Cyclists, Skateboarders May Give Up Sidewalks

In a culture that both deifies and depends on wheels, Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores is trying to establish the first ban on skateboards and bicycles in the city of Los Angeles.

In response to complaints from elderly residents of San Pedro who say they feel threatened by aggressive riders, Flores has proposed that the sidewalks in a small section of that community’s downtown business district be off-limits to skateboarders and cyclists.

If the proposed ban becomes law, city officials say, it will set a precedent for other Los Angeles neighborhoods that have heavy pedestrian traffic.

Currently, there is nothing in the Municipal Code that outlaws bicycle or skateboard riding, either generally or in a specific area, said City Analyst Richard McCaughey, who prepared a motion that Flores introduced to the City Council in May.

The motion, which is being drafted into an ordinance for consideration by the council’s Public Works Committee, would prohibit riding on the sidewalks between 5th and 9th streets, from Centre Street to Pacific Avenue.

In her motion, Flores complains that although the majority of skateboard riders and cyclists are “courteous and considerate of pedestrians’ rights, a significant number exhibit a callous disregard for the safety of those pedestrians.”

McCaughey put it more bluntly: “They think it’s great sport to go whizzing by somebody and just barely miss them, using them for slalom gates.”

At noon on a recent Wednesday, there were few skateboarders on the sidewalks of downtown San Pedro, and those present were indeed whizzing by too fast to be interviewed. However, some cyclists slowed down enough to talk, and their reactions to the proposed ban were mixed.

“I’m against it,” declared John Kool, 35, who says he rides his orange Huffy 10-speed along Pacific Avenue to Cabrillo Beach nearly every day, often taking his young niece along.

“She can’t ride in the street. . . .,” he said. “I can’t help it if there are some crazy people who walk without looking. Some of these guys are half asleep.”

Ray Guajardo, 22, said he wouldn’t mind riding in the street if it ensured the safety of older people.

But Guajardo, was quickly interrupted by his 10-year-old niece Christi Mendoza, who was riding on Pacific Avenue for the first time on her spiffy new lavender Raleigh.

“Kids could get hurt,” she said.

In response to the criticism, a Flores spokeswoman said riders could easily walk their bikes or carry their skateboards in the designated blocks.

It would be a small price to pay for the safety of San Pedro pedestrians, she said.

Capt. David Gascom, patrol commander for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division, agreed. Gascom said downtown business people have complained that skateboarders and cyclists have interfered with their customers. He said he knew of no injuries.

Police would support “whatever could be done to provide for the security of pedestrians,” he said.

Other Bans

Several cities have ordinances that either prohibit or restrict bicycle or skateboard riding. When pedestrian traffic gets heavy on a section of The Strand in Hermosa Beach, city officials switch on flashing lights that designate the area a “walk zone” in which riders are supposed to walk their skateboards or bikes.

In Torrance, bicycle riding is prohibited on the sidewalks in a business district, but there are no laws against skateboards. And in El Segundo, a 12-year-old ordinance prohibits the riding of bicycles and skateboards--as well as wagons, carts, scooters and coasters--on the sidewalks of any business district, public park or recreation area.

The San Pedro proposal is modeled after a similar ban adopted by the city of Long Beach for its downtown area. Both are predicated on a state law, adopted in 1987, which expressly permits local authorities to regulate or prohibit the use of skateboards.

Bicycle Ordinance

Although the law does not mention bicycles, McCaughey said Long Beach included bicycles in its ordinance “and nobody’s challenged them.” He noted that Los Angeles does have an ordinance that prevents cyclists from riding on the sidewalks “in an unsafe manner,” but said it is nearly impossible to enforce.

The main proponent of Flores’ motion is Bess Akerson, who, at 83, remains active in San Pedro civic affairs. Akerson said older people who do their shopping in the downtown business district are unable to dodge skateboards and bicycles, often because of a loss of hearing or some visual impairment.

And, she complained, some riders make things worse.

“Their speed is frightening. . . .,” she said. “They defy you. They just come along as if they’re aiming for you and quite a number of persons, even menfolk . . . feel this.”

Akerson, who said she has been advocating the ban for a decade, said that she was once struck by a skateboard, although it did not happen in the downtown area. “This kid just got on the skateboard and couldn’t control it,” she said. “It slipped from under him and just whacked me in the shin.”