ORDINANCE NO. 210100
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Amending Chapter 70, Code of Ordinances, by repealing Sections 70-268 and 70-706 relating to traffic and vehicles and by repealing 70-783 relating to traffic and vehicles and enacting in lieu thereof one new section of like number and subject.
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WHEREAS, Code of Ordinances 70-268, requires wheels and tires to be clean within the city, allowing an individual, who may not be aware of the condition of their wheels or tires, to be ticketed for “dirty” cars or bicycles which carry mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or foreign matter of any kind onto streets, alleys, highways or other public places; and
WHEREAS, Code of Ordinances 70-706, allows inspection of a bicycle “at any time” upon reasonable cause to believe a bicycle is unsafe or not equipped as required by law, yet it does not define “reasonable cause” or ensure law enforcement officers are uniformly trained to determine if a bicycle is unsafe or not equipped as required by law; and
WHEREAS, Code of Ordinances 70-783, commonly known as “jaywalking,” can
expose individuals to unnecessary interactions with police and studies have shown jaywalking and similar laws are disproportionately enforced on communities of color (see a 2019 New York, New York study showing 90% of jaywalking tickets went to Black and Latinx individuals; and a Sacramento, California study showing Black individuals received 5 times more jaywalking tickets than White individuals); and
WHEREAS, the City Council does not believe these ordinances contribute to the safety of motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists, nor promote the safe operation of vehicles; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That Chapter 70, Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, is hereby amended by repealing the Sections 70-268, Wheels and tires to be clean, and 70-706, Inspection of bicycles, relating to traffic and vehicles.
Section 2. That Chapter 70, Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, is hereby amended by repealing 70-783 relating to traffic and vehicles and enacting in lieu thereof one new section of like number and subject, to read as follows:
Sec. 70-783. Crossing at points other than crosswalks.
(a) No persons shall purposefully or negligently walk into traffic or into a public street in a manner that puts themselves in danger of bodily harm or causes a motor vehicle accident.
ORDINANCE NO. 210100
(b) Between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk
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Approved as to form and legality:
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Alan Holtkamp
Assistant City Attorney