On July 19, the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) announced that there would be an increase in the enforcement of jaywalking laws. In a media release issued by the IPD, Officer Jamie Williamson wrote:
“From July 22nd to July 25th the Ithaca Police Department will have extra police officers on patrol looking for violations committed by pedestrians. Officers working these extra patrols will be patrolling during various hours of the day and night. Officers will utilize a zero tolerance approach for all violations observed. The goal of these designated patrols is to increase pedestrian safety within the streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks in Ithaca.”
This announcement coincided with increased traffic within the city as a result of Grassroots, but may also have been triggered by the surge of Pokemon Go players who flooded the Commons and downtown Ithaca following the game’s release on July 6. In an article by the Ithaca Voice, Officer Williamson admitted that there had been no specific complaints about Pokemon Go players, but that there had been an increase in pedestrians stepping in front of vehicles and outside of crosswalks.
Article 27, clause 1152 “crossing at other than crosswalks” of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law states, “(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway.” In accordance with both NYS law and the formal definition of jaywalking, pedestrians have the right to cross at will as long as they do so with regard for traffic and do not endanger themselves or approaching vehicles. The original statement by IPD lacks a definition of what is considered a violation and does not alert pedestrians to what may cause them to be penalized.
Much of the reaction by community members, on IPD’s Facebook page and in the comment threads of various local news sources, included calls for increased ticketing for drivers and bicyclists instead of punishments for pedestrians.
Following the initial announcement, another media release was issued on July 21 by Officer Williamson:
“After listening to concerns from the community, both in favor and against, the IPD has decided to postpone the scheduled patrols for pedestrian violations this weekend. Chief Barber stated ‘We will gather more data on the issues surrounding pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle crosswalk safety and will develop a comprehensive strategy to address the problem.’ The IPD prides itself on listening to the voices in our community and this is a great example of folks expressing their concerns. Later this summer, the IPD is planning to invite the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) as well as other members of the community for an information gathering session to develop solutions on how best to keep our streets and crosswalks safe for everyone.”
According to several IHS students, a ban on jaywalking would be an inconvenience more than anything else. Rylee Ebner ’19, who walks downtown frequently, said, “knowing that I could be ticketed for crossing the street is just annoying. I jaywalk a lot because it’s easy and I don’t think it’s very dangerous, so it just seems dumb to punish people for something they do all the time.” Others see this proposal as a positive development, in favor of safety for pedestrians. “People take too much for granted in this town and need to understand that laws are laws for a reason,” said Ian Wilkie-Tomasik ’17. For a large portion of IHS students, however, this ban would be of little consequence, as they are not downtown walking enough to mind one way or the other.