Police: Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Attention drivers in St. Paul, Minn.: If you don't let walkers walk their walk, word on the vine is you'll pay a fine.

City police are stepping up patrols along one a stretch of a heavily traveled city street and will ticket drivers who don't yield to pedestrians -- even those not in a crosswalk -- could be ticketed and fined, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Monday.

Errant drivers were warned on Monday, said police spokesman Peter Panos. Tuesday through Friday, though, additional officers will be in the targeted area, writing tickets to drivers who don't stop for pedestrians.

St. Paul City Council Members Russ Stark said many drivers don't know that pedestrians not only have the right of way in marked cross walks, but also at intersections without marked crosswalks, the newspaper reported.

"Of course pedestrians need to obey traffic signals and use common sense," Stark said in a statement, "but drivers have a responsibility to look out for pedestrians."