CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi City Council approved an ordinance that prohibits sitting or lying in the public right of way in three key areas of the City.
The ordinance includes the downtown central business district, North Beach and Flour Bluff. Fines for violating the ordinance ranges up to $500.
City Manager Peter Zanoni said there have been too many instances of people camping on sidewalks during the day. That causes problems for pedestrians who are trying to walk down streets safely.
"Mostly the sidewalk is obstructed sometimes by persons either sitting, or sleeping or sometimes their personal effects or personal property is there on the sidewalk," Zanoni said.
At the same time, the Regional Transportation Authority has started retro-fitting bus benches to keep people from sleeping on them. The RTA added separators to 300 out of the 675 benches around the City.
All newly built benches will have the separators as well.