Springfield MO police say fewer pedestrians stand in medians after city passed 2018 ordinance

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Starting July 1 this year, the City of Columbia is set to roll out its recently approved median ordinance.

The City of Springfield, Missouri, has had a similar median rule in place since 2018. Both ordinances focus on medians in intersections with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or higher, average daily traffic volumes of at least 15,000 vehicles, or medians narrower than six feet.

The City of Columbia's ordinance also will:

• Prohibit crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal, or an intersection if those things aren't available.
• Prohibit being on a median fewer than 6 feet wide except when crossing the road.
• Prohibit getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.
• Prohibit approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.
• Prohibit people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersections.

According to Maj. Eric Reece with the Springfield Police Department, the rule has made a difference in the number of pedestrians at medians.

"Yes, our hazardous intersections definitely have less people in the area, hopefully that'll keep everybody safe," Reece said.

Columbia's median ordinance faced pushback the City Council approved it with a 5–2 vote on Monday night, with 39 speakers voicing concerns on the rule potentially targeting homeless individuals. Additional concerns include how the rule will be enforced by police.

"Enforcement is one of those questions that came up a lot in council last night, 'well, how would this be enforced? Will enforcement make situations more dangerous than they are?' and that was certainly some of my concerns," said Mike Burden, who is the chief executive officer of the Columbia pedestrian and cyclist advocacy group Local Motion.

Reece said the Springfield Police Department handles median enforcement similar to traffic enforcement by adding it to typical patrol responsibilities for officers.

"We always try to educate first and then we move towards enforcement later on, so it's really about the discretion of the officer," Reece said.

Burden added while there may be community concerns about the ordinance targeting certain groups, he is looking to work with the city on other pedestrian safety legislation.

"We didn't really feel like the ordinance was the right tool to improve pedestrian safety in our community," Burden said. "However, I'm heartened by the conversations I heard from council members and members of the public who said, 'this conversation continues.'"

Columbia is currently working on a pedestrian and road study on Business Loop 70, funded by a $2.1 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"The team has been working on site surveys of the planning area in preparation for some input meetings in the next couple of months," Carrie Gartner, executive director of The Loop CID, said in a statement.