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Reckless skateboarding to be banned under LA proposal
The Los Angeles City Council backed a proposal today to ban reckless skateboarding. Councilman Joe Buscaino said "bombing" is particularly bad in San Pedro thanks to the community's many hills.
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Nick Sherman/Flickr
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Skateboarders would be required to follow the rules of the road or face a citation and possible impound under a proposal unanimously backed today by the Los Angeles City Council.
The City Attorney’s Office was asked to draft an ordinance that would ban “skateboard bombing,” which is skateboarding in a reckless fashion downhill at excessive speeds while failing to obey traffic laws.
Introduced by Councilman Joe Buscaino, the motion would require skateboarders to stay on the right-side of the road, yield to pedestrians and vehicles, stop at stop signs and uncontrolled intersections, and maintain a speed under 25 mph.
Neighbors and business owners frequently express “the frustrations of dealing with and avoiding skateboarders who are weaving in and out of traffic and (have) complete disregard of rules of the road,” Buscaino said.
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Four months ago, a 15-year-old boy was killed while bombing in the San Pedro area. Last November, a 14-year-old boy died from injuries he suffered while skateboarding.
Reckless skateboarding could be an infraction or a misdemeanor, depending on how the ordinance is written by the City Attorney’s Office. Buscaino also asked that skateboards be impounded if a participant fails to obey traffic laws.
Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon introduced an amending motion asking the Department of Transportation and Public Works to brainstorm ways to structurally prevent skateboard bombing on city streets and sidewalks.
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