Simi Valley Council Curbs Skateboarding

Citing safety and liability concerns, the Simi Valley City Council voted Monday night to ban skateboarding on city property, including at the Civic Center complex.

The ban does not include city streets, however. Council members have said they plan to consider later whether to ban the activity on the streets.

Council members pledged to the more then 40 young skateboarding enthusiasts who attended the meeting that they will help find other locations for the sport.

The ban, which passed by a 4-0 vote, prohibits skateboarding, roller-skating and bicycle riding at the Civic Center complex on Tapo Canyon Road. City Councilman Bill Davis was absent from the meeting.

The action raised fears among skateboarding enthusiasts that the council might later extend the ban to the streets.

“Skateboarding is my main source of expression,” said Steve Menashe, 16, of Simi Valley High School. “I have a car, but I’d rather skate than drive.”

The skating ban was prompted by complaints from pedestrians at the Civic Center complex and from the fear of lawsuits stemming from skateboard-related injuries, city officials said.

The cement walkway and steps in the courtyard separating the City Hall and library have become a popular after-school meeting area for skateboard enthusiasts.

The skateboard ban calls for fines of up to $200 for each infraction, city officials said.

The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board will meet with city officials and youths to determine whether the district can provide public skateboarding areas.

Several cities in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties have banned skateboarding on city property and streets. The city of Ventura instituted a ban on all coasting vehicles, including skateboards but not bicycles, on city streets in 1952.