DATA: Hundreds of Tickets Issued at Fairchild Intersection

If you think the isn't enforcing the onto the new Fairchild Avenue Bridge, think again.

Data obtained from the police department by Kent Patch show officers have strictly enforced the no left turn for southbound drivers on S.R. 43 looking to turn onto the new bridge since April.

So far this year, the police department has issued a total 314 tickets to drivers making illegal turns at intersections. Of those tickets, 304 were issued for violations at the intersection of Fairchild Avenue and North Mantua Street (S.R. 43), according to Kent Police.

However, Kent Police Capt. Jayme Cole said not all of the tickets were necessarily issued to drivers for making the illegal left turn onto the bridge from the southbound lane of S.R. 43. The data only shows turn violations at the intersection and includes all lanes.

Still, the data show a rather stark increase in the violations compared with the fact just 41 tickets total were issued in 2011 for turning violations at all of Kent's intersections.

And given the fact police have stepped up enforcement of the illegal turn onto the bridge it's likely a majority of the tickets were issued to drivers turning illegally onto the bridge.

"The number of tickets for this violation is way up this year, so given the timing, that's a fairly safe conclusion," Cole said.

The department has averaged almost five tickets per day in the last two months alone.

The number of turning violations at intersections issued by month this year breaks down as follows:

Turn Violation Tickets

(citywide)