Open Paved Fire Roads to Skateboarding

Editor,

Hi. I just wanted to share my thoughts of speedboarding as a homeowner on Summit Drive.

Personally I have no problem with speedboarding as a sport, but on public streets it does create unnecessary risks for speedboarders and drivers. As a cyclist I am responsible to abide by the respective traffic laws and ride in the shoulder or designated bike lanes where possible. This clearly is not respected the same way with speedboarders and I have personally witnessed a number of near misses or an out of control board careen down the street posing a risk for oncoming traffic.

Perhaps an alternative would be to allow speedboarding on some of the paved fire access trails where there is no traffic to contend with and there is still considerable elevation climbs, which speedboarders enjoy.

I am in favor of a speedboarding ban on public streets.

Michael McKinzie, Laguna Beach