Title
Scope of Sidewalk Riding and Skateboarding Referral
Recommended Action
Discuss scope of sidewalk bicycle riding and skateboarding referral from Council
Report
Issue:
Council referred the issue of people skateboarding and riding bicycles on sidewalks in downtown Olympia to the BPAC for the committee to review in 2014.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8575.
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8575.
Background and Analysis:
Several state laws govern where a bicyclist may ride in the public right-of-way. Those laws specify that no one may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk in a commercial area. Much of downtown is commercial, therefore it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in the commercial parts of downtown. It is, however, common for people to ride bicycles and skateboards on downtown sidewalks, so the Council referred this issue to the BPAC for review in 2014.
The BPAC was asked to review policies and laws in other cities regarding sidewalk riding and skateboarding and to respond to Council with its findings. Staff will prepare a report later this year to provide BPAC members with background research on this issue. The purpose of this discussion is to talk about the scope of the review and provide feedback to staff before the report is prepared.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
This affects the downtown.
Options:
1. The committee may discuss the scope of the review
2. The committee may move to wait until staff has prepared a background report before discussing the referral
Financial Impact:
None known