ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Louis County Council on Tuesday passed a bill pushing all pedestrians to use sidewalks and crosswalks.
Doug Moore, the spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, confirmed that Bill No. 86 was passed 4-3 Tuesday night at the council's regular meeting. Councilmember Shalonda Webb cast the deciding vote, Moore said.
The bill would ban standing, sitting, and walking along roadways in St. Louis County where there are sidewalks available. Being outside of the defined areas could result in a ticket. Critics of the bill have argued it unfairly targets panhandlers and the homeless community.
Editor's note: The above video was published May 2.
The bill's language said the following situations would be exempt from the restrictions:
- Law enforcement, fire and rescue, or other government employees or contractors acting within the scope of their lawful authority
- A person lawfully conducting inspection, construction, maintenance, repair, survey, or other similarly authorized services
- A person responding to lend aid during an emergency situation or who is within the roadway due to a mechanical or physical defect in their vehicle that occurred while driving in the roadway
- A person entering or exiting a bus or other public transit system.
Where sidewalks aren't provided, the bill requires pedestrians who are moving along or on the road should, when practical, be on the left side of the roadway or on its shoulder facing opposing traffic.
St. Louis County Councilman Ernie Trakas, who sponsored the bill, called it "completely neutral" at Tuesday's meeting and argued that it was for the sake of public safety. He shared two photos with council members that showed recent crashes involving pedestrians in the county.
"These photos show the results of our failure to act," Trakas said. "It is this body's responsibility to do something about this."
Trakas said his bill is an amendment to current law to clarify where pedestrians should be when walking near or on any road in the county.
“If there's a sidewalk, you need to be on it," he said earlier this month. "If there's a crosswalk, you need to be in it. If you have to travel on a roadway, then here's the portion of the roadway, we'll call it the shoulder facing traffic so that there's a reduction in the ability or the chance that someone could get injured."
County Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, who voted no, said she felt that the measure would unfairly target those suffering from homelessness, who are often in medians, and could cause problems for wheelchair users, stroller pushers, dog walkers and bikers. She argued at Tuesday's council meeting that though the bill is claimed to be neutral, "all of us really know" the bill is about panhandling.
"As it stands, this bill doesn't do anything to solve the very real issue of pedestrian safety. It's heavily favored towards car drivers at the expense of pedestrian dignity," Clancy said.
"This is a fair bill. It will be enforced, when it's enforced, equitably and towards everyone the same," Trakas countered. "No one group will be targeted or exempt."
It now goes to Page's desk for his signature.
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