Pedestrian Crosswalk Enforcement Initiative

Wrentham Police Obtain Grant to Target Town Center Pedestrian Crosswalk Enforcement

The Wrentham Police Department was awarded a $3000 Pedestrian/Bicycle Grant by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) for 2013.  This traffic enforcement grant will focus on Wrentham Center, particularly crosswalk enforcement, as well as bicycle safety along the Pan-Mass Challenge route.

The Pan Mass Challenge is a 192 mile bicycle ride to raise money for cancer research and travels through Wrentham.  Officers will stage in areas of concern and cite motorists who violate traffic laws, such as passing at a safe distance, failing to yield to oncoming bicyclist, waiting for safe opportunity to overtake bicycle, etc.

There are nineteen crosswalks in the center area, eight of which cross South Street.  South Street’s speed limit reduces from 40mph to 25 mph northbound and 40mph to 20 mph southbound. Due to this sharp speed zone reduction, vehicles rarely slow to appropriate speeds making it difficult, if not impossible, for vehicles to stop for pedestrians in time.

The Wrentham Police intend to conduct targeted enforcement of speed and pedestrian crossings violations primarily in the center of Town. Crosswalk law enforcement decoys will also be used and serve as a more focused tactic to the pedestrian crosswalk problem. 

This enforcement will occur throughout the spring and summer, mainly during the months of June, July, and August.  The goal of this enforcement is to see more compliance with motorists stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks and better bicycle/motor vehicle safety.