ORDINANCE NO. 792

ORDINANCE OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE

REGULATING THE USE OF SKATEBOARDS AND

OTHER SIMILAR DEVICES

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Riverside, State of California, Ordains as Follows:

Section 1. Definitions.

As used in this ordinance, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth herein:

Private Property means any property held by private interests which is used primarily for business, commercial, retail, office space, business park, religious, multifamily or recreational purposes. This shall also include the sidewalks contained within the private property, parking lots, alleys and parking facilities for these Private Property areas.

Public Property means any property owned or maintained by the County of Riverside or any other public entity or public utility within the police power jurisdictional boundaries of the County of Riverside.

Roller blades or Roller skates means any footwear, or device which may be attached to the foot or footwear, to which wheels are attached, including wheels that are in line and where such wheels may be used to aid the wearer in moving or propulsion.

Skateboard means a board of any material, designed for the user/rider to stand or sit upon, which has wheels attached to it, is propelled or moved by human, gravitational or mechanical power and may be operated with or without a separate steering mechanism to controls the turning of the wheels and may be operated with or without a mechanical braking system which will allow the rider to stop the wheel(s).

Section 2. General Prohibition

A. It is unlawful, and subject to punishment in accordance with Section 5 of this ordinance, for any person to ride upon or utilize any skateboard, roller blades or any similar device to ride or move about in or on any public property when the property has been designated by resolution of the Board of Supervisors and posted as a No Skateboard, Roller blading or Similar Activity Area.

B. It is unlawful, and subject to punishment in accordance with Section 5 of this ordinance, for any person to ride upon or utilize any skateboard, roller blades or any similar device to ride or move about in or on any private property within a business district in the County without the direct or implied consent of the owner if there is displayed in plain view on the property a sign prohibiting such conduct and referring to this Ordinance. As used in this section, Business district means a business district as defined in Section 235 of the California Vehicle Code.

C. No person shall use a Skateboard, Roller blades or any similar device outside of a designated No Skateboard, Roller blading or Similar Activity Area in a manner which creates a nuisance. For the purpose of this ordinance Nuisance is defined as any activity which:

i. Threatens injury to any person or property, public or private;

ii. Creates an obstruction or presents a hazard to the free and unrestricted use of public or private property by pedestrians or motorists; or

iii. Generates loud or unreasonable noise.

Section 3. Designation of Public Property as No Skateboarding, Roller blading or Similar Activity Area.

The Board of Supervisors may, upon review and recommendation of the Director of the Transportation Land Management Agency, Director of Transportation Department or Director of Building Services Department designate any public roadway, sidewalk or other public property as a No Skateboarding, Roller blading or Similar Activity Area. The Board of Supervisors shall designate such area and the times when such activity is prohibited by resolution and order the posting of appropriate signage in accordance with section 4 of this ordinance.

Section 4. Posting of Required Signs.

A. Prior to the enforcement of the prohibition on skateboarding, rollerblading or similar activities, the area so designated shall be posted with signs, which provide substantially as follows:

Skateboarding, roller blading or similar activity, is prohibited by Riverside County Ordinance No. 792. Any violation is punishable by a fine of $25.00 for the first offense.

B. Such prohibition shall apply to the property or area so designated once the property or area has been posted with signs in plain view of all entrances to the property or area. Signs so posted shall be not less than seventeen inches by twenty-two inches in size with lettering not less than one inch in height. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to post and maintain all signs prohibiting skateboarding.

Section 5. Violations - Penalty.

Any violation of this chapter is deemed an infraction, punishable by a fine of twenty-five dollars. A second violation of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine of fifty dollars. The third and any additional violations perpetrated by the same person shall constitute a misdemeanor offense and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or six months in jail, or both.

Section 6. Exemption From the Provisions of this Ordinance.

Any device designated, intended and used solely for the transportation of infants, the handicapped or incapacitated persons, devices designed, intended and used for the transportation of merchandise to and from the place of purchase and other wheeled devices, when being used for either of these purposes shall be exempt from this chapter. Furthermore the Board of Supervisors may, by resolution, suspend the enforcement provisions of this chapter to accommodate special events when so requested by the event organizer.

Section 7. This ordinance shall take effect 30 days after its adoption.