The City Council voted yesterday to prohibit the practice of skateboard "bombing"--otherwise known as getting on a skateboard and pointing it downhill. The ordinance, proposed by the City Council's newest member, Joe Buscaino, will require skateboarders to follow the rules of the road: little things like staying on the right, yielding to pedestrians and vehicles, stopping at stop signs and uncontrolled intersections, and maintaining speeds below 40 mph. As Councilmember Buscaino tells Curbed via email, the ordinance is not a ban on skateboarding: "The ordinance approved by the city council today will require skateboarders to follow the same rules of the road that we impose on bicyclists and motorists. We are not banning skateboarding - we are simply requiring skateboarders to ride responsibly, in a safe manner that does not jeopardize their safety or the safety of others they share the road with."
The Daily News reports that warnings will be the only penalty for failing to use the road safely as skateboarders become aware of the ordinance, but citations will eventually reach $250.
Councilmember Buscaino brought forward the motion after two teenagers died while bombing a hill near Averill Park. See YouTube videos of bombers bombing here if you're curious.
Although regulating might seem antithetical to the Southern California lifestyle, the city's new regulations aren't the most prohibitive in the state. According to the City Attorney's Office report about the ordinance, "Burbank, Glendale, Santa Barbara, and San Diego prohibit the use of skateboards on public roadways, and on sidewalks in designated areas of their cities." Moreover, "The County of Los Angeles prohibits the use of skateboards on streets, roads and highways which have a grade in excess of three percent, and imposes a speed limit of 10 miles per hour."
· L.A. City Council votes to ban skateboard 'bombing' [Daily News]
· LA Wants to Put the Brakes on Skateboard "Bombers" [Curbed LA]
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