Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has proposed a new ordinance to the city council that would prohibit people from using certain medians for any kind of use.
Stothert asked the Law and Public Works Departments to recommend a strategy to address an increasing number of people using the medians.
The Median Prohibition Ordinance applies to medians within 200 feet of an intersection. Medians affected by the ordinance are ones with high traffic volume, speed limits of 30 MPH or higher, or medians of certain width and incline requirements would also be considered. Examples would be intersections such as 72nd and Dodge, 120th and Center or Saddlecreek and Leavenworth.
Stothert says the ordinance attempts to minimize risk to everyone on city roads. “It does not apply all medians in town. It does not apply to sidewalks. Just medians and relatively busy intersections that no matter what the reason that the person is on there, whether it’s for solicitation, whether it’s for political speech, whether it’s for a charity, that it restricts the usage of people occupying the medians."
Statistics provided by the Traffic Engineering Division shows that 74% of all pedestrian crashes are at intersections, with the majority of those crashes occurring on streets where the posted speed limit is 30 MPH or higher.
The ordinance includes exceptions for street maintenance or repairs, law enforcement, utility, communications, and cable companies with permits for infrastructure installation, maintenance or repair. It also excludes pedestrians crossing the street who stop temporarily on the median for safety purposes.
Assistant City Attorney Ryan Wiesen says the ordinance is content neutral, meaning it doesn't target any one audience. “As the mayor indicated, it applies to everyone, equally. It doesn’t single out one particular individual. It doesn’t single out one particular view point or any particular groups. It applies to everyone in the same manner."
The City Council will hear the ordinance for first its reading on October 3rd.