New ordinance designed to make Pasco roads safer for all

Pasco Adopts Dangerous Use of Public Rights-of-Way Law

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BCC) is proactively working to provide safer streets in our communities – for both drivers and pedestrians.  The BCC recently adopted a new Dangerous Use of Public Rights-of-Way law, which now makes it illegal for pedestrians to stand in medians and for drivers to interact with pedestrians.

“Regulating the use of our public rights-of-way is a proactive way to prevent some of the dangerous situations we’re seeing along our roads,” said BCC Chair Kathryn Starkey.  “This new law is designed to keep people out of dangerous situations and to reduce injuries and deaths on our roads.”

Regulating the use of public rights-of-way focuses on safety along our roads by:

• Prohibiting people from stopping/standing in a median when they are not crossing the road
• Prohibiting drivers, whose cars are not parked, from interacting with pedestrians
• Prohibiting the use of any public rights-of-way for commercial activity
• Providing for enforcement and penalties, including a fine not to exceed $500 per offense
• Eliminating concerns of regulating expression protected by the First Amendment
• Allowing for protected expression from sidewalks or private property along roads

“While the previous ordinance focused on safety, this new ordinance focuses directly on dangerous use of the public rights-of-ways, regardless of the reason,” said Senior Assistant County Attorney Patrick Moore.  “The goal is to strictly aid in the free flow of traffic and create safer roads.”

This new law applies to all major public roads in Pasco County and includes the first 440 feet of any local roads that intersect public roads.