PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Drivers, be warned: Philadelphia police are cracking down on traffic violations along North Broad Street.
Police on Tuesday announced a month-long initiative in which officers are enforcing stricter traffic rules and regulations on North Broad from City Hall to Cheltenham Avenue.
“Through our data analysis, we found out that in the last year, there have been over 1,500 auto accidents just on North Broad Street — an eight-mile stretch from City Hall to the border up in Cheltenham,” said Deputy Commissioner Mike Cram.
Of those car crashes — 1,601, to be exact — 52 involved pedestrians, and nine incidents were fatal.
Police received tons of complaints about many drivers’ disregard for traffic signs, which pose a risk to pedestrians and other motorists. For the next few weeks, more officers will be present on North Broad Street, handing out citations for offenses like violating traffic signals, double-parking, and driving in the wrong direction.
“We’ve seen people go up and across the islands, go around, take stop signs, take lights,” Cram added. “You name it — if it’s a violation, it’s going to be enforced.”
Cram said the goal is to keep other drivers, passengers and pedestrians safe.