Q.  New signs about the percent of Ann Arbor drivers stopping for pedestrians have popped up. The signs are not informative and are actually confusing. Do you have any information about what information they are trying to show, and how they measured this? 

A.  Since 2011, Ann Arbor has required motorists to stop for pedestrians who indicate the intent to cross in a non-signaled crosswalk.  Since the Michigan Uniform Traffic Code, which is followed in most of the state, only requires stopping for people in a crosswalk. That created a challenge: how to make the many tens of thousands of motorists who commute into Ann Arbor every workday aware of the requirement?

“We did a big ad campaign this May/June about crosswalk safety,” emails city spokesman Robert Kellar. “The campaign has consisted of a wave of education, multiple waves of enforcement, in-road signage and advertising.”

Compliance is based on observation of the percentage of drivers who stop as required for approaching pedestrians.  “We had good results last year,” Kellar writes, “and we hope after compiling the data from this year, along with a much more vibrant campaign, [next year’s] numbers will be even better.”

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