Crosswalk enforcements start tonight

Chicago will start more crosswalk enforcements tonight. This is so exciting and we congratulate the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Chicago Police Department for enforcing the laws that protect pedestrians. Just to clarify: drivers and bicyclists must yield (yes, sometimes that means completely stopping) to any person in any crosswalks (and yes, even those ones in the middle of the block that don't have a stop sign).

Way to go CDOT and CPD!

The undercover police stings aimed at catching drivers who endanger pedestrians in crosswalks are back again — but this time at night.

The first enforcement operation will be conducted at 8 p.m. today in the Lakeview neighborhood at Belmont Avenue and Orchard Street, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Chicago Police Department.

The goal of the well-publicized stings, which started during daylight hours last year, is reducing crashes involving pedestrians that occur after dark, officials said.

Four areas with a history of many vehicle-pedestrian crashes are targeted: River North, Austin, Wrigleyville and 79th Street from about Ashland to the Dan Ryan Expressway, officials said.

Several enforcement strategies will be deployed, including using undercover off-duty police officers posing as pedestrians walking in crosswalks, officials said.

If on-coming drivers don't yield to the pedestrians, as required by law, the vehicle will be pulled over by uniformed police officers farther down the street.

Motorists can be fined $50 to $500 for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.