Tulsa City Council passes ordinance restricting loitering on medians, sidewalks

The Tulsa City Council is cracking down on loitering near busy streets.

It will now be illegal for anyone to be on a median less than 10 feet wide when the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or faster.

It also says no one can be in a median or sidewalk, within 18” of traffic, for more than the time it takes to cross the road. 

The council vote

In a 5-3 vote, councilors approved an ordinance designed to keep people off medians or sidewalks too close to

high-traffic areas or face a $150 fine.

Councilor Lori Decter-Wright proposed amending it; she wanted to remove restrictions for sidewalks and lower the fines to $50 dollars but that got voted down.

There was also a vote to make the ordinance go into effect immediately, but the council needed six votes in favor; it only got five votes, so it will go into effect in 30 days.

People against the ordinance

Those against it say the ordinance targets certain groups of people, like panhandlers and the homeless.

They also blame drivers for making medians and sidewalks unsafe, not the people sitting or lying on them.

"This ordinance does nothing to educate or improve, only to lay the blame on our most vulnerable residents and overwhelm Tulsans in poverty with even more fines and fee," Sam Robson said

Those in favor

Those in favor say this is about keeping everyone safe, not just panhandlers. For example, a youth sports team that tries to raise money on a sidewalk near a busy road.

"We cannot allow our compassion to become negligent." Christine Rollins said. "Allowing people, especially children, to stand in harm's way is not kindness. It's abandonment. If we truly care about those who are struggling to raise or struggling or trying to raise funds, we must direct them to a safe, structured place, not leave them exposed in the middle of traffic."

"You can still walk, bike, skateboard, wheelchair," Councilor Phil Lakin said. "You can do anything on the sidewalks that you possibly want to do, so long as you're not standing or sitting within 18 inches of the roadway."

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