Jaywalkers, beware. After two-month educational grace period, Bradenton police might ticket you

The ticket-free period for pedestrian-related traffic violations is over.

The Bradenton Police Department, using grant funding for a High Visibility Enforcement program, spent 34 hours between December and January without issuing citations to educate pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers on traffic laws as they relate to the safety of pedestrians.

Now that the education period has passed, it’s time to phase over to enforcement.

From February through May 2017, Bradenton Police officers will enforce those laws, although each officer has the discretion to see fit if education, warnings or citations would be most effective in improving the safety of non-motorized travelers.

A partnership between the police department, Florida Department of Transportation and the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research aims to increase awareness of the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists through both education and enforcement.

In January, a study came out stating that the Bradenton-Sarasota-North Port metro area was the 10th most dangerous for pedestrians in the entire country. In light of the report, the Bradenton Police Department said it had already received the $18,000 grant to improve pedestrian safety, honing in on jaywalkers.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Jaywalkers, beware. After two-month educational grace period, Bradenton police might ticket you."