Anti-Jaywalk Campaign Snags 30 Unsuspecting Offenders in Square

The City's anti-jaywalking campaign resulted in about 30 one-dollar tickets last week for straying pedestrians--all in Harvard Square.

Entering its second week, the campaign will remain restricted to Harvard Square, at least until crosswalks are painted in other major jaywalking areas of Cambridge.

The police have promised not to hand out the tickets in any area where there are no crosswalks or where the paint has faded away. Harvard Square is currently the only place where this is not the case.

Police in Central Square, for example, where only one crosswalk is now clearly marked, have only warned pedestrians vocally that they are violating the City's two-year old law. This is also the situation in Inman, Porter, and Kendall Squares.

Late Paint Order

At yesterday's Cambridge City Council meeting, Robert E. Rudolph, director of Traffic and Parking, came under fire for the lack of clearly-marked crosswalks in Cambridge.

Answering questions from Councillor Alfred E. Vellucci, Rudolph claimed that he had requisitioned in March for the plastic used to "paint" City crosswalks. However, the order to the company was not placed until last week, Rudolph said, because of uncertainties about this year's City budget.

Rudolph said the expected the materials at any time but could not be sure of any particular delivery date. Vellucci suggested sending a telegram to the Minnesota supplier, and Rudolph said he would phone the company's regional representative instead.

Beat the Clock

Vellucci then asked about around-the-clock painting crews when the supplies did arrive. Rudolph said that was possible but all other work in his department would have to stop if it were done.

City Manager Joseph A. DeGuglielmo '29, completely rejected the possibility of all-night crosswalk crews. "I'm not going to risk a couple of men to people coming back from a party." DeGuglielmo said. "They can't even see the street, much less the crews."

DeGuglielmo said he saw no emergency calling for all-night crosswalk-painting. He added that the campaign was doing a good job in the one target so far, Harvard Square.

"They've been doing all right in Harvard Square, much better than I expected them to do," he said. He commented on the therapeutic effects that the threat of a ticket had in such a situation.

Cardboard Signs

While discussing further methods of educating the public about the jaywalking campaign, Rudolph said that outdoor cardboard signs would fall to stay up for more than a week. He agreed to investigate the use of the signs, however, when Councillor Walter J. Sullivan described the success of the signs in Brookline.

Boston began a similar anti-jaywalking campaign a month before Cambridge. Since the beginning, Boston police have handed out over 1000 one-dollar jay-walking tickets.