APD reports Don’t Block the Box results

You may remember that the Austin Police Department began enforcing its Don’t Block the Box campaign back on April 6, and it has released results from the first two weeks. The idea behind the program is to keep cars from pulling into busy intersections and then getting caught by the light, blocking cross traffic. According to APD, during Week 1 (April 6-10), 360 moving violations and 106 nonmoving violations were issued. In Week 2 (April 13-17), 293 moving violations and 47 nonmoving violations were given. Over the two-week period, 90 warning citations were issued. The goal of the campaign is to reduce traffic congestion on Austin’s major arterial roadways and in the Downtown Central Business District. APD stationed officers at key intersections during the peak travel times of 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m. The monitored locations were along Cesar Chavez Street where it intersects Guadalupe Street, Lavaca Street, Colorado Street and Congress Avenue. The campaign is part of the city manager’s Traffic Congestion Action Plan. APD has not said whether it intends to expand enforcement of the program to other intersections.