The City of Ukiah is keenly aware of the growing concern within our community regarding increased vehicle traffic and the related safety issues. While the majority of complaints received are speed related, various other minor traffic violations are also increasing. These include unsafe lane changes, failure to signal, u-turns in restricted areas, and bicycle and pedestrian violations.

If this pattern of behavior by some drivers continues unchecked, we believe the city will experience an increase of motor vehicle accidents and injuries. In response to this concern, the Ukiah City Council addressed the growing traffic safety problems within the City of Ukiah by funding a designated Traffic Enforcement Officer utilizing Measure S funding. The Department also initiated a traffic enforcement program.

The program consists of data collection, public education and enforcement. The Crime Suppression Team has been assigned the task of collecting data and overseeing the program. When a particular area or concern has been identified either by the public or officers, this information is relayed to CST who maintains a list of problem areas. Our intent is to educate the motoring public and solicit their voluntary compliance.

Bicycle and pedestrian violations are also included in this program. CST will continue to plan and implement crosswalk and other pedestrian enforcement operations. This has been a successful deterrent in the past. We hope to expand the program by including educational announcements through local news media outlets and presentations at local schools. Our goal is to not only educate motorist regarding pedestrian safety but also the pedestrian. With proper technique and awareness even the busiest streets can be traversed safely.