GOSHEN — In less than three months, groups will no longer be able to solicit donations on roads in unincorporated parts of Elkhart County.

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners cited safety concerns after unanimously passing an ordinance Monday that bans fundraising at these intersections after Jan. 1. Board members said they have received complaints about people collecting donations where S.R. 120 meets C.R. 17, south of the Six Span Bridge in Elkhart.

“There is so much traffic there,” board president Terry Rodino commented.

Rodino said he began receiving positive feedback from area residents in June after expressing concern that people were putting themselves in danger at busy intersections.

It’s a matter of public safety, commissioner Frank Lucchese agreed.

“They’re standing on the yellow lines when the light is green, and there are semi-trucks going by these people in the middle of the road,” Lucchese said.

Rodino noted that some nonprofit organizations and fire departments have already stopped collecting donations on streets because they do not want to risk the safety of their volunteers.

Violations of the ordinance will carry a penalty of up to $500 per day.