Columbia police issue median ordinance citation during Wednesday protest

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department issued at least one citation Wednesday after residents protested the city's median ordinance.

An ABC 17 News reporter in the area saw around a half-dozen residents protesting at 10 a.m. in medians at the intersection of North Providence Road and Business Loop 70.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt. I mean, none of us do, but we're denying people the right to make a living, they have that freedom of speech," said Jeff Stack, who is with the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Protesters argued the rule violates the First Amendment and unfairly targets unhoused people, disguised as pedestrian safety.

"The city spent almost $100,000 on an independent study about pedestrian-related traffic accidents, and the vast majority of them happened near campus, especially on College Avenue, where there are students," Columbia resident Dirk Burhans said. "So, this is really about getting homeless people out of view."

"People have the [right to] panhandle, it may be a little bit uncomfortable for the mayor or for some city leaders, for Mun Choi maybe and other university officials," Stack said. "They don't like seeing people on the streets in such a way because it gives our city a bad name, a bad image. Well, there is poverty in our community."

Burhans and other protesters were later escorted off the medians by CPD around 11 a.m., with the protest ending around noon.

Burhans later told ABC 17 News the officers were polite and gave him several chances to leave the median, with Burhans asking for a citation to move. An officer was seen giving Burhans a ticket, which Burhans confirmed was for a later court date.

According to the ACLU, panhandling does fall under the First Amendment. However, cities can police how and where people do it.

The Columbia City Council passed the ordinance Feb. 2 on a 5-2 vote. Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll and Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood voted against the measure, while Mayor Barbara Buffaloe was among those who voted in favor.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Buffaloe acknowledged residents had a right to protest while also pushing the safety benefits of the ordinance.

"I also supported this ordinance because I believe we can protect free expression while also addressing serious safety concerns on our busiest roadways," Buffaloe said in the post.

Buffaloe added that her car accident in June reinforced her safety concerns about roads in town.

The City of Columbia outlined the ordinance's criteria and identified the areas where it applies on its webpage:

• Prohibits crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal, or an intersection if those things aren't available.
• Prohibits being on a median fewer than six feet wide except when crossing the road.
• Prohibits getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.
• Prohibits approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.
• Prohibits people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersections.

Intersections that are affected include:

• Intersections with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or greater.
• Traffic volumes greater than 15,000 vehicles per day.
• Medians less than six feet wide are designated as a major corridor intersection.

Those who violate the ordinance can face a fine of up to $500, but no one would face jail time for a violation. The 47 identified crash areas where data shows the highest risk of pedestrian-vehicle crashes are where officers will prioritize enforcement, according to the city. Some of those areas include:

• College Avenue and University Avenue
• College Avenue and Rollins Avenue
• Stadium Boulevard and Monk Drive/Champions Drive
• Business Loop 70 and Providence Road.

Several intersections in the city are affected, with the five busiest intersections being:

• Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard
• Providence Road and Broadway
• Broadway and Stadium Boulevard
• Broadway and College Avenue
• Broadway and Old Highway 63

Drivers can no longer hand items to pedestrians from their vehicles. The ordinance also prohibits drivers from stopping in travel lanes in a way that creates a traffic hazard or from allowing occupants to exit a vehicle in a travel lane or major corridor intersection, except during an emergency.

CPD will release the number of citations they received Wednesday on Thursday after all reports are collected.