Does the Box Blocking Crackdown Ignore Crosswalk Violations?

boxblock.jpg

Manhattan Community Board 2’s Ian Dutton sends along this shot of a motorist about to be ticketed for blocking the box on Broome Street at W. Broadway in SoHo. Yesterday, police and traffic agents stepped up enforcement of what is a normally ignored traffic regulation. However, writes Ian:

Note that blocking the box only applies to getting in the way of other cars, not blocking the crosswalk making it dangerous for pedestrians.

Commenter ddartley elaborates:

The bigger problem is blocking pedestrian crosswalks. It’s a bigger
problem because it happens more often, it affects more people
(pedestrians outnumber motorists), and the risks of harm are far
greater than mere car-obstructing (peds are forced to walk out into
moving traffic every minute of ever day all around town). Nevertheless, the new law, while great, only deals specifically with
cars in the middle of the intersection. It does not define ped
crosswalks as part of "the box," so I wonder if TEAs are now ticketing
cars blocking crosswalks.

Anyone else who witnessed yesterday’s action notice whether agents were also ticketing for crosswalk violations?

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

“Don’t Block the Box” Bill Clears Albany

|
With 2800 agents able to enforce rules against blocking the box, drivers may soon take these signs seriously. A bill intended to step up enforcement against drivers who block the box made it through the state legislature last Thursday. While the measure is not expected to play a major role in traffic reduction, it should […]

CB 2 Committee Signs Off on Slate of SoHo Pedestrian Improvements

|
The transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 2 this week unanimously recommended that DOT implement two projects that would bring a menu of pedestrian safety improvements to SoHo, including a number of intersections near the Holland Tunnel. At the intersection of Canal Street and Hudson Street, DOT plans to add median islands and bump-outs to […]