Stop For Me seeks to improve St. Paul crosswalk safety

Against the backdrop of another pedestrian killed in a St. Paul crosswalk -- the 38th time this year that a driver collided with a pedestrian or bicyclist in the city -- officials on Thursday will conduct a demonstration program called Stop for Me.

"Volunteers with high-visibility clothing and high-visibility signs will gather at two high-visibility intersections to raise awareness that drivers must stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections – every corner, every turn, every time," according to a city statement released Thursday morning.

If drivers break the law by failing to yield to pedestrians crossing the street, St. Paul Police will ticket them.

The campaign is organized by St. Paul's 17 district councils, the St. Paul Police Department and St. Paul Smart Trips. On Thursday, it will focus on the intersection of Lexington Parkway and Hague Avenue, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the intersection of Snelling Avenue and Dayton Avenue from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In 2015, drivers left 40 pedestrians dead on Minnesota roads (6 of them in St. Paul) and left 900 other pedestrians injured.

"We can't continue to shrug our shoulders and ignore the issue of pedestrian safety on our streets," said St. Paul City Council President Russ Stark. "Too many people are getting hurt. Too many lives are being changed."

Stark urged drivers to slow down and pay attention to pedestrians -- and to stop for them at ever corner.

"Every year, 150 people are hit by drivers on St. Paul's streets," he said.

The next Stop for Me event will be Monday, March 21 at White Bear Avenue and E. 5th Street and at E. Maryland Avenue and Greenbrier Street. Future events will take place at intersections across St. Paul.