was amazing that toward end of afternoon, the compliance level was way up. The word got out, and that's what we wanted. This was an educational effort," said Lyons, who said it will be repeated at some point in coming months.

Fountaine praised the Sheriff's Office for its efforts on Gulf Boulevard. "Results like the deputies got this weekend just displays the reality of the problem," he said.

[Last modified August 17, 2005, 01:09:16]