GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids residents are walking and biking more. They’re also getting hurt more often, city leaders say as they push their Summer of Safety Initiative.
“One of our goals for this year is to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in the city of Grand Rapids," Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said during a news conference at City Hall Monday morning to kick off the project.
The approach includes a public education campaign on the new law that says drivers must stop, not slow down and roll through, crosswalks when a pedestrian enters one. It may create some confusion because laws vary across the state on whether drivers have to stop at crosswalks.
The Grand Rapids Police Department chief made a case for the new ordinance.
“You get downtown, you know you're downtown. You see one-way streets. You see pedestrian traffic," Chief David Rahinsky said. “It's a unique environment and I think requiring unique responsibilities of the motoring public downtown is reasonable.”