City Council Meeting Notes
Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the
Council, my name is Roger Brown.
I’m a former resident of
I’m here to request that the Council add an
agenda item to look into lifting the current skateboard ban on the multiple use
trails in city parks, including
I use these trails and would like to ride
my skateboard on them.
I would like to address the current City Code that bans
skateboarding:
City Ordinance Section 38.20g Special provisions for
g. Trail users shall be limited in the use of all premises to
the prepared trails and boardwalks designated for such purposes. Skateboards shall be prohibited in
I was told the concern was that a falling
skateboarder might cause their board to fly away and come into contact with
another trail user causing injury.
I contend that during long distance skateboarding,
a fall occurs when a skateboard wheel encounters an obstruction and stops.
The rider's momentum carries them forward and
once contact with the board is lost,
I’ve fallen 4 times in 1200 miles of riding
and the board has remained where it stopped or at most rolled a few feet to a
stop.
How does this regulation impact users such as myself?
These trails are ideal for long distance
skateboarding, a growing discipline involving riding on flat trails by pushing or
pumping the board to maintain forward momentum.
I find many longboard
riders are adults who are returning to the sport for its aerobic health
benefits as well as being environmentally friendly transportation.
I have an on-line petition signed by 92
other riders who share this opinion.
This is what other local cities say regarding skateboarding on
multi-use trails:
Skateboards are allowed on the Bay Trail
from
The only sign I found was a sheet of paper
in a bulletin board in the middle of
http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Portals/0/Sunnyvale/DCS/Recreation/Info%20Bulletins/P07.pdf
"Skateboarding is considered a positive recreational
pursuit; safe, courteous skateboarding is welcomed throughout the City of
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=6048
B. Skateboards are prohibited in open space parks and preserves,
except on paved, multi-use bike paths.
E. No person shall leave a skateboard in any place or position
where other persons may trip over or be injured by it.
Friends of Stevens Creek Trail:
"We surveyed our board of directors and the consensus is
that we have no issues with skateboards as long as public safety is
maintained."
The "Stevens Creek Trail Etiquette"
sign mentions no banned activities:
http://www.stevenscreektrail.org/PR/Public_Records/MtnView/Trail_Etiquette_2009.pdf
Going forward, I would suggest that the
city adopt trail regulations in line with surrounding municipalities.
As Bay Trail segments and connecting trails
continue to link up, the influx of trail users crossing multiple city
boundaries will increase.
If every city has their own unique
regulations, it will create a compliance nightmare for trail users and enforcement
issues for all cities involved.
For council members not familiar with long
distance skateboarding; here is a longboard compared
to a park board and I could explain some of the differences if requested.
Thank you for your attention and
consideration of this issue.