BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Asking for money or attempting to sell items is now illegal at twenty of Broward County's busiest intersections. Broward Commissioners passed an ordinance prohibiting vendors and solicitors from intersections identified in a county study as having the highest traffic volumes in the unincorporated areas.
Those covered under the ordinance include children, adolescents and adults collecting money for school and community activities; vendors selling flowers, newspapers and other items; and individuals seeking charitable donations or contributions at the identified high traffic volume intersections. The overall goal is to save lives by reducing the number of vehicle accidents involving pedestrians.
"We did this in Hollywood in 2001 and we documented how many newspaper vendors had actually been killed. Because of free speech, we had to limit the law to vendors and it's held up since then. I'm happy to support this," said Commissioner Beam Furr, who formerly served on the Hollywood City Commission.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 197 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents in Broward County from 2011 to 2014. In Florida, 2,075 pedestrians were killed during the same period.
"There was an analysis of high traffic volume intersections and pedestrian injuries and deaths that established the factual basis for this public safety ordinance. This can be enforced either by a code enforcement officer or the Broward Sheriff's Office," explained Mayor Tim Ryan, who first brought the issue forward.
Under the proposed ordinance solicitors and vendors are prohibited at the following intersections:
- State Road 84 and University Drive
- State Road 84 and Flamingo Road
- State Road 84 and Pine Island Road
- Sunrise Boulevard and NW 31st Avenue
- Sunrise Boulevard and NW 27th Avenue
- Sunrise Boulevard and NW 24th Avenue
- State Road 7 and SW 20th Street
- State Road 84 and Davie Road
- State Road 84 and 136th Avenue
- Broward Boulevard and SW 27th Avenue
- State Road 7 and Davie Boulevard
- Broward Boulevard and NW 31st Avenue
- State Road 84 and Nob Hill Road
- Federal Highway (U.S. 1) and Griffin Road
- Davie Boulevard/Davie Boulevard Extension and Peters Road
- Peters Road and NW 46th Avenue
- Coconut Creek Parkway/Hammondville Road and NW 3st Avenue
- State Road 84 and Hiatus Road
- NW 31st Avenue and NW 6th Street
- NW 27th Avenue and NW 6th Street
Other intersections in the unincorporated areas of Broward County could be added to the ordinance in the future based upon further study and analysis.
