A recent high-visibility enforcement effort by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit reached out and touched nearly 1,000 people traveling by vehicle, bicycle and foot.

Deputies chose five high-traffic volume locations for the safety campaign, handing out safety pamphlets to 409 motorists, 191 bicyclists and 262 pedestrians.

The locations were:

– Pine Island Road between Old U.S. 41 and U.S. 41

– U.S. 41 from Bonita Beach Road to Rosemary Drive

– Lee Boulevard from Alvin Avenue to Williams Avenue

– U.S. 41 from South Road to Andrea Lane

– State Route 80/Palm Beach Boulevard from Prospect Avenue to Underwood Drive

Lt. Dennis Petracca said while major infractions were ticketed, deputies who observed minor infractions used it as a chance to educate those they came in contact with.

“Prevention is our key objective,” he said. “This campaign was a great opportunity to educate people and offer some friendly, but important advise concerning safety.”

Earlier this month, the LCSO announced that it received a grant for a high-visibility enforcement program for pedestrian and bicycle safety. The goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle safety through education and enforcement.

The grant, provided by the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research, allowed officers to be present at five key corridors in Lee County where pedestrian and bicycle crashes were most prevalent.

The locations were selected based on crash data involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles. They were also chosen for their volume of pedestrian traffic and number of accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists.

All contacts with citizens was documented and the results will be sent to the Florida Department of Transportation for evaluation.

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office