Jaywalking Crackdown Targets Pedestrians on Street With No Sidewalks

The Ridgefield Police Department has launched a jaywalking enforcement initiative on Harrison Boulevard, issuing 47 citations in a single week to pedestrians walking in the roadway — which, as several ticketed individuals pointed out, is the only option on a road that has no sidewalks, no crosswalks, no pedestrian signals, and no shoulders. 'The law is the law,' said Sergeant Phil Curb at a press conference. 'Pedestrians are required to use sidewalks where available. Where no sidewalk exists, they must walk on the left shoulder facing traffic. Harrison Boulevard has neither, so technically pedestrians should...' He paused. 'Actually, I'm not sure what they're supposed to do. But whatever they're doing, it's wrong.' Harrison Boulevard, a 3.2-mile commercial corridor with five traffic lanes and a posted speed limit of 45 mph, has been without pedestrian infrastructure since its construction in 1968. A 2018 pedestrian safety study recommended sidewalks, crosswalks, and a speed reduction, all of which were rejected by the city as 'cost-prohibitive at this time.' 'So to be clear,' said ticketed pedestrian Angela Walkman, holding her $75 citation, 'the city won't build me a sidewalk, and the police are ticketing me for not using the sidewalk the city won't build. I live at the apartments on Harrison. I work at the strip mall on Harrison. There is no way to get from one to the other except by walking in the road. I have been ticketed for existing.' The ACLU has expressed interest in the matter. The city has responded by installing a sign reading 'PEDESTRIANS USE CAUTION' at the boulevard's southern terminus, facing away from the direction pedestrians approach. A spokesperson for the police department clarified that the enforcement initiative is 'about safety' and suggested pedestrians 'consider driving.'