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Laguna Beach Skaters Banned From Bombing the Hills
courtesy SterlingDavisPhoto via LAist Featured Photos pool.
Laguna Beach City Council voted unanimously to prohibit downhill skateboarding on the seaside community's gnarliest streets.
A handful of tweens took over the front row of Tuesday's city council session with signs reading "Support Freedom: skateboarding is not a crime." But after pleading for open roads for three hours, they left totally un-stoked.
Skateboards will be prohibited on eight blocks with greater than five-percent grades, according to the Laguna Beach Independent.
Violating skaters would first be warned and then fined $25, $50, and then $100 for each ensuing violation. In addition to declaring specific blocks off limits, the following new rules will apply to throughout Laguna Beach.
Skateboarders must:
- go no faster than 25 mph
- ride on the right side of the road without traversing over the center line
- halt at all stop signs
- remain upright while skateboarding
- refrain from skateboarding at night
It's a contentious issue in the area, where a pro-skater group called Speedboarders Neighborhood Action Group (SNAG) has been apparently posting signs appealing to neighbors. The city is considering setting aside a couple blocks specifically for downhill skateboarding but at least one of them is apparently in an area that is used by local police for target practice.The following eight blocks will be off-limits:
Alta Vista Way, Summit Drive and a section of Morningside Drive. Additional banned streets now being considered are the Third Street hill, the upper end of Diamond Street, Crestview Drive, Temple Hills Drive, and Bluebird Canyon Drive between Morningside Drive and Cress Street. The entire length of Nyes Place was left open to skateboarders who follow the new road rules.
The proposal faces a second hearing April 5th and, if approved, could go into effect as soon as 30 days later.