Police Plan Crackdown on Traffic Violations

The Highland Park Police will conduct a traffic safety initiative in the central business district on Oct. 29 and Nov. 7 to target driving, cell phone and cyclist violations.

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Police will target illegal U-turns, stop sign violations, use of handheld phones while driving and cyclist traffic law violations from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day of the initiative, according to a release from the police department.

"We're getting some feedback that people are seeing some of these U-turns into parking spaces, enough that its concerning," Deputy Police Chief Dave Schwarz told Patch in August.

The police pursued a similar initiative in August, and another before that focused more on handheld cell phone violations.

"The more and more compliance we get the less and less need we have for running these things," Schwarz said.

Two Patch readers commented on this initiative when it began in August. One favored the police crackdown, calling driving in downtown "a lesson in stress management."

"Our teen driver found driving in Chicago a breeze after learning in Highland Park," writes Molly. "I would shop more in HP if the drivers and pedestrians weren't so rude."

Another reader thought the safety initiative would discourage business to downtown.

"If the police need to 'make a show of force' I'd suggest along Vine and St Johns near the High School!" writes Larry Hillman. "Targeting shoppers is a bad idea."

In upcoming weeks, police will also conduct similar traffic safety initiatives in school zones, according to the release.

The initiative should come as a relief to residents who bemoan the driving they see in Highland Park, like Louis Greenwald.

"If one observes any stop sign in Highland Park it becomes clear that Highland Park drivers are legally blind," Greenwald wrote to Patch in an email. "Pity the poor kids or the elderly attempting to cross downtown streets, in the marked crosswalks."

What do you think of the driving in Highland Park? Leave a comment below.

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