Mission Statement
The Traffic Bureau’s primary mission is the safe movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on city streets and freeways. To accomplish this mission, Traffic Bureau personnel are responsible fro the following activities dependant on their assignment:
- Direction and control of traffic in the downtown area.
- Follow-up investigation of hit-skip and fatal accidents.
- Investigates Division of Police vehicle accidents.
- Investigates school bus violations and felony accidents.
- Enforcement of traffic laws on city streets and freeways, responding promptly to citizen reports of traffic problems in residential and business areas and on the City’s freeway system, following established Quick-clearance principles.
- Assisting stranded motorists.
- Providing assistance to other bureaus during civil disturbances and special events.
The Traffic Bureau consists of the following six units:
Motorcycle Squad: Responded to more than 700 requests for service around the community in 2008 in residential, school and business areas, regarding various traffic complaints. The unit is very active in the enforcement of traffic laws throughout the various school zones located throughout the city. The unit was also instrumental in the escorting of various dignitaries during the campaign season including President Elect Barack Obama.
Freeway Patrol: Assists stranded motorists, responds to accidents on the freeway system and coordinates road closures with Traffic Engineering and the Ohio Department of Transportation. The primary function of the Freeway Patrol is to enforce speed limits on the freeway, with special attention to hazardous areas and construction zones. In 2008 the Freeway patrol investigated over 1300 accidents and removed 727 impaired drivers off the roadway.
Accident Investigation Unit: Responsible for the investigation of transportation-related crashes resulting in critical or fatal injuries and hit-skip accidents. During 2008, the unit detectives investigated 58 fatal accidents, 39 serious injury accidents and 7723 hit-skip reports.
Mounted Unit: Responds to various requests from Patrol Commanders. They also enforce parking violations in the downtown area; provide patrol services in the parks, along bike paths and other locations difficult for regular patrol officers to enforce. Mounted officers also provide crowd control to officers during Red, White and Boom and in the OSU area on football weekends. The unit was also active in monitoring crowd activity at the numerous venues visited by the various campaigners which visited the city in 2008.
Special Events Unit: In addition to planning escorts for several dignitaries, the unit also coordinated traffic control and route plans for several hundred events during 2008. Among them were Red, White and Boom, the Columbus Marathon, OSU football games and many parades, runs and other events.
Focus on Safety/Photo Red Light Unit: Monitors the daily recorded Red Light violations and approves the issuance of the notices of the violations, which are provided by Redflex Systems. In 2008 the following eighteen intersections were monitored by twenty cameras, which resulted in the issuance of 37629 notices of violations.
- S. Third St. @ Fulton St.
- S. Third St. @ E. Main St.
- N. Fourth St. @ Mt. Vernon Ave.
- E. 5th Ave. @ N. Fourth St.
- E. Broad St. @ Grant Ave.
- W. Broad St. @ Sylvan Ave.
- Central Ave. @ Sullivant Ave.
- Cleveland Ave. @ Spring St.
- N. Fourth St. @ E. Long St.
- S. Fourth St. @ E. Main St.
- Henderson Rd. @ Gettysburg Dr.
- Indianola Ave. @ Cooke Rd.
- E. Livingston Ave. @ Fairwood Ave.
- E. Main St. @ Eastmoor Blvd.
- Parsons Ave. @ Frebis Ave.
- Summit St. @ Chittenden St.
- Summit St. @ Maynard Ave.
- E. Town St. @ S. Fourth St.
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Contact information:
645-4664