CPD boosts traffic safety enforcement

Officers provide education as well as law enforcement.

By Lyndsie Manusos

Published Oct. 9, 2009

The Columbia Police Department is concentrating on bicycle safety and enforcement in Columbia.

Last Wednesday, CPD officers from the Downtown and Traffic units conducted a special traffic detail from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., a CPD news release stated. Officers concentrated on traffic violations committed by bicyclists and motorists in downtown Columbia.

CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said the department does traffic details whenever it has the ability. On Wednesday, no one in the police department has the day off, which is called "All Squad Day." Another reason for the traffic detail was the time of year.

"Squads will use that do specific details," Haden said. "It's still early enough in the year where people are still using bicycles."

According to the news release, bicyclists received citations for the following violations: 17 for riding on the sidewalk, four for stop sign violations and one for failure to yield at an intersection. Twelve motorists also received citations for traffic violations.

Haden said this traffic detail is also a result of mounting attention aimed at bicyclists.

"Most recently the bicycle harassment ordinance has brought a lot of attention to bicycling and bicyclists," she said. "We want bicyclists to be aware that they have to abide by the rules just as motorists do."

CPD is also partnering with the PedNet Coalition to improve safety through education, the news release stated. Over the next several nights, bicyclists riding without lights will be stopped. Haden said the bicyclists would be given lights instead of tickets.

"We want to provide education as well," Haden said. "We do need to enforce the law but at the same time we have the discretion to give someone a break."

Nightly bicycle stops will not be limited to the downtown area.