(a) The city council makes the following findings and adopts the following statement of purposes of this section:
(1) Pedestrian fatalities increased in the United States by 66% from 2011 to 2021 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(2) According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2011), the average risk of severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle reaches 50% at 31 mph and 75% at 39 mph.
(3) A driver traveling at 30 mph who hits a pedestrian has a 45% chance of killing or seriously injuring the individual according to the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (2021).
(4) The National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide (2013) states that a median or island should be at least six feet wide where pedestrians are present.
(b) For any intersection listed herein, where the speed limit is 30 miles per hour or higher and lacks pedestrian facilities; and the width of the top surface of the median is less than six feet wide excluding the curb, pedestrians are prohibited from standing, sitting, or staying on a median for any purpose. While not an exhaustive list, this section prohibits, at a minimum, pedestrians from standing, sitting, or staying on a median at the following intersections in the city:
(1) Marion Rd. at I-90.
(2) Cliff Ave. at I-90.
(3) Veterans Pkwy. at I-90.
(4) Rice St. and Veterans Pkwy.
(5) Benson Rd. at I-29.
(6) Maple St. at I-29.
(7) Algonquin St. and Minnesota Ave.
(8) Russell St. and Westport Ave.
(9) Russell St. and Western Ave.
(10) Russell St. and Prairie Ave.
(11) Rice St. at I-229.
(12) Madison St. at I-29.
(13) Madison St. and Veterans Pkwy.
(14) 12th St. at I-29.
(15) 10th St. at I-229.
(16) 26th St. at I-29.
(c) The previous section does not apply to:
(1) Public safety employees while performing their official duties.
(2) Employees or contractors for the city or state or other individuals authorized by the said entities to perform construction or maintenance work on streets or rights-of-way, while performing construction or maintenance work on the street provided that proper street signage is used and streets are blocked off as required by the city.
(3) Any individual responding to an emergency in the street.
(Ord. 19-24, passed 3-5-2024)