An ordinance dealing with pedestrian and traffic safety was deferred Tuesday night by Hopkinsville City Council until the next meeting, in an effort to possibly expand the reach of the ordinance.
The ordinance is intended to keep pedestrians from approaching vehicles sitting in traffic, according to Mayor Carter Hendricks, who says it has become an increasing problem in the city, often as a result of panhandling.
The ordinance states that no person shall cross an arterial roadway—which are currently listed in the ordinance as being portions of East Seventh Street, East Ninth, South Main Street, South Virginia Street, West Seventh Street, West Ninth Street, Walnut Street and Fort Campbell Boulevard—unless it is at a crosswalk or intersection with traffic control devices. It states no person can approach a vehicle on the road unless it is legally parked at a curb or in a shoulder, and no person can be on a median unless they are in the process of legally crossing the roadway. There are some exceptions to the rule, such as rescue activities, repairing a vehicle, or entering a stopped vehicle as a passenger where it is lawful to do so.
Mayor Hendricks says that they’ve recently gotten feedback on other areas where this is a problem, so they deferred voting to expand the scope of the ordinance.
The restrictions also apply to the first 200 feet of a road that intersects with a road named in the ordinance. Hendricks says the new law would be enforced by law enforcement and would also be complaint driven with the Code of Ordinance Enforcement Board.
The mayor announced the 17 members of the next Mayor’s Youth Council which come from schools and home schools from across Christian County. The Hopkinsville Fire Department recognized Public Works Service Division Lead Technician Josh Durham for his dedication to keep the Hopkinsville EMS vehicles up and running, and providing outstanding service to the citizens in doing so.
