by Jason Kleymann
Daily Lobo
With the influx of construction on campus, the UNM Police Department is keeping a close eye on motorists and pedestrians by enforcing a semester-long traffic initiative.
Lt. Patrick Davis, spokesman for UNMPD, said the initiative is aimed at keeping people safe by enforcing the new 5 mph speed limit in construction zones, and making sure pedestrians use crosswalks.
"Now there are more pedestrians in the same places with vehicles, and it becomes a bigger problem," Davis said, referring to the construction.
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Officers will be watching three main areas: South Redondo Drive by the George Pearl School of Architecture construction, Las Lomas Road between Stanford and Yale and Tucker Road on north campus between University and Yale.
UNMPD has been gearing up for the initiative since November by issuing warnings, Davis said, but has began issuing citations for flagrant violations this semester.
"We did issue the warning citations just to get the public aware, and to inform people traveling on those roadways that they do need to get their speed down in that 5 mph zone," UNMPD Officer Chris Trujillo said.
Trujillo said officers are watching for speeding violations around campus, especially in the construction zones.
Trujillo said fines double in construction zones and could easily reach $300.
While on patrol Wednesday, Trujillo cited an individual for going 18 mph through a construction zone and issued him a written warning. Trujillo said a ticket for the violation would have cost the driver $228.
The majority of tickets Trujillo issues, he said, involve people not coming to a complete halt at stop signs.
"They just make the California stop," he said. "That's where we run into a lot of accidents because if both vehicles are doing California stops, they're going to run into each other."
Davis said the area around the UNM Bookstore is a major concern for the officers enforcing the program.
"I understand, because we all drive in front of the bookstore, that (place) is horrible this year," Davis said. "You can get backed up 40 cars waiting on some little old lady to cross the street."
He also pointed out that skateboarders need to follow the same rules as bicyclists at crosswalks.
"We've have a lot of folks on skateboards here," he said. "You can't ride a skateboard through a crosswalk any more you can a bicycle, because it doesn't give the vehicles time to see you and anticipate that you're there."
Student Matt Escudero said traffic on campus is a concern for him, especially since he drives and rides a skateboard around campus.
"I have to use a skateboard, because I park in a lot next to campus and I end up having to have a set of wheels," Escudero said. "I don't want to bring a bike on campus, because how often those are stolen."
He said skateboarders are expected to dismount their skateboards at crosswalks, and UNM Police will be enforcing this rule.
"That's why we call it a crosswalk, not a crossride," Trujillo said.
Student Julia Carris said traffic is bad enough without UNM police pulling people over.
"If you're pulling cars over, where are you pulling them over to?" Carris said. "It seems you would be creating more congestion."
