To Get to the Other Side

YPSILANTI, Mich.-I had a scary experience while driving through Ann Arbor the other day; everywhere I looked throngs of backpack wearing pedestrians had apparently lost the will the live. 

 I watched in horror as masses of people stoically listening to their iPods stepped into moving traffic. My knee jerk reaction was to assume that these people had been brainwashed by an evil genius and a little boy who coughs every other word and asks people if they have "connected" with themselves.

I took a deep breath and realized that my assumption was actually just the plot to the movie "Suicide Club" and that these were nothing more than jaywalking college students. The number of jaywalkers in Ann Arbor is ridiculous and presents a very real threat to public safety and yet through all the years of people complaining about it nothing has ever been done.

Driving in Ann Arbor is a hassle of congestion and overpriced and elusive parking, not to mention the stop and go that comes with city driving. Random jaywalkers only add to the difficulty by distracting or surprising drivers.

Jaywalking is considered a minor civil infraction that is not covered under state law; instead individual localities must pass and enforce their own jaywalking ordinances. Ann Arbor municipal code has jaywalking classified as a "nuisance" in chapter 106 but doesn't mention a fine schedule. This means that jaywalking is subject to the same penalty as all other nuisances; a fine up to $500.

A $500 fine would certainly discourage anybody from jaywalking, but the problem is the law is rarely enforced. According to a2gov.org the Ann Arbor Police didn't issue a single ticket for jaywalking last year and the year before that more tickets were issued for illegal beekeeping than for jaywalking.

In 2004 there was a string of accidents involving jaywalking U of M students that led to a discussion of the topic by the Ann Arbor City Council. A number of solutions were proposed including an enforcement increase and there was even an editorial in the Ann Arbor based Car and Driver magazine about what a $1000 fine might do to discourage jaywalkers in urban areas. Eventually though the buzz ended and so too did the call for municipal action. 

Even a modest enforcement effort would do wonders to bring this problem under control. Critics of jaywalking laws have argued that it is a minor offense and that attempts to fight it are draconian and unwarranted. Certainly there are instances when jaywalking is acceptable; in light traffic areas or when there is no traffic, but the problem in Ann Arbor is not people who look both ways and cross the street. The problem lies with those who disregard traffic and cross the street at random. If a few of these egregious offenders were forced to pay the full $500 fine it would be more than enough to deter others that might do the same.

 Ultimately it comes down to respect, a driver shows respect to pedestrians by following the rules of the road and trying to remain aware of their surroundings. A pedestrian can show the same respect back by being aware of vehicles on the road and waiting to cross.