Fifteen pedestrians have died on Austin roadways this year. That's why police have launched a new pedestrian initiative to keep that number from growing. We followed along in Southeast Austin near William Cannon and IH 35.

"People are distracted and they're not paying much attention," Commander William Manno said.

Minutes after officers arrived, people began to cross illegally. Instead of using the crosswalks at IH 35 or Bluff Springs Road on William Cannon, people tempted fate by walking through six lanes of traffic. There were so many violators that the two officers on patrol couldn't keep up.

“What we look for are the ones that are the most serious violations where they're interfering with vehicular traffic and in some cases we're seeing vehicles not yielding the right away to pedestrians and the motorists are cited," Manno said.

 One woman was ticketed for crossing with her two small children.

 In October, a man died crossing the street a couple blocks up the road. Deaths like his fueled the initiative. Officers dedicate 12 hours a week to educating the public on the danger of crossing at mid-block. The initiative stretches from Southeast Austin to Oak Hill.

"As of the 17th, there's been 239 citations issued, 60 warning and I think about 7 arrests," Manno said.

We witnessed one arrest. Officers grabbed a man just before he stepped out into the roadway. He was taken in for public intoxication. Officers plan to continue the team initiative for three more weeks. But patrols in Southeast Austin will not stop. It's good news for drivers.

"I hope it works," driver Melody Marshall said.