Jeff Green, Hamilton Spectator
October 4, 2011

A proposed $75 fine for skateboarding, longboarding and street luging on Burlington roads took a step back today after city councillors recommended staff revisit the scope of the fine.
It’s illegal to ride a skateboard, longboard or luge on city streets, but there is no fine enforcing it.
With a rubber stamp from the Community Services Committee, the fine was set to be approved Oct. 17. But it was pulled back Monday for an additional look, and that elicited a look of frustration from Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven.
“These lugers and skateboarders are going downhill at night in packs and are frightening a lot of folks up in Tyandaga (the area north of the 403 and west of Brant Street) and something needs to be done,” said Craven.
Craven expects the next time the fine could go to council would be in 2012.
The proposal for the fine was put to councillors in April, in response to residents’ complaints about longboarders and street lugers riding down hills, ignoring stop signs — and causing grief for motorists.
In particular, hills on Kerns Road, Waterdown Road and King Road — all in Ward 1 — have been “abused,” according to Craven.
Resistance came from councillors Marianne Meed Ward, Blair Lancaster, Paul Sharman and Jack Dennison.
Meed Ward pushed to limit the scope of the fine to only street lugers. There was also a suggestion the bylaw fine be enforced on selected hills, and not citywide.
Craven tried to assure council that it wasn’t the intention of police to fine kids who are skateboarding to school.
“We’re acting on the advice of police in regards to this fine. I’m very disappointed that the members of council don’t have enough faith in our police to handle this with discretion,” added Craven, who thinks boarders “should be on the sidewalk.”
At Mapleview Skate Park, riders Dave Turner and Taylor Hamilton want clear rules on where they’re allowed to ride.
“I thought sidewalks were illegal,” said Hamilton. “So you’re going to fine a 12-year-old kid $75 for skateboarding?”
Well, not exactly, but Craven wants police to make that choice.
Right now, they can’t.

In the last year, two longboarders from the Burlington and Hamilton area were involved in serious accidents. Burlington 16-year-old Levi Baggs ended up with multiple fractures and a dented skull in June after colliding with a vehicle. And 20-year-old Daniel Abdolalian-Dolmer died from his wounds after being struck by a car while boarding in Hamilton in May.http://www.insidehalton.com/print/1219455