After almost three hours of emotional testimony and discussion on Monday night, Columbia’s city council votes 6-1 to table a proposed pedestrian safety ordinance until February.
Residents lined up one after the other to testify on the issue from the podium. Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe encourages audience members on both sides to stay engaged on the topic and says the council looks forward to receiving more information from boards and commissions.
The two-page proposal that was tabled would restrict pedestrian use of medians and traffic islands at intersections where the speed is 35 miles per hour or more, average daily traffic is 15,000 or higher and that are less than six feet wide. Columbia’s Business Loop CID supports the plan, saying they see the near misses and dangerous conditions daily.
Third Ward Council member Jacque Sample has First Amendment concerns with the proposal, and homeless activists say it would not reduce pedestrian accidents in Columbia.