Columbia Police are clarifying an ordinance passed by the city council Monday which establishes penalties for standing on street medians.
The new rules apply to roads that have a speed limit of at least 35 miles per hour, see 15,000 vehicles per day and have medians that are smaller than six feet wide.
Pedestrians who stand in the median for more than two crossing cycles are at risk of being cited.
Columbia Police Lieutenant Clinton Sinclair says officers will usually give warnings first.
“We also anticipate this ordinance will be very complaint driven, which means people calling in about the ordinance. We have a lot to do, so I don't imagine officers are going to go out and seek out these violations, but we will address them when they come up,” Sinclair said.
The ordinance will prohibit drivers from stopping their vehicles on major roadways.
Additionally, drivers cannot hand items to pedestrians. However, Sinclair says citations will go to the pedestrians.
“There's likely not going to be a violation by the driver, but potentially by the person approaching the vehicle,” Sinclair said.
The ordinance will be enforced on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or faster that see large amounts of traffic but largely doesn’t apply to downtown Columbia.
Critics of the ordinance say it’s targeting the local homeless population. Sinclair disagrees, saying it’s about keeping the roads safer.