Police: Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, or risk a fine

Are they going to step out right in front of oncoming cars. This is a terrible law. By the way - who's goiong to ticket the cops when they don't stop? It seems like a pretty good idea to test the law during rush hour on Snelling too, I sure hope no one gets hurt when irresponsible career politicians disrupt the normal flow of traffic.

Subd. 2. Rights in absence of signal.(a) Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.

Have no problem stopping for pedestrians. Will they be ticketing the squad cars that don't stop. Seen plenty of them not stopping for pedestrians. They should be treated the same.

What about the thugs who think it's cool to walk out in front of your car and go as slow as they can?

We're going to have vehicles stopping all over the place because of people standing on a corner waiting for a bus.

People are going to get hurt from this, and cars rear-ended.

The part that pedestrians miss is the part where they can not just step out in front of a car. To me I would interpret that as being the same as a car at a stop sign where you must make sure there is a sufficient break in traffic to avoid an accident. When are they going to enforce on pedestrians that they should wait for a break in traffic.

The Law wrote:

Are they going to step out right in front of oncoming cars. This is a terrible law. By the way - who's goiong to ticket the cops when they don't stop? It seems like a pretty good idea to test the law during rush hour on Snelling too, I sure hope no one gets hurt when irresponsible career politicians disrupt the normal flow of traffic.
Subd. 2.. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.

Frank wrote:

The part that pedestrians miss is the part where they can not just step out in front of a car. To me I would interpret that as being the same as a car at a stop sign where you must make sure there is a sufficient break in traffic to avoid an accident. When are they going to enforce on pedestrians that they should wait for a break in traffic.
<quoted text>

Waiting for a break in traffic is not what they are doing. I drive Snelling twice a day. People walk out into the street, expecting cars to stop.

At night, it's almost impossible to see them until they are standing on the center, yellow line.

What the wrote:

<quoted text>
Depending on the color of their dew rag you can earn up to 30 points.

ha --- very few people know that movie....still makes me laugh -- score!!

Stop whining! This law has been around for several years. Every time they talk about enforcing it people get outraged. Instead of directing your ire at the legislators who passed it, you re-elected them. Now, you're back to complaining about their work.

I love when city council members attatch themselves to certain causes. WAKE UP! Although an issue this isn't remotely in the top 100 in St. Paul problems. Maybe the city council should work as hard to try and hire more cops.

Wait, I mean David Thune has been very proactive in making sure his anarchist friends sue the city. Thanks Dave.

Can't WAIT for the traffic backups, minor rearends and gawker traffic as Snelling (2 lanes with no shoulders, mind you) has squads ticketing people for not stopping for every college kid darting into traffic...

There are crosswalks every block, and lights with crossing signals, but very few people choose to use them, instead running halfway across and standing on the median.

Great idea - next time spend the time and money ticketing the kids for jaywalking.

Ya Know. I used to think that this was one of dumbest laws ever passed.In fact I still think it causes more accidents than it prevents.(I almost got killed on my motorcycle while yielding to a ped on Grand Ave)But here's the thing.The law in itself is not bad. What is bad is the job that the state did in educating the public on how it's supposed to work.How many times have you seen cars come to a complete stop just because someone is standing on the curb with an expectant look on their face.Thats not how it's supposed to work people!They have to be actively crossing the street
and when you think about it,it all comes back to what we all learned as kids. "Stop.Look Both Ways" ,then cross when it's safe.

COPDd wrote:

Stop whining! This law has been around for several years. Every time they talk about enforcing it people get outraged. Instead of directing your ire at the legislators who passed it, you re-elected them. Now, you're back to complaining about their work.

why all the negative feedback. This guy is right on the money

How will the peds fair once light rail is running down the middle of University Ave?

I was driving into my park and ride in woodbury this morning, stopped to let some man cross the street safely in the rain, when out of nowhere, some guy comes speeding in, almost hits the back end of me, then swirves around and almost hits the guy I was letting cross. They need this law everywhere, not just in St. Paul!

There is a state law to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, but I wouldn't bet my life on some driver's attentiveness to the law or his/her basic driving skills.

Ever been a cyclist, jogger, skater, or pedestrian on the LRT? When you cross 4 lanes of traffic in St. Louis Pk, there's NOTHING, no crosswalk, no signal. Once the trail gets to Hopkins - same trail - motorists are expected to stop for pedestrians, and there is a crosswalk. To use the LRT, you have to remember what city you're in! The law is good, but it needs to be standardized.

If the city councils of the great cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis had their way we would all be riding bicycles or taking the splendid mass transit systems to get where we need to be.
Only problem with that is that these modes of transportation do not work well for people whose jobs dictate an automobile for their way of getting to work.
Oh well, the city council members must know better. After all, they are ELECTED OFFICIALS.

Concerned Mommy wrote:

I was driving into my park and ride in woodbury this morning, stopped to let some man cross the street safely in the rain, when out of nowhere, some guy comes speeding in, almost hits the back end of me, then swirves around and almost hits the guy I was letting cross. They need this law everywhere, not just in St. Paul!

EXACTLY... Often when I am stopped for pedestrians on Rice Street or Payne Avenue, a car will come up honking and go around me nearly mowing down the pedestrian. It isn't really safe to stop. Also, I would just like to remind pedestrians that it stays dark later in the am and starts earlier in the pm. It is hard to see you in your dark clothing.

Yup, one step closer to the California Model!

(except the weathersucks)

Frank wrote:

The part that pedestrians miss is the part where they can not just step out in front of a car. To me I would interpret that as being the same as a car at a stop sign where you must make sure there is a sufficient break in traffic to avoid an accident. When are they going to enforce on pedestrians that they should wait for a break in traffic.
<quoted text>

I've rarely actually seen this. No ped is stupid enough to do that, unless they didn't care if they lived or died. I'm as defensive on foot as I am by bike-I assume no one will stop for me.

The Law wrote:

Are they going to step out right in front of oncoming cars. This is a terrible law. By the way - who's goiong to ticket the cops when they don't stop? It seems like a pretty good idea to test the law during rush hour on Snelling too, I sure hope no one gets hurt when irresponsible career politicians disrupt the normal flow of traffic.
Subd. 2. Rights in absence of signal.(a) Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.

Texas had this law, but they soon saw the law didn't work. Citizens would just walk into the roadway and would become roadkill.

If I remember correctly, Rep. Mike Paymar authored this law. Another Doemocrat like Thune (no smoking ban) making laws for our own protection. Haven't you heard of personal responsibility?