(Image from Boston.com/The Boston Globe)

First it was Windcrest.  Now it seems that SAPD is also cracking down on jaywalkers.

Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Windcrest police were ticketing Rackspace employees who were on their way to or from lunch at one of the restaurants across Walzem Road from Rackspace’s headquarters at the old Windsor Park Mall, known affectionately as “The Castle”.

Now, there are several anecdotal reports of this happening in San Antonio itself, first at a school, now at some other location (it might even be the airport based on the person’s description of the sign, which I have only seen at the airport.)

So this begs the question, what are the state and local laws regarding jaywalking?  Here is the state law:

Sec. 552.005.  CROSSING AT POINT OTHER THAN CROSSWALK.  (a)  A pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place:

(1)  other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection; or

(2)  where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided.

(b)  Between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, a pedestrian may cross only in a marked crosswalk.

(c)  A pedestrian may cross a roadway intersection diagonally only if and in the manner authorized by a traffic control device.

(Source)

By the way, in the transportation code, the term “highway” means any public roadway.

Therefore, if the nearest two intersections to your location have traffic signals, you have to use a marked crosswalk.  This would mostly apply in the downtown area as most suburban arterials don’t have signals at every intersection.

The local ordinance is a little more restrictive: 

Sec. 19-80. – Pedestrian “walk,” “don’t walk” and “wait” signal lights.

(a) Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words “walk,” “wait” or “don’t walk” are in place, such signals shall indicate as follows:

(1) “Walk.” Pedestrians facing such signals may proceed across the street in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by drivers of all vehicles.

(2) “Don’t Walk,” or “Wait.” No pedestrians shall start to cross the street in the direction of the signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing on the “walk” signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the “don’t walk” or “wait” signal is showing.

(b) No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than in a crosswalk in any business district.

(Source)

According to the report, San Antonio ranked 30th out of the 52 metros with 1 million or more people (1st place was the most dangerous) with an average pedestrian fatality rate of 1.39 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2007-2008.  Houston was 8th, DFW 13th, and even Austin, which prides itself on its pedestrian amenities, ranked 19th.  Even more interesting was that San Antonio’s percentage of commuters who walk was 2.4%, compared to Austin’s 2.1% (those figures are from the 2000 Census.)

Of course, there’s definitely room for improvement.  San Antonians know that there are lots of “sidewalks to nowhere”, broken and obstructed walkways, and many streets with no sidewalks at all.  Fortunately, local transportation planners got the message a while ago and new projects now have pedestrian and bicycle facilities included, and retrofitting and repairing older facilities is an ongoing endeavor.

The top four most dangerous places to be a pedestrian were all in Florida: Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville were one through four respectively.  The safest places?  Minneapolis, Boston, and New York.

You can read the full report here.