From now until mid-November, Chapel Hill police will conduct targeted patrols focusing on Franklin Street, Columbia Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Police will be handing out information, warnings, and in some cases tickets to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Officers say they may cite motorists who don’t yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk and cite pedestrians for crossing against the signals or crossing outside the crosswalk. Fines and court costs for these violations begin at $213.

The safety outreach efforts come in the wake of a cyclist death last month. Pamela Lane was hit by a car on October 3 near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Hillsborough Street. She was transported to UNC Hospitals where she later died.

Since that incident, the Town of Chapel Hill announced police, transit and public works officials will take immediate action to improve bike and pedestrian safety,  including trimming vegetation at intersections to improve visibility and installing digital signs warning travelers of high-crash areas.

Police officers will monitor the following areas to encourage and enforce safe behavior:

-8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, on East Franklin Street
-9-10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
-2-3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, on West Franklin Street
-9-10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the intersection of South Columbia and Pittsboro streets

You can read more on Chapel Hill’s efforts to improve safety here.

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