CHARLESTON, W.Va.—- The City of Charleston is set to continue their discussion Monday night on the proposed draft bill that would prohibit interactions between motor vehicles and pedestrians.
Amy Shuler Goodwin
This ordinance emulates, the panhandling ordinance that was passed in Wheeling last month and the ordinance that was passed in Morgantown last year, in which they limit the interactions between motorists and pedestrians.
Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said on 580 Live Monday morning that council member Chad Robinson introduced the bill in the right way.
“Here’s what is good about this council, in particular about Council member Chad Robinson, having this go through the process, this is by the way, the way government is supposed to work, introduce it, bring it up, Chad brought it to committee first instead of trying to shove it down people’s throats,” Goodwin said. “I have always found, in the almost six years I’ve been mayor, if you start to force feed people they are going to spit it right back out.”
She said that since the ordinance was brought to committee’s first, all of the council members have been able to have a say in what changes are made.
“There’s great input that’s been given to him through other council members, whether on the floor or subsequently,” Goodwin said. “There working together on it. I believe that it’s going to be introduced tonight. There have been some modifications and changes.”
The ordinance if it passes, would help protect people who are driving but also the ones who stand on the side of busy roads because of all of the accidents that happen, which is what concerns Goodwin.
“I have huge concerns with folks on the side of the road when our cars are going extremely fast,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin says there is one place in Charleston where the most accidents have happened because of panhandling.
“That strip of Pennsylvania, from bridge to bridge, it’s one of the most dangerous places in the City of Charleston. There are more accidents there, on opposite sides than anywhere in the city. It’s always number one or number two for accidents, it’s very busy, there’s a lot going on, I don’t need you distracted.”
In the first draft bill, first-time offenders would face a verbal warning, second-time offenders would face a written warning, and third-time offenders would face either a $100 fine or community service. And it would target roads with a speed limit of 25 mph, roads under construction, medians of roads less than 10 feet wide, roads with poor lighting, and roads during bad weather.