Traffic enforcement goes digital
As of September 6th, Mesa Police Department put into place its new traffic safety awareness campaign, “Drive and Arrive.”
The police department works in conjunction with MCC and other community partners to educate the public in traffic safety.
Mesa police Sgt. Chuck Trapani said that during 2005, 67 people died on Mesa streets, and as of September 6th there have been 35 deaths in 2006.
Mesa Police Department feels that one death on the road is too many.
According to Officer Mike Bellows, there will be several enforcement areas throughout Mesa. The stretch of Southern Avenue in front of MCC, between Dobson Road and Alma School Road is one of them.
The cameras that hang from street lights at and between the two intersections have been upgraded, and a few more have been added.
“The cameras have been switched from film to digital,” said Bellows.
Officer Bellows also explained that this allows the camera to catch people speeding through intersections on green lights, as well as catching them running red lights. A ticket will be issued if a driver crosses an intersection driving at more than 11m.p.h. over the speed limit, he said.
New cross-walk signals have also been installed on the streets bordering MCC. They feature a 15 second countdown which alerts pedestrians to the amount of time they have to cross.
MCC student Sen Umeda hadn’t even noticed them yet.
“When I have to park across the street, because there aren’t any spots on campus, I don’t want to walk all the way down there,” he said while pointing from the bowling alley across the street to the cross-walk in front of visitor parking. Several people ran across the street while he did so.
Soon this short cut could cost money.Trapani said that “One way to educate is through enforcement.”
This means that jaywalking, speeding, and failing to stop at lights and signs will all be enforced with citations.
In addition to these changes, police Capt. Lynn Bray has converted 40 parking spaces dispersed throughout campus lots into carpool only parking. There are 30 of these spaces designated for students, and 10 that are for employees only, Bray said.
There is a permit required to park in a carpool spot, it is free. Two people must be registered on the permit, and at least to people must be in the car when it is first parked.
The spaces are monitored by bike patrol, and through the use of cameras. A ticket of $25 will be issued to violators.
Permits can be obtained at the MCC Campus Safety office.
Volume
44, Issue 2. Today is
Michael Kinsey/Mesa Legend