ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The reminders sound simple enough. Look both ways. Use the crosswalk. Put down the phone.
But on roads shared by cars, bikes and foot traffic, the gap between knowing the rules and following them can be measured in feet and seconds. That’s where the St. Petersburg Police Department has been focusing its attention since last fall.
Since November, officers have worked 26 targeted operations aimed at pedestrian and bicycle safety, part of a statewide campaign funded through the Florida Department of Transportation. The numbers so far show a mix of education and enforcement. Police have made 174 education contacts with pedestrians, 119 with bicyclists and 300 with motorists. They’ve issued 230 citations. They’ve also handed out 107 bicycle lights.
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The effort runs through May under a $76,940 contract the department received from FDOT in cooperation with the Institute for Police Technology and Management at the University of North Florida. The money funds what the department calls High Visibility Enforcement operations in higher-traffic areas, with the stated goal of raising awareness and improving compliance with laws meant to protect people outside of cars.
The campaign carries the “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” message, a familiar slogan in a state that regularly ranks among the most dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
Officers aren’t just watching for violations. In some cases, they’re handing out equipment. The bicycle lights, for instance, give riders a better chance of being seen at night without costing them a trip to the bike shop. The approach reflects something road safety experts have pointed to for years: enforcement alone doesn’t always shift behavior, but it can be paired with practical help.
Still, citations have been part of the equation. Police haven’t broken down the 230 citations by category, but the total represents formal enforcement actions taken during the 26 operations.
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The department plans to continue the work through May. That means more patrols in areas where pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles converge. For drivers, the reminders include obeying speed limits, staying sober behind the wheel and watching for people on foot or on two wheels. For bicyclists, police emphasize riding with traffic, following traffic laws and using lights after dark. Pedestrians are encouraged to cross at marked crosswalks or intersections, pay attention to pedestrian signals and make themselves visible when walking at night.
The campaign is scheduled to run through late spring, at which point the department will have spent the grant funding and completed its contracted operations. Whether the initiative continues beyond that will depend on future funding and local priorities.
For now, the patrols continue. And on any given day, a driver rolling through a crosswalk or a cyclist pedaling without a taillight might find out just how visible the enforcement really is.
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