Kentucky Bill Aims to Restrict Pedestrians Near State Roads

Proposed law would prohibit standing, sitting near high-traffic areas like highway ramps

Mar. 28, 2026 at 7:49pm

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A serene, cinematic painting depicting a lone pedestrian standing on a city street corner, the scene bathed in warm, directional light and deep shadows, conceptually representing the tensions over restricting where people can stand near busy roads.A proposed Kentucky law aims to restrict where pedestrians can stand near busy state roads, raising concerns about balancing public safety and individual rights.Lexington Today

The Kentucky legislature has passed a bill that would prohibit pedestrians from sitting, kneeling, reclining, standing or remaining physically stationary in any portion of a state-maintained right-of-way that is not designated for pedestrian use. The bill, which is now on the governor's desk, is intended to improve safety on busy state roads, though it includes exceptions for certain activities like fundraising.

Why it matters

Pedestrian safety has become a growing concern in Kentucky, with nearly 1,000 crashes involving pedestrians in 2025 and 96 pedestrian fatalities. This bill aims to address the issue by restricting where people can stand or linger near high-traffic state roads, though it faces potential legal challenges due to past court rulings on panhandling restrictions.

The details

House Bill 189 would prohibit people from standing, sitting or remaining stationary in state-maintained rights-of-way that are not designated for pedestrian use, such as medians and highway on- and off-ramps. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jackson, says the intent is not to target any specific group like panhandlers, but to improve overall safety in high-traffic areas. Violators would face fines of $20 to $100 per offense. Exceptions would be made for activities like car wash fundraisers or firefighter 'fill the boot' campaigns, which could be approved through a local permitting process.

  • In 2025, there were 937 crashes involving pedestrians in Kentucky, resulting in 96 pedestrian fatalities.
  • The Kentucky House and Senate have passed House Bill 189, which is now on Governor Beshear's desk.

The players

House Bill 189

A bill passed by the Kentucky legislature that would prohibit pedestrians from standing, sitting or remaining stationary in state-maintained rights-of-way that are not designated for pedestrian use.

Rep. Jackson

The sponsor of House Bill 189, who says the intent is to improve safety in high-traffic areas and not to target any specific group like panhandlers.

Kentucky Office of Highway Safety

The state agency that reported 937 crashes involving pedestrians in Kentucky in 2025, resulting in 96 pedestrian fatalities.

Kentucky Supreme Court

The state's highest court, which has previously ruled against prohibiting panhandling on First Amendment grounds, overturning a Lexington ordinance with that intent in 2017.

Governor Beshear

The governor of Kentucky, who now has House Bill 189 on his desk to consider signing into law.

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What they’re saying

“Anywhere there's a crosswalk or a sign you can walk across the street or a park bench, we're not messing with those but these would be high traffic areas like coming off the interstate.”

— Rep. Jackson, Sponsor of House Bill 189

“We didn't want to pick on one particular group just to be overall encompassing involving everybody.”

— Rep. Jackson, Sponsor of House Bill 189

What’s next

Governor Beshear will decide whether to sign House Bill 189 into law.

The takeaway

This bill highlights the ongoing tension between public safety concerns and individual rights, as Kentucky seeks to address pedestrian crashes while navigating past court rulings that have limited restrictions on activities like panhandling. The outcome could set an important precedent for how states balance these competing interests.