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City Officials Say Pedestrian Safety Ordinance And Panhandling Programs Are Working

Alan Lytle

More than a hundred community and business leaders took part in a public meeting this morning dealing with the city’s pedestrian safety ordinance which went into effect earlier this week.  Commerce Lexington hosted the informational session to help city officials get the word out about the new law which they hope will further discourage panhandling, especially in the downtown area.

Assistant Police Chief Shawn Coleman says the measure deals primarily with people crossing major roadways.

Polly Ruddick, director of the city’s office of homelessness prevention and intervention talked about the End Panhandling Now Van, a new program that picks up panhandlers and puts them to work on city projects paying them $9.00 an hour...and the public service campaign directing people to the Lexgive website instead of giving money directly to panhandlers.

Credit Alan Lytle
Polly Ruddick, director of Lexington's Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention and Assistant Police Chief Shawn Coleman brief community and business leaders on the new pedestrian safety ordinance and panhandling prevention programs.

City officials say the new pedestrian and panhandling measures have drawn interest from other metropolitan areas, including Louisville and Cincinnati.

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