

A sign at Hollywood & Vine | Photo by discarted

There's a common law that most bicyclists know in Los Angeles: sidewalk riding is legal as long as you do not have "a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." LAMC 56.15 also "disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice."

Reading that, you would think that you can ride your bike on all the other sidewalks in Los Angeles. Wrong. There are a few spots in the city where another more unknown law is in effect. LAMC 85.07, which is unlisted on the city's "Bicycle and the Law" page, regulates rollerskating, skateboarding and bicycling:

SEC. 85.07. REGULATION OF ROLLER-SKATING, SKATEBOARDING AND BICYCLING. (Added by Ord. No. 166,526, Eff. 1/27/91.) (a) The Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to install any traffic control devices it determines necessary to regulate roller-skating, skateboarding and bicycling on sidewalks and roadways in order to improve vehicular or pedestrian movement, reduce congestion or diminish accident potential. Such determinations shall be made only on the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations. When such determinations have been made, the Department is authorized to install signs giving notice as to the nature of the regulation as well as signs that provide such safety warnings as it determines will assist those engaged in the regulated activities. (b) No person shall roller-skate, skateboard, or operate a bicycle in violation of the limitations set forth on regulatory signs posted pursuant to this section.

It began in San Pedro in 1988 with a motion by Councilwoman Flores. "While great majority of these skateboard riders & cyclists are courteous & considerate of pedestrians' rights, a significant number exhibit a callous disregard for safety of those pedestrians," the motion explained. And so it was passed and three other areas were able to take advantage of the law.

