Eugene City Council rejects proposal to ban motorists handing items to pedestrians

The Eugene City Council rejected a proposed ordinance titled "Unlawful Transfer on Vehicular Portion of the Right-of-Way" by a 5-2 vote, with Councilors Matt Keating and Randy Groves voting in favor and Councilor Greg Evans absent. The final action at the Feb. 18, 2026 meeting means drivers could still hand items to pedestrians if they pull into legal parking, a key exemption noted by KVAL and other coverage.

Under the ordinance text circulated during council discussion, motorists and passengers would have been prohibited from passing items to pedestrians while vehicles were on public streets or the vehicular portion of the right-of-way. Oregon Public Broadcasting and KLCC reported the proposed penalty would have been a fine of up to $50 for handing items through a vehicle window while stopped in traffic; proponents emphasized the measure would not criminalize all forms of panhandling.

Supporters framed the proposal as a traffic-safety measure intended to keep people out of lanes and away from freeway on-ramps. Councilor Betty Taylor told KLCC she was "disappointed and surprised that only one of her colleagues voted for the law" and urged preventative action: "Some people said to me, well nobody’s been hurt. Well I said we don’t wait to make a school zone safe until a child is killed or injured. You look ahead. If something appears to be unsafe you try to prevent it." Proponents recounted witnessing near-accidents and traffic disruptions as people navigated between vehicles, according to OPB and KVAL.

Opponents countered that Eugene’s traffic problems stem from other causes and that enforcement would not be the best use of police time. Councilor Alan Zelenka told the Register-Guard, "I think there's much better uses of EPD's time," and he and other councilors cited the city’s fatal crash data, which identifies drugs and alcohol, dark conditions, and speeding as primary factors rather than panhandling. Councilor Jennifer Yeh urged the city to work with peer navigators and to learn more about people panhandling in Eugene, suggesting further council discussion at the end of the year, as reported by OPB.

The proposal’s regional context figured in debate. Register-Guard and OPB noted Springfield has had a similar law since 2019, while KVAL reported Springfield’s law took effect in 2016 and that Springfield police have applauded results; KVAL also reported that Astoria recently approved a comparable measure. Historical context appeared in multiple reports: Eugene’s council rejected a similar proposal in 2019, and Yahoo’s reprint of Register-Guard referenced activism tied to a July 2021 encampment clearing at Sixth Avenue and High Street.

Procedurally, Register-Guard reported the item had earlier advanced on a 5-4 vote before its final rejection. With the Feb. 18 vote, councilors left the city without a new ordinance regulating transfers between vehicles and pedestrians, while councilors such as Yeh have signaled interest in outreach and peer-led alternatives later this year.