In a follow up to Cosmic Charlie’s post, I wanted to comment on Bojack’s blog about jaywalking ticket enforcement downtown. Earlier in the week, a coworker had stated that he’d heard they were going to do targeted enforcement in front of our building on 5th, so be careful. I have yet to see a single officer or citation anywhere along my 5th avenue route to and from the food carts, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Bojack pointed out that just a few blocks away at City Hall, a pedestrian received a $97 ticket for the J.
Jack’s argument is that it may be to bump up the budget. While that may be the case, I would rather think it is a safety step. In the next 6 months, downtown will see a significant change in traffic patterns with the introduction of Green line MAX and the re-introduction of TriMet buses on 5th and 6th. This grand experiment allowing cars, buses and the trains all on the same street could pose challenges to both moving vehicles, bikes and pedestrians. Over the past couple of years, I have chosen to exclusively walk along 5th and 6th because it has been quiet and safe. If you venture down to 3rd or 4th, you run the risk of being tagged by a rogue bus driver who wants to catch that last microsecond of the yellow light. This enforcement may be a subtle way of letting people know that these changes are coming and MAX can’t stop on a dime. (Even though at the speeds they run downtown, I have seen them stop pretty quick in emergencies.)
Keep your eyes and ears open and look around before crossing the street in the next few months. Not only to learn about the changes, but also to save yourself some much needed cash.
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I got ticketed tonight (1st Thursday) for J walking. $97. Really annoying.
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