Tulsa council debates ordinance setting 18‑inch clearance from roadways, sparking equity and enforcement concerns

Councilor Vanessa Lincoln introduced an ordinance to amend Tulsa Revised Ordinances Title 37 — the city's traffic code — to prohibit sitting, lying upon or standing within a minimum horizontal clearance (18 inches) of certain roadways and medians and to rename and reorganize related sections of Chapter 11 and Chapter 2. The item carried an emergency clause and was before the council for second reading; no vote was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Lincoln said the ordinance is “about public safety,” citing engineering guidance and federal practice in support of the 18‑inch measure. She told the council the provision was drawn from AASHTO standards and engineering practice and is intended for higher‑speed streets and medians where people have been seriously injured or killed.

The measure prompted extended debate on scope, enforcement and equity. Councilor Bellas said sidewalks are public rights of way and voiced concern that the sidewalk provision could criminalize ordinary pedestrian behavior, such as waiting for a ride or briefly standing while looking for a…