SR-8C (15)
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PCD:SF:RF:fb:SKATERPT;WP51FB
council Meeting, July 12, 1994
Santa Monica, Califor
To: Mayor and City council
From: city staff
SUbJect: Ordinance Amending Santa Monica Municipal Code sections
3.12.540, 3.12.590, 3.12.600, and 3.12.610 to Prohibit
the Use of Bicycles in Public Parking Structures; to
Authorize the City Parking and Traffic Engineer and the
Director of cultural and Community Services to Prohibit
the Use of Bicycles, Roller Skates, Skateboards and
Similar Devices with Wheels within Their Respective
Jurisdictions as Public Safety Needs Dictate; and to
Permit the Use of Bicycles on Sidewalks and Skates by
Public Safety Personnel
Introduction
The City council has directed the preparation of an ordinance
prohibiting the use of roller skates and roller blades within the
Bayside District of Downtown Santa Monica and to permit the use of
bicycles and skates by public safety personnel. The Recreation and
Parks Commission has recently recommended that the city Council
also provide authority to prohibit the use of skateboards and
roller skates in City parks upon the posting of appropriate signs.
The accompanying ordinance has been prepared in response to these
directions and in recognition of future needs which may arise. It
is presented to the city council for its consideration and
adoption.
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Backqround
In recent years, the Third street Promenade has become increasingly
popular. Counc ilmembers , police off icers and staff received
complaints from shoppers, visitors, community groups and merchants
along the Third street Promenade regarding individuals on
skateboards and roller skates (including the new popular roller
blades) and the use of bicycles in parking structures. The
Promenade is pedestrian oriented, and visitors do not expect fast
moving individuals to be passing close to them. Senior citizens
are particularly frightened and fearful of being struck by persons
on skates or skateboards. The Board of Directors of the Bayside
District Corporation has adopted a motion supporting the proposed
amendments as they apply to the Third street Promenade. Other
Ca 1 if ornia c 1. t l.es , including Sacramento, Pasadena, Burbank and
Glendale have adopted similar ordinances. The ordinance is written
to authorize the city Parking and Traffic Engineer to establish
such prohibitions as public safety needs dictate. This is done in
order to provide a quicker response to changing conditions in the
City and to avoid burdening the City Council with repeated
ordinances which would otherwise be necessary.
At a meeting on June 16, 1994, the Recreation and Parks Commission
voted unanimously to recommend that the city Council also provide
authority to prohibit skateboards and roller skates in City parks
as public safety needs dictate. The Commission has carefully
considered prohibiting skateboarding and roller skating in City
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parks. It found that, when proper equipment and precautions are
used, these activities provide healthy and constructive exercises
for youth. A total ban against skateboarding and roller skating in
all City parks could cause young people to use streets and other
more dangerous areas to enjoy these forms of exercise.
However, there are certain congested park areas where skateboarding
and rollerskating are not compatible with other activities.
Douglas Park, where the users are predominately senior citizens and
parents or caregivers with small children, is such an area. Police
officers and City staff have received frequent complaints and
requests for restrictions in that park. It is possible that
problems may arise in other parks or portions thereof. It was
recommended that an ordinance be adopted authorizing the Director
of Cultural and community Services, with the concurrence of the
Recreation and Parks Commission, to prohibit the use of roller
skates, skateboards and similar devices with wheels in City parks
and park areas as public safety needs dictate. Such prohibitions
shall be come effective only upon the posting of appropriate signs.
The attached ordinance was prepared in response to these needs and
concerns, in cooperation with the City Attorney's Office, the
cultural and community services Department, the Police Department
and the Parking and Traffic Engineering Division.
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If the City council adopts this ordinance, bicycles will be
prohibited in public parking structures. In order to facilitate
the continued use of bicycles as a desirable alternate mode of
transportation, bicycles will continue to be permitted on the
roadway of the Third street Promenade.
It is the intention of the City Parking and Traffic Engineer to
prohibit the use of roller skates, skateboards and similar devices
with wheels on the Third street Promenade between Wilshire
Boulevard and Broadway as well as in the City's parking structures
in order to meet the needs of public safety as noted above.
Similarly, if the ordinance passes, it is the intention of the
Director of Cultural and community services to prohibit the use of
bicycles, roller skates, skateboards and similar devices with
wheels in Douglas Park in order to meet the needs of public safety.
Both the City Parking and Traffic Engineer and the Director of
Cultural and Community services will monitor the areas where such
prohibitions are established and will make adjustments as
appropriate.
Discussion
The accompanying ordinance amends Municipal Code Sections 3.12.540,
3.12.590, 3.12.600 and 3.12.610 as follows:
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Sect10n 3.12.540. This Section will be amended to prohibit
bicycles in public parking structures. It will also provide that
public safety personnel may operate bicycles or roller skates at
any place in the City in the performance of their duties.
Section 3.12.590. This Section will be replaced with a new
section which authorizes the city Parking and Traffic Engineer to
prohibit the use of roller skates, skateboards and similar devices
with wheels, on public streets and other public areas as public
safety needs dictate.
section 3.12.600. This section will be replaced with a new
section which authorizes the Director of Cultural and Community
SerV1ces to prohibit the use of bicycles, roller skates,
skateboards and similar devices with wheels, in public parks and
other cultural or recreational facilities as public safety needs
dictate.
section 3.12.610. This section will be replaced with a new
section which requires the proper posting of signs before any
action authorized under sections 3.12.540, 3.12.590 or 3.12.600 may
take effect.
Budqet and Fiscal Impact
The recommendations in this report will not have any budget or
fiscal impact. Any signs required will be funded under existing
budget line items.
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Recommendation
It is respectfully recommended that the accompanying ordinance be
lntroduced for first reading.
Prepared by:
Marsha Jones Moutrie,
Suzanne Frick,
Susan McCarthy
Ron Fuchiwaki,
Frank Barnes,
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city Attorney
Director of Planning and
Community Development
Director of cultural and
Community Services
City Parking and
Traffic Engineer
Special projects Engineer
PCD:SF:RF:fb:ORDSKATE;WP51FB
Council Meeting, July 12, 1994
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER
(city council series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA AMENDING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE
SECTIONS 3.12.540, 3.12.590, 3.12.600, AND 3.12.610
TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF BICYCLES IN PUBLIC PARKING STRUCTURES
AND TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY PARKING AND TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND
THE DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF BICYCLES, ROLLER SKATES, SKATEBOARDS
AND SIMILAR DEVICES WITH WHEELS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE
JURISDICTIONS AS PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS DICTATE;
AND TO PERMIT THE USE OF BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS AND ROLLER SKATES
BY PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.540 is
amended to read as follows:
SECTION 3.12.540. Bicycle riding or coasting restricted.
(a) It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to coast
in any vehicle upon any public sidewalk, except as provided
for in section 3.12.540.
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It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to
coast in any vehicle in any public parkinq structure.
(b) Notwithstandinq (a) above or any other section of
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this code, public safety personnel may operate bicycles or
roller skates at any place in the city in the oerformance of
their duties.
SECTION 2. Existing Santa Monica Municipal Code section 3.12.590
is deleted in its entirety, and the following is inserted in lieu
thereof:
SECTION 3.12.590. Prohibi tion of roller skates,
skateboards and similar devices with wheels on public
streets and other Dublic areas.
The city Parking and Traffic Enqineer may adopt requlations
prohibitinq the use of roller skates, skateboards and similar
devices with wheels in public street riqhts-of-way, or any
sections thereof, and other pUblic areas where necessary for
public safety.
SECTION 3. Existing Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.600
is deleted in its entirety and the following is inserted in lieu
thereof:
SECTION 3.12.600. Prohibition of bicycles, roller
skates, skateboards and similar devices with wheels in
public parks, or any sections thereof, and other cultural
or recreational facilities.
The Director of Cultural and Community services may adopt
reaulations orohibitina the use of bicycles. roller skates,
skateboards and similar devices with wheels in public parks,
or any sections thereof, and other cultural or recreational
facilities where necessary for public safety.
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SECTION 4. Existing Santa Monica Municipal Code section
3.12.610 is deleted in its entirety and the following is inserted
in lieu thereof:
SECTION 3.12.610 postinq of siqns required.
Actions taken pursuant to sections 3.12.540, 3.12.590 and
3.12.600 above shall not take effect until proper siqns
convevinq notice of such prohibited uses have been posted.
SECTION 5. Any portion of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or
appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of the
Ordinance, the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are
hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to affect the
provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 6. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or
phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by a decision of any court of any competent
jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby
declares that it would have passed this ordinance, and each and
every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared
invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion
of this Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
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SECTION 7_
The Mayor shall sign and the city Clerk shall
attest to the passage of this ordinance.
The City Clerk shall
cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoption.
The Ordinance shall become
effectlve after 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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MARSHA JON MOUTRIE
city Attor ey
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