Last week the Carlsbad City Council updated City code regarding “inline and roller skaters” allowing them to basically roll anywhere they want on the upper sea wall and in the Village. Sadly, the new updates did nothing to correct the City’s insanely draconian rules regarding skateboarding.
Inline and roller skaters are free to cruise the upper seawall in Carlsbad, as long as they use caution, according to updated rules introduced Tuesday to the City Council. The lower seawall will remain a pedestrian only zone, with no wheeled forms of transportation allowed. . . . The rule changes also allow inline and roller skaters in the Village area. Skateboards will continue to be banned from the upper and lower seawall, the walkway on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack Avenue and Cannon Road, the Village area and other commercial zones where signs are posted.
Reading this just reminds us how unworthy the City of Carlsbad is of its deep roots in skateboarding heritage. It’s just plain sad. Follow the jump for the completely uninformed justification for not changing the skateboarding rules along with the Rollerbladers.Skating rule updates focused on safety
Inline and roller skaters are free to cruise the upper seawall in Carlsbad, as long as they use caution, according to updated rules introduced Tuesday to the City Council. The lower seawall will remain a pedestrian only zone, with no wheeled forms of transportation allowed.
“The seawalls are some of the most popular places in the whole city to exercise, and for good reason,” said City of Carlsbad Police Capt. Neil Gallucci. “Our job is to make sure people are safe, whether on wheels or on foot.”
The rule changes also allow inline and roller skates in the Village area. Skateboards will continue to be banned from the upper and lower seawall, the walkway on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack Avenue and Cannon Road, the Village area and other commercial zones where signs are posted.
“Skateboards pose a greater threat to safety and property, especially when boards get loose and shoot at high speeds across crowded areas,” said Gallucci.
Inline skates weren’t included in the city’s original ordinance language, because when it was adopted inline skates weren’t very common as a way to get around or exercise.
Gallucci said signs will be posted around the city to let the public know about the restrictions, and police will ticket those who do not comply.
The vehicle code bars any form of transportation from bicycle lanes except bicycles; small wheeled vehicles are not allowed in bike lanes.
The following restrictions will apply after the changes take effect, 30 days after the new rules are adopted. The adoption is currently scheduled for May 10.
Skateboards will continue to be barred in the downtown Village and on the upper and lower seawall on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack Avenue and Pine Street.
Roller skates and inline skates will be allowed in the Village and on the sidewalk on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack and Pine, but skaters must exercise care.
Only pedestrians are permitted on the lower seawall between Tamarack and Pine. No other form of transportation is permitted there.
Skateboards, inline skates, roller skates, coasters and toy vehicles are banned in commercial zones where signs are posted.
Riding bicycles is prohibited on sidewalks or in drainage ditches, culverts or channels, or on city athletic courts or in gymnasiums.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Oceanside, Encinitas & Leucadia have designated areas…why not Carlsbad? Especially since the skatepark was born here in our very own city!
allowing in line skates any where on the boardwalk or downtown
is a travesty . carlsbad used to be a a great place for a walk and dinning out , now it is
overrun with dogs , skateboards and roller blades . by the way , the boardwalk should be renamed to ” the dog s##t capital of the world “. cops never enforce any of this .
Carlsbad used to be a great place to live, now its overrun with close minded grouches like this guy above me
We all know why — inline skaters and roller skaters are more likely to be *tourists* and we all know that the city likes to pander to tourists only — the heck with everyone else!
i grew up in carlsbad in the 50’s . fields of strawberry’s and tomatoes and groves of avocado’s , lemons and oranges . you could hear the waves breaking in the quiet
evening hours . it was an idyllic setting . now it’s just filled with worthless idiots
like carlsgood , who’s blurred wide angled distortion of society invites the scarcity of common courtesy , breeds the devout belief in the lack of discipline and embraces a free-for-all run-amok culture with a complete disregard for civility .
Just because you use big words and have lived in carlsbad since the 50s doesn’t make me an idiot. Times are changed, you were a kid once too. I’m sure you “ran-amok” in the fields before supper as a child. As for having a distorted view…. wake up. Not everyone who owns a skateboard cuts off pedestrians (just like, not everyone who drives a car forgets to use there blinker). Look around you. The real things that ruined your idyllic setting, would be fast food restaurants, housing developements, etc. Not skateboards.
The new skateboard zone is Garfield st. I think they had a special on LONGBOARDS @ Witts cause anybody that has legs is pushing one of those down the middle of the street. WHICH IS GOOD because they are a hazard to drivers- the cars have to SLOW DOWN to the speed limit (25). I hope they stay on sale !!!! SLOWDOWN carlsbad !!!
what will they do to the ZONIE that wants to spend his money in the village and ride his longboard down the boardwalk? experiencing that ideal california day? they will let him enjoy his stay in carlstab…er i mean carlsbad. LONGBOARD skateboards are the new rollerblades….. come on city council. embrace the tourism dollars. the ol rebel skate theme has been made main stream. Heck, Ronald mcdonald is on a skateboard on the side of the milk jug…. not playing tennis,or baseball.