feb 5, 2013 - Skateboarding as a Mode of Transportation: Review of Regulations in California Cities and College Campuses

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By Kevin Fang

Skateboarding, most commonly thought of as a recreational activity, can also be used as an active travel mode. Recreational skateboarding also often occurs on transportation facilities. Thus, skateboarding is a phenomenon of interest to transportation planners and decision makers and a target for policy actions. A review of California cities and college campuses show that regulations on skateboard travel and riding on transportation facilities are common. Regulations most frequently prohibit skateboarding in certain areas, but are also often written to restrict certain behaviors on a skateboard. While the presence of any regulation is common, the specifics of the regulations vary, resulting in inconsistent and sometimes contradictory regulations from city to city. Justifications for regulations, although not always stated, include concerns over user safety, safety of nearby pedestrians, damage to property, behavior, interference to nearby business, and creation of a nuisance. Current regulations may be an impediment to the use of skateboards for active travel, especially when they target recreational skateboarding, but are written such that they affect all skateboarders. To encourage skateboarding as a mode of active travel, further evaluation of the actual characteristics and behavior of skateboarders may be necessary to create appropriate regulations that address legitimate issues without hindering innocuous use.

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