Bradenton is a deadly place to drive, FDOT says. That will help ban panhandling
Bradenton City Council members moved Wednesday morning to unanimously approve a new ordinance that prohibits panhandling on busy roads in the name of public safety.
The approval comes shortly after Manatee County’s similarly focused ordinance that applies to unincorporated areas. City Attorney Scott Rudacille worked closely with Manatee and Palmetto legal counsel to form Bradenton’s code amendment, which is designed to avoid constitutional limits on an outright ban on panhandling.
Bradenton’s approach is nearly identical. to the county’s. It bans pedestrians from remaining in a roadway median for extended periods of time, prohibits any kind of physical interaction between pedestrians and drivers and disallows aggressive pedestrian behavior toward drivers – three moves meant to limit panhandler activity.
The ordinance is bolstered by a Bradenton Police Department public safety study that examined and highlighted dangerous intersections where pedestrian crashes often occur.
“We based our study on the areas and intersections that we thought were the greatest threat to pedestrians and motorists,” said Police Chief Melanie Bevan.
Officials also cited a Florida Department of Transportation study that found Bradenton to have the most vehicular accidents compared to similarly sized cities in the state.
“Congratulations. You’re No. 1,” Rudacille said. “Unfortunately, that’s a ranking of serious injuries and fatalities. That just serves to note the issue we’re trying to address here with this regulation,” Rudacille said.
Bevan assured council members that the ordinance could be enforced at “high risk road” intersections throughout Bradenton. If other pedestrian safety issues pop up, the ordinance could be amended, she explained.
The police department will begin printing fliers to pass out to panhandlers explaining the new ordinance and will begin to issue warnings that enforcement will begin soon. Infractions can be punished by a $500 fine and 60 days in jail.
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 1:52 PM.
