GTPD to give jaywalkers tickets in '08

Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, the Georgia Tech Police Department will begin ticketing jaywalkers around campus. This includes chiefly students who neglect to obey the pedestrian signals at intersections and crosswalks, crossing when they do not necessarily have the right-of-way.

The growing number of "near-misses" and concerned parents' phone calls, as well as a recent accident involving a pedestrian on North Avenue have gained administrative attention. As part of an endeavor to decrease these incidents and to increase the safety of students, faculty and visitors to campus, GTPD has started a traffic awareness campaign aimed at drivers as well as pedestrians.

Officers will be policing on foot as well as by car, still largely focusing on vehicular infractions. The most heavily patrolled area will encompass North Avenue, but officers will continue to monitor intersections all across campus and will be authorized to ticket a student at any time.

"If officers are in the area, motorists are going to slow down and people crossing the street are going to use more caution," said Officer Grant Hawkins of GTPD.

Students in violation of pedestrian traffic laws will be issued a ticket for failing to obey the pedestrian signal or crosswalk, which must be paid through the Fulton County Traffic Court. The fine for this type of infraction can vary depending on exactly what a student is charged with and whether he or she pays the ticket immediately or goes to court. The schedule of fines for the Fulton County Traffic Court lists such infractions as carrying a fine of $158.00.

Hawkins emphasized that the ticketing initiative is meant to create awareness and increase safety, but undoubtedly many students will object.

"I think it's stupid," said John Koch, a first-year Aerospace Engineering major. "The only way to get to class on time is to cross at the wrong time, and [the signals] don't even change, anyway. It's kind of a cross at your own risk thing. If you want to risk it, it's up to you."

"It will just make people more angry," said Tashi Sonnenberg, a fourth-year Chemistry major. "Everybody's already irate at having to pay an insane amount of money for parking on campus and at paying so much for tickets from Parking and Transportation, so getting ticketed by GTPD for just walking around campus is going to really irritate students."

Throughout the year, the GTPD has cited more than 113 vehicles for failure to yield to pedestrians. Initially, the department intended to verbally warn student pedestrians to cross streets only at times designated by the signals, hoping that a small reminder would help to resolve the issues. GTPD believes that ticketing these jaywalkers is the next logical step in the effort to amplify safety at Tech.

Captain Randy Barrone of the GTPD initially gave the order to begin the ticketing.

"The goal of traffic law enforcement is to reduce collisions, fatalities, injuries, and to facilitate the safe and expeditious movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic through the public's voluntary compliance with traffic regulations," Barrone said. "This goal can be met through a combination of education, enforcement, and public support."

To assist with the education portion of these efforts, flyers promoting traffic and pedestrian safety will be circulated around campus beginning in December. These are intended to inform students of the coming enforcements and to remind them of the proper approach to utilizing crosswalks and pedestrian signals. December is being considered a month of warning and advisory to those on campus.

For the rest of the year and into January, GTPD will continue to remind students of ways to avoid accidents. Students wearing headphones and talking on cell phones should remember to be alert and to note whether they or the vehicle has the right-of-way. Pedestrians should also make sure that they obey crossing signals; vehicles won't always know to watch out.

"We're urging students to help us out and keep themselves safe," Hawkins said.

The motive is simply to create awareness about basic safety. Unlike recent quotas imposed on Atlanta police, the GTPD is not relying on any sort of performance standard to dictate their actions.

"It's not that we need more stats; we don't get the money at all either. It's just that we want [the students] to be safe," Hawkins said.