NOTE: Police or Sheriffs' Departments applying for a grant click here to scroll down to application information.

Do you enjoy walking? But hesitate because you don’t feel safe? Police and Sheriff agencies throughout Oregon are working to improved pedestrian safety in our towns and communities by conducting pedestrian safety enforcements operations to improve understanding of when Oregon law requires motorist to stop for pedestrians.

Twenty-three agencies participated in 2009. They conducted 117 operations, and nearly 2,000 individuals received tickets or warnings. Newspaper articles, TV and radio spots about the enforcement operations informed others in the community about the law and their responsibility as a motorist or a pedestrian.

• Do the operations make a difference in the community? “The level of compliance has greatly improved since the first time Hood River Police Department conducted PSE operations in 2003.” Sergeant Holste of Hood River Police Department.
• Do the enforcements change driver behavior? “While working my regular patrol duties I am seeing more vehicles yielding to pedestrians than ever before.” Sergeant Roy of Independence.
• Do the people see results? After an operation a student in Hood River commented, “Wow, people are actually stopping now.”
• Do city officials like the program? “We have overwhelming support of this program from our City Council and now from our new City Manager.” Captain Alexander, Ontario
• How does the program work?  Funded by an ODOT grant the BTA and Willamette Pedestrian Coalition (WPC) offer mini-grants up to $5,000 of overtime to police and sheriff agencies for conducting Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations between March and September.

Encourage your local law enforcement to apply for the grant or attend training. Applications for the grant are due January 29, 2010. Training will be held on March 15. It is open to all law enforcement officers whether or not they apply for the grant.

About Pedestrian Safety Enforcement operations

Funds enable enforcement agencies throughout the state to stage crosswalk enforcement actions against motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians. In these operations, a decoy police officer attempts to cross a street at an intersection or marked crosswalk. (Crosswalk laws apply to unmarked crosswalks as well.)  If passing motorists fail to stop and yield for the pedestrian they are issued either a warning or a citation. The operations include a media outreach component, with the purpose of raising awareness around motorist responsibility toward pedestrians.

Learn more about current crosswalk law by downloading brochures produced by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

How to Apply for a Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Mini-Grant

2010 grant applications are due January 29, 2010.

2010 Application Guidelines: PDF or RTF

Sample Work Plan: PDF or RTF

2009 Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Training Information

Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Training will be held on Monday, March 15, 2010.

Download a 2010 PSE Training Registration Form

Consult these resources for more information on traffic safety in Oregon:

ODOT pedestrian safety and crosswalk law brochure:
English (PDF - 528K)
Spanish (PDF - 520K)

Text of the 2006 update to pedestrian safety and crosswalk laws: Senate Bill 591 (PDF - 24k)

ACTS Oregon

ODOT Transportation Safety

Questions?

Contact BTA Programs Manager Stephanie Noll at stephanie@bta4bikes.org or (503) 226-0676 x23.