COLUMBIA — The Columbia City Council voted to table an ordinance aimed at improving pedestrian safety at its meeting Monday night.
The proposed ordinance has faced criticism from advocates who worry the new law could penalize homeless people. Members of the public voiced both opposition and support for the ordinance in overflowing council chambers before the vote.
The bill was proposed after a pedestrian safety study was presented to the council in June. The study reported that pedestrian and bicycle deaths rose 77% in Missouri between 2013 and 2022. Forty-seven medians in Columbia were identified as unsafe for loitering pedestrians.
According to a council memo, the ordinance would make it illegal for pedestrians to loiter in medians that are:
- Less than six feet wide
- On a road that has more than 15,000 vehicles pass throughout a day
- On a road with a speed limit of 35 mph or greater
The bill requires that pedestrians leave the median and continue crossing the street during two consecutive opportunities, unless their mobility is impaired. The ordinance does not define an opportunity.
Opponents of the bill say the new law restricts behavior without making changes to things like infrastructure, speed limits or crosswalks.
"It would make us feel like we have to make that two stops of a light, two cycles of a light," said Keith Brown. "I feel like it's actually more dangerous and I don't think it will make any of sense of difference to our community as a whole."
Those opposed also asked how police would dictate mobility exceptions, especially those not visible to the eye, after a lapse of light cycles.
"I think we have to take a common sense approach and use discretion," said Police Chief Jill Schlude. "It's a thing we use everyday in law enforcement
Advocates, meanwhile, have called for the restrictions to be extended to all medians, not just those identified as high-risk.
The ordinance also includes regulations on panhandling, only allowing it when the driver does not impede traffic and the recipient is on a sidewalk.
"I feel like it's more of a traffic impairment bill than an actual safety measure," said Brown.
The bill will come before the council again on Monday, February 2, 2026.