Pedestrian safety operation in Lincoln City July 9

The Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) plans to conduct a pedestrian safety operation on Tuesday, July 9, on Highway 101 in the area between North 10th Street and North 14th Street.

The operation will be conducted between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Warning signs will be posted prior to entering the pedestrian safety operation zone.

“The primary focus of this operation is to raise awareness of pedestrian safety in drivers,” Sgt. Torin Liden said in a news release. “The use of a decoy pedestrian will allow the Lincoln City Police Department to educate and enforce pedestrian right-of-way laws.”

The pedestrian safety operations are designed to stop drivers who are distracted while operating their vehicles and talking on their cellphones or using other electronic devices. In addition, LCPD officers will be looking for motorists who are driving aggressively by speeding, following too close, making dangerous or un-signaled lane changes, or running stop signs.

LCPD last conducted a pedestrian safety operation on Sept. 19, 2023. During that operation, nine citations and three written warnings were issued for violations of the crosswalk laws. The citations included failing to stop for pedestrian in crosswalk or passing vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.

Fines for failure to yield to a pedestrian and passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk can cost $265 each.

“Drivers need to be aware of pedestrians when approaching crosswalks while traveling through Lincoln City,” Liden said. There are several safe pedestrian crossings with lights and pedestrian refuges in the center of the roadway along Highway 101 in Lincoln City.

“Drivers often aren’t watching for pedestrians that are coming onto the roadway from cars that are parked, so anything that we can do to try and educate people and get them to even slow down helps,” LCPD Officer Logan Smith said during the September 2023 pedestrian safety operation.

Funding for the pedestrian safety operations are made possible through traffic safety grants provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact.

“The members of the Lincoln City Police Department are dedicated to enhancing the safety of our citizens and guests of the city, and these safety operations are conducted in an effort to reduce the potential for injuries or death caused from traffic collisions,” Liden said.