I want to give kudos to the police department for looking out for pedestrians crossing the street! So glad the motorcycle officers were out on Washington the other day stopping reckless drivers. The woman who wrote the letter to the paper is right - it can be scary just trying to cross the street because too many people aren't paying attention.

I walk around town, a lot. Having to keep two big dogs (not to mention myself) exercised I have plenty of pedestrian interaction with traffic. As such, I have to definitely give a tip o'the cap to our police department for giving crosswalk scofflaws a dose of medicine.

Here is another tip for Petaluma's finest... Lakeville at Casa Grande and work the red light runners. Counted four one recent morning on my way to Rocky on just one cycle of the light. And given how long I wrote tickets for a living I think I am a failry good judge of what is and is not a violation. At the speeds involved going east / west on Lakeville a T-bone crash in that intersection would almost certainly turn into a fatal.

Both the Lakeville and Casa Grande intersections on Lakeville are very dangerous to cross, both in a car, or walking across. Trucks barrel thru on reds all the time. I count to 5 when the light turns green before I proceed, as I have almost been hit a number of times.

With the new condos on Casa, more kids are crossing and it is scary.

In the 12 years I've been living in the area mentioned before (casa or lakeville-mcdowell) I've seen a patrol maybe twice, but now there's a starbucks I see many more... thanks starbucks! Also the point about red light runners is true, I've seen too many, the problem is the speed limit, people speed.

I agree there's a lot of careless/inattentive drivers and in that area of town, people driving too fast, especially trucks.

but I also see plenty of careless pedestrians downtown.

just because a crosswalk is there doesn't mean you should run out into the street in front of oncoming traffic. seems like california people think there is a magic barrier that will protect them. well it will not, and contrary to popular belief, the law does not give you the right to stop traffic, crosswalk or not (look it up).

try that in NY and you would be flat as a pancake.

those downtown crosswalks are very dangerous. drivers are frustated by all the traffic and havnig to stop for a pedestrian because they could not be arsed to walk the extra 20 yards to the RED LIGHT makes it worse. then you have those flashing lights in the ground... well 2 problems with those.
1. what do they mean? I've never seen lights like that before anywhere else. as a city engineer friend of mine used to say, Uniqueness in traffic signals is not a virtue! if people aren't familiar with those and don't know what they mean, there will be trouble
2. the other problem is, I often see them flashing but nobody is crossing! like some kid pushed the button as a joke. YOU ARE TRAINING PEOPLE TO IGNORE THE LIGHTS.

I highly suggest people cross at the red lights only. like the woman with the 2 little boys I almost ran over last year, she's crossing at C st by the theater there, traffic is stopped in the left lane, but that doesn't mean traffic in the other lane is going to stop, or can even see you!!

my favorite though has to be Kentucky street by the bookstore there. not only do people treat the whole street like a parking lot, just crossing willy-nilly anywhere they feel like it, but they CHARGE out into the crosswalk in front of traffic! hello, the speed limit is 25mph there, if I'm 20 yards away going 25mph you can NOT step off in front of me (again, it's the law look it up) the other day I had a guy NOT EVEN LOOK in the direction of traffic - I mean it's a ONE WAY st and he doesn't even glance in my direction, I had to slam on my brakes and almost hit him.. then he has the balls to yell at ME. wow...

As a avid walker with two small children and a small dog, I am constantly shocked by the carelessness of drivers. I stand on the corner of East Washington and Vallejo often for over 5 minutes waiting for traffic to stop so we can cross. Unfortunately, there is no light to cross at that corner. It's unfortunate that drivers could care less about crosswalks and flashing lights much of the time, or that anyone would view them as a useless. I'm sad that some drivers feel more entitled than people using two feet to get around town.

As Citizens of a community it is only fitting that we report our City things which we Want and Need to correct. It does not mean that traffic lights will be timed properly imediately, or that a pedestrian may get run over by a vehicle failing to stop for them but it is at least on record when we call that there is a problem. Enough calls for action, enough information and concern from the community and someting will change. I propose that everyone that has a concern continue to post not only on this Forum but to call the appropriate office and report each and every concern. The Squeeky wheel nearly always gets the grease. It is easy for a city to pass on an occasional call/concern, but if it gets enough action from the townspeople then you can bet that someone somewhere is going to have to fix the problem; besides all of the input becomes public record so the city could become liable at some point should they know of an existing problem and fails to address it in an appropriate time manner. With what I have read about the Crosswalk situations it seems that the City seems to be already listening to the inputs of concerned citizens.