Operation Best Foot Forward Announces Enforcement

Posted on: August 9, 2012 in Safety, Transportation News

(Press release from Best Foot Forward)

Law enforcement to start ticketing drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks

It’s back to school time. Central Florida law enforcement, spearheaded by the Orlando Police Department (OPD) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), will be cracking down on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks as Florida law requires. The penalties for failing to yield include three driver’s license points and a fine of $164.

Over the summer, the OPD and OCSO issued a combined 1,616 warnings to drivers for failing to yield – slowing or stopping if necessary – to pedestrians at marked crosswalks.

The high-visibility enforcement operation, dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, is a key element, along with education and engineering, in a community-wide “Triple-E” effort to cut pedestrian deaths and injuries in half over the next five years in Metro Orlando.

Enforcement Schedule

The enforcement coincides with the beginning of the 2012-2013 private and public school year in Orange County. The majority of the locations, excluding Conway Rd. and Hargill Dr., are chosen due to crossing guard complaints of vehicles not yielding to pedestrians.

August 14
Conway Rd./Hargill Ave. (Dover Shores Elementary) 8:00 – 9:00 am OPD
Michigan St./ Cayman Way 8:00 – 9:00 am OPD

August 15
S. Rio Grande Ave./ Carter St. 8:00 – 9:00 am OPD
Semoran Blvd./Curry Ford Rd. 8:00 – 9:00 am OPD
Oakridge Rd./Winegard Rd. (Westridge Middle School and Sadler Elementary) 10:00-11:00 am OCSO
Oakridge Rd./ Magic Way (Oakridge High School) 10:00-11:00 am OCSO

August 21
Conway Rd. / Hargill Dr. (Dover Shores Elementary) 7:45-8:45 am OPD
John Young Pkwy./Orange Center Blvd. (Orange Center Elementary) 7:15-8:15 am OPD

August 22
Rock Lake/ Tampa (Rock Lake Elementary) 7:30-8:30 am OPD
Rose Bay / Point Lookout (Rosemont Elementary) 7:30-8:30 am OPD
Oakridge Rd./Winegard Rd. (Oakridge High School) 8:30-9:30 am OCSO
Oakridge Rd./ Magic Way (Westridge Middle School and Sadler Elementary) 8:30-9:30 am OCSO

About Best Foot Forward

Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety is a coalition of civic leaders, public safety officials, engineers, educators, transportation planners, advocates and concerned citizens. Initiated by Bike/Walk Central Florida under the leadership of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, spearheaded by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and funded by Orange County, the Winter Park Health Foundation, MetroPlan Orlando, the Orlando Police Department, and the Center for Research and Education in Safety, the coalition includes Orange County Government, Orlando Health, Lynx, the City of Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Eatonville, Windermere, Winter Garden, and Apopka, as well as the police chiefs throughout Orange County led by Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

The mission is to prevent accidents and improve pedestrian safety, while encouraging walking as a safe, fun form of transportation and healthy activity. To learn more, go to www.iyield4peds.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Amanda Day
(407) 716-8221
Aday@daycommunications.com