A driver hands money to a man panhandling on a median in Jacksonville, Fla., where a ban on panhandling has been challenged in court. Citing public safety, other cities and the state of New Mexico are considering banning pedestrians, including panhandlers, from medians. (Photo by Dan Scanlan/Jacksonville Today)
Despite court rulings that soliciting money is protected as free speech, some cities and at least one state are considering new restrictions on panhandling in traffic medians, arguing it’s a safety hazard.
New Mexico’s Democratic governor this year and an Arizona Republican lawmaker last year proposed statewide bans on asking for money on street medians, though neither passed. Wilmington, North Carolina, passed a similar ordinance this year , and Roanoke, Virginia, has stepped up enforcement of a law that has been on the books since last year. Advocates for homeless people have sued over a similar law in Jacksonville, Florida.
The city of Des Moines passed a ban on panhandling in medians at busy intersections five years ago. The city recently began posting signs to notify people of the ordinance as it also pursues a new ordinance aimed at eliminating homeless camps.