Attachment A - Draft Ordinance.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2025-12-17)

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DRAFT
ORDINANCE G- 
 
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 36, ARTICLE X, 
SECTION 36-128 RELATING TO CROSSING OR 
STOPPING IN A ROADWAY TO REMOVE REQUIREMENT 
THAT PEDESTRIAN RECEIVE A WARNING BEFORE 
BEING ISSUED A CITATION FOR A CIVIL VIOLATION.  
_______________ 
WHEREAS, in May 2014, in response to health and safety concerns, 
specifically the number of vehicle crashes involving pedestrians with injuries and 
fatalities, resulting from pedestrians improperly standing or remaining in roadway traffic
islands and medians, the Council of the City of Phoenix passed Ordinance G-5960 
amending Phoenix City Code Section 36-128 (Crossing a Roadway) to also prohibit a
pedestrian from stopping or remaining in a roadway traffic island or median, except for
the purpose of legally crossing the roadway, and further designating the first violation a 
civil traffic offense and the second and all subsequent violations a class 1 
misdemeanor. The amendment further required that before any pedestrian is cited for a 
civil violation, the pedestrian must be given a warning by law enforcement.
WHEREAS, City staff has determined that a warning requirement does not 
effectively address the health and safety requirements because it is often not possible 
to ensure that  pedestrians are not stopping or remaining in the roadway. 
ATTACHMENT A

DRAFT
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Ordinance G- 
WHEREAS,  City staff has recommended amending Section 36-128 to 
remove the warning requirement to allow law enforcement to address stopping and 
standing in a median and to further the objective of protecting the health and safety of 
pedestrians and drivers in the City. 
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY 
OF PHOENIX as follows: 
SECTION 1. The Phoenix City Code, Chapter 36, Article X, Section 128, 
is amended to read as follows: 
Sec. 36-128. Crossing or stopping in a roadway.  
A.
Except in a crosswalk, no pedestrian shall cross a roadway at any place
other than by a route at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to
the opposite curb. A pedestrian shall not cross a roadway where
prohibited by appropriate signs, markings, devices or by law.
B.
No pedestrian may stop or remain in the portion of the roadway designed
for vehicular use or in a painted or raised traffic island or median not
designated for use by pedestrians except to wait to cross the roadway at
the next pedestrian signal or, in the absence of a pedestrian signal, when
traffic has cleared or yielded.
C.
Before any pedestrian is cited for a civil violation of this section, the
pedestrian must be given a warning by law enforcement. The first violation of this 
section after the warning is given is a civil traffic offense and a second and all 
subsequent violations of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

DRAFT
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Ordinance G- 
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Phoenix this 17th day of December 
2025. 
____________________________________ 
        M A Y O R 
     ____________________________________ 
       Date 
 ATTEST: 
_____________________________ 
Denise Archibald, City Clerk 
APPROVED AS TO FORM: 
Julie M. Kriegh, City Attorney 
BY: _________________________________ 
       _________________________________ 
REVIEWED BY: 
____________________________ 
Ed Zuercher, City Manager
DJB:tl:(LF24-2566): 12/17/25: 4930-1775-1422