The Town of Normal has installed pedestrian signs at the crossings of the Constitution Trail on Locust, Willow, Lincoln, Shelbourne and Raab.
Normal City Manager Mark Peterson said the new on-street signs reiterate pedestrian rules to drivers.
“The signs are a visual reminder of the existing pedestrian crosswalk law requiring vehicles to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk,” Peterson said.
State law requires that “drivers must stop for pedestrians who are in (have entered) the crosswalk on the driver’s side of the road.” Also, the law goes onto warn pedestrians to not “suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a moving vehicle.”
Peterson emphasized that the new signs do not indicate new or revised laws.
“The signs do not expand the parameters of the law nor are they intended to encourage pedestrians to recklessly step into oncoming vehicle traffic,” Peterson added. “Bottom line: We want to emphasize that drivers and pedestrians are partners in safety.”
Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner said they continue to monitor such crossings.
“The Normal Police Department will continue to conduct special details focused on the enforcement of crosswalk laws at these and other high-traffic areas throughout town.”
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