Vancouver’s city council has unanimously approved an ordinance banning pedestrians from staying on traffic islands, medians, and lane dividers that separate lanes of vehicle traffic. The decision was made in response to a pedestrian death in 2021, where a person was struck and killed by a vehicle while standing on a narrow lane divider.
New Ordinance Aims to Improve Safety
Tyler Chavers, the Homeless Response Program Manager for the City and a former Vancouver police officer, gave a presentation in favor of the ordinance, stating that it will make Vancouver safer by reducing serious injuries and saving lives. The ordinance amends the Vancouver Municipal Code, Section 7.04.02, Pedestrian Interference, and clarifies that a person would only violate the proposed pedestrian interference regulation by staying on a traffic island or median.
Law enforcement would likely give a verbal warning to an offender and explain the new ordinance, requiring the person to move off a traffic island. Habitual offenders could be cited. The city council’s decision was informed by community forums, where drivers reported near misses and expressed concerns about pedestrians standing on medians.
Original reporting: Clark County Today (Vancouver WA) — read the source article.
