City council delayed a vote last month to ban skateboarding in the West Hills, hoping that an education campaign and bad-behavior crackdown this summer can make the heavily used downhill skating route safer.
Last year, the police have handed out exactly zero tickets to skateboarders on the steep Southwest hills, but the Oregonian got the numbers on an uptick in police patrolling the area for traffic violations recently: In the two weeks between July 25 and August 8th, police wrote 33 citations on the route. Ten of those were written for drivers, two for bicyclists and 21 went to skateboarders.
The enforcement is part of a multi-part plan put together by skaters, the police, and city of Portland planners to address unsafe skating in the neighborhood. In addition to handing out citations, the city installed these Skate-Friendly PDX signs and are making online videos that encourage kids to stop at stop signs and be nice to neighbors.
Whether the education and enforcement campaign works will be the question facing city council this fall, when they revisit a plan to ban skateboarding on West Hills’ streets.
I support the ban on hill bombing. As a former skater I know how fun it is,but they are putting themselves& others at risk. Road rash/bruises multiple concussions from eating it tend to get quite boring.
There isn’t a way to prevent your trucks from colliding into my spokes. What angers me is as I’m ascending I see the group of skaters get a ride up ( which never give me any room to think as they pass ). At their start spot, they won’t even wait a minute for me to pass as I descend. It forces me to slow up to let them to skate pass because it’s more dangerous to have them behind me.
A lead vehicle & a sag wagon won’t fix things. With skaters in the mix I have to compete for a place in the road and my own safety. I don’t want a vehicle to swerve into me to avoid the skater up the road.
Skaters power sliding their merry way in my lane/line with no way to stop themselves in a timely manner is something I could do with out. I had enough of their antics.
I still say just put speed bumps in the road.
No, that won’t do to much I seen those deranged drifters (vehicles) rip the shit out of speed bumps. Just imagine what skaters will be able to do if they harbor up their skills, they will find a way to adapt. e.g. street skating, Burnside skate park…
All the world’s problems can be solved with proper signage.
Police need give out tickets not only to the skaters, but also the drivers or whoever else is disrupting the “normal flow” of traffic in whichever area. If they contest the ticket the judge shouldn’t be a total pushover doormat as well. Revoke erratic driver license already, stop giving them out like them have a right to drive ( slightly off topic but I’ll save the text for next year{ if I don’t get run over }). My tax monies pay for your income. AhgHT!
When I did called the police their response was that I was micromanage them. Is asking you to give a ticket something your incapable of fallowing through with? Did I interrupt your death stick break?
Why do I think the government will sporadically do what it should maybe it the endorphins pumping through my veins or it’s the EBM~ Valium Era – “Tanz Im Kopf”.