Police Crackdown On 4 Roads Hopes To Boost Bike, Pedestrian Safety

SARASOTA, FL — A High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) program, designed to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, is being implemented again in Sarasota.

Sarasota ranks among the top 25 cities in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists, the Sarasota Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Officers will conduct HVE details now through May throughout the city, focusing on the following roads:

• North Washington Boulevard (US 301) from 12th Street to 24th Street
• South Tamiami Trail (US 41) from Webber Street to Hibiscus Street
• South Tamiami Trail (US 41) from Arlington Street to Bahia Vista Street
• North Tamiami Trail (US 41) from May Lane to Gary Drive
• Fruitville Road from Tarpon Avenue to Midwest Parkway

The roadways were selected based on crash data involving both pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles.

HVE patrols are funded through a contract with the University of North Florida, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation’s focused initiative to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.

The goal of the enforcement effort is to increase awareness of and compliance with traffic laws that protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Enforcement efforts will focus primarily on education to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Violations may result in warnings or citations depending on the circumstances.

“We will continue to educate every driver, pedestrian, and bicyclist to know and understand the rules of the road,” Officer Jason Frank said. “The safety of our community is our number one priority and we must all work together to eliminate traffic fatalities.”