CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral city leaders will meet today, to talk about banning panhandling on public roads.
They say this ban would cut down on the number of crashes involving pedestrians, and the number of deaths our area sees.
Lee county passed a panhandling ordinance in April and now, Cape Coral will meet again today to talk about its ban.
The 2021 Dangerous by Designreport ranks Lee County as the eleventh most dangerous place for pedestrians in our country.
The city says panhandling interferes with the main purpose of these roads and rights-of-way.
Panhandling is a distraction to drivers, the sudden stopping or slowing down of traffic is unsafe and says it leads to more crashes, pedestrian and driver injuries, and even deaths.
Twenty-two pedestrians were killed in crashes in Lee County last year.
Lee county has ranked high on the list of metro areas with the most pedestrian deaths since 2016.
If Cape Coral passes this ordinance violators could face a fine of up to 500 dollars and go to jail for up to 60 days for violating it.
Today's council meeting is set for 4:30 this afternoon.
