Citrus Heights expected to ban pedestrians from medians, intersections
CITRUS HEIGHTS — A new law could ban pedestrians in Citrus Heights from stopping in medians or driveways to businesses. It's not specifically meant to address panhandlers but is geared toward the general safety of all pedestrians.
A second reading by the city council will be held on January 11. If passed, a new law will go into effect 30 days later to ban pedestrians from lingering in center medians or intersections where the speed limit is 30 miles per hour or higher.
The city repealed a panhandling ban last year due to legality concerns from a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that deemed a ban as a violation of First Amendment rights. The city says this new ordinance is not a replacement for the panhandling ban repeal but rather to keep everyone safe.
The State of California has had more than 1,000 pedestrian safety deaths per year over the last several years, ranking the deaths as highest in the nation according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
In Citrus Heights, from January through October last year, there were 22 pedestrian-vehicle collisions.
The city will work with the police department on this issue. The goal of law enforcement will be to first seek voluntary compliance through education and a warning. However, officers have the right to offer a citation, which would be a misdemeanor or infraction.
