Arlington police crack down on stop sign for cyclists, arrest 2

ARLINGTON, Mass. — Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington is a busy spot for walkers, runners and cyclists. Some obey the posted stop sign at the busy cross streets, but plenty of others ignore it.

Police in Arlington recently arrested two bicyclists after they rolled through a stop sign and refused to stop for officers.

Jessie Smolow rides the bike path every day and has seen her share of close calls.

"Police should be enforcing it. It's a safety thing. I have seen it and I have seen it be a really dangerous situation," said Smolow.

So have police. So much so, they've recently tried to pull over two bikers who didn't stop. Police even chased them down after the cyclists ignored the officer. Finally, police got to them and arrested them.

"Yeah, that seems pretty strong. He chased her and cut her off, but she is supposed to stop for a cop," said Bruce Goodchild.

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Police tell Boston 25 News they've had numerous accidents in that area and they're being proactive to try and solve the problems.

"It's a challenge we are working to correct. This isn't gotcha policing. We're just trying to keep people safe," said Captain Richard Flynn.

Some applaud the enforcement.

"You have to stop because this is a very high traffic volume area. It’s kind of stupid not to stop and make sure the cars stop before you cross," said Weytk Zsmanski.

Boston 25 also found signs warning people about the stop sign ahead, but trees are blocking it. Some residents think that may be one reason why some people aren't stopping.

In at least one of the arrest cases, the charges were dropped. Police say had those two cyclists stopped initially when the officer asked them to, they would've possibly been given just a verbal warning or a citation.

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