In response to growing safety concerns and a lack of existing legal recourse, the Kenai City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on Wednesday, creating a new traffic violation aimed at curbing the dangerous practice of drivers using parking lots or private property as shortcuts to avoid traffic lights or stop signs.
The newly adopted section of the Kenai Municipal Code (13.30.070) prohibits motorists from leaving a public roadway, crossing through private or public property—including parking lots—and reentering another public roadway.
Violators will face a $75 fine, which is now incorporated into the city’s minor offense fine schedule.
A large example is vehicles speeding through the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center’s parking lot to bypass the intersection at the Kenai Spur Highway.
“It’s been very dangerous the way people have driven through the parking lot,” said Chamber Executive Director Samantha Springer, who addressed the council at the meeting. “It is such a hazard to our staff, visitors, and kids.”
The ordinance only applies to drivers who move from one public road to another by traversing through private or public property, not to those parking or traveling between adjacent lots.
“We’re installing speed bumps, putting up some signage, and then if this ordinance passes, there’ll be some level of enforcement ability from the police.” Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank indicated that new “No Through Traffic” signs will be placed at key entry points.
Kenai Police Chief David Ross confirmed the city previously had no authority to issue citations for such cut-through driving unless it rose to the level of criminal reckless driving.
“The way this reads it, you have to leave public property to through private property and return to public right of way in order for this to apply. So if you’re leaving the public right away to drive through one parking lot to get to another parking lot, this would not apply. If you’re driving across a private parking lot to get to a right of way from another private lot, this would not apply. This is from a public right of way across a parking lot to a public right.” Said Ross.
He added that officers must witness the violation or receive a verifiable report to issue a citation.
The ordinance will take effect 30 days from its June 18 enactment.