The Merriam City Council on Monday passed an ordinance banning pedestrians from medians at the city’s nine busiest intersections, despite some concerns that the law would push out the homeless and panhandlers. City officials said the law is aimed at cutting down on car crashes and ensuring the safety of pedestrians, and is not meant to penalize panhandlers — a fear brought up by Councilwoman Whitney Yadrich and some residents. … The ordinance prohibits pedestrians from standing or sitting on medians at nine high-traffic intersections, other than to legally cross the street. Police Chief Darren McLaughlin brought the idea before the council, saying that distracted driving is a main cause of accidents at the intersections, where more than half of the city’s crashes occur each year. He worries about an increase in people stopping traffic to collect money there.
Source: Joco 913 News
