PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Vehicular traffic in Madison, Wisconsin has increased significantly during the past several years, resulting in a corresponding increase in traffic law violations. Primary violations include unsafe speed, disregarding traffic signals at controlled intersections and failing to yield to pedestrians. These unsafe driving behaviors, combined with the fact that pedestrians are now taking greater risks when crossing streets, have created an alarming trend. In 1998, the City of Madison experienced 100 vehicle-pedestrian crashes, resulting in three fatalities. Traffic law enforcement officers issued only 47 citations motorists in 1998, for failure to yield the right-of way to pedestrians. In certain city districts, students who live within blocks of the school now ride the bus, to avoid having to cross streets in dangerous corridors.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In order to improve both the perception and reality of pedestrian dangers in the city, the Madison Police Department developed the Walk Like a Duck Pedestrian Enforcement program in 2001. Specific objectives of the program are to:

• Increase public awareness of unacceptable driving behaviors, and of increased enforcement efforts to apprehend violators
• Reduce pedestrian injury crashes by 5 percent in 2001
• Create an atmosphere of pedestrian safety and comfort, using humorous and serious public notices, along with visible enforcement

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 2000, the Madison Police Department created a Traffic Enforcement Safety Team (TEST), whose efforts are fully committed to traffic enforcement. The activities of the TEST officers, combined with special emphasis on enforcement by all Madison police officers, significantly increased traffic citations citywide in 2000. In 2001, TEST officers increased their focus on pedestrian safety, initiating the Walk Like a Duck Pedestrian Enforcement program. TEST members received state-sponsored Pedestrian Law Enforcement training to help organize state-of-the-art enforcement activities for pedestrian safety. The Chief of Police sent notices to all city and county employees, encouraging them to set a good example with courteous behavior towards pedestrians. He emphasized that no city or county vehicles should violate pedestrian rights. Specific activities of the Walk Like a Duck program include:

• Distributing notices to rush hour motorists explaining pedestrian laws, and describing police expectations when motorists experience traffic signal delays in downtown crossing areas
• Posting pedestrian safety signs on police billboards, including Quack, Quack, Quack, and You stop for Ducks, Why not for People? It's nothing to quack about, Stop for Pedestrians
• Developing a 30-second public service announcement in partnership with a local hospital foundation, featuring motorists yielding the right-of-way to a duck, but not pedestrians, even if they are blind, or in a wheelchair
• Installing "Yield to Pedestrians" signs in high pedestrian areas, to evaluate their effectiveness in improving motorists' behavior

RESULTS
Although the Walk Like a Duck Pedestrian Enforcement program was only recently established, law enforcement officers have observed more motorists yielding to pedestrians. Road signs and the public service announcement are newly released, and TEST officer training was completed in May 2001.