Panhandling: City Transportation not appealing FHWA stance on U.S. Business 24 west of 31st
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As reported in its Dec. 6 edition, the Westside Pioneer had several unanswered questions at deadline regarding the two no-solicitation ordinances approved by City Council in November.
In the week leading up to this edition, a couple of those questions were cleared up, others not. One that was answered concerned the finality of the information to the city by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that U.S. Business 24 west of 31st Street is not part of the national highway system. A City Police official (who was relaying information from the Mayor's Office), had told the Pioneer for its Dec. 6 edition that City Transportation might be appealing that decision. However, this week Kathleen Krager, City Transportation manager, said no appeal is in the works through her department. Krager elaborated that with FHWA “it would be typical that business routes would not be part of the system, because when there is a business route it means that a more important road has now taken its place.” One of the new ordinances would ban solicitation on accesses to and from any national highway (the current law applies only to interstates). The City Attorney's Office had initially told City Council that this applied to the avenue west of 31st, leading police to hope that the clause could mean an end to panhandling at curb cuts along that stretch. However, the FHWA announcement put an end to that. Asked if the Attorney's Office had consulted her about the business-route in-terpretation, Krager said no. Another lingering Pioneer question Dec. 6 had been the name of the agency that determines which roads are part of the national highway system. Krager explained that it is the FHWA. The Pioneer is also still seeking answers to these questions on the highways ordinance: Westside Pioneer article |