Los Angeles Municipal Code § 56.15 Bicycle Riding – Sidewalks

(Amended by Ord. No. 148,990, Eff. 12/17/76.)

1. No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard, cart, wagon, wheelchair, rollerskates, or any other device moved exclusively by human power, on a sidewalk, bikeway or boardwalk in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. (Amended by Ord. No. 166,189, Eff. 10/7/90.)

2. No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle or unicycle on Ocean Front Walk between Marine Street and Via Marina within the City of Los Angeles, except that bicycle or unicycle riding shall be permitted along the bicycle path adjacent to Ocean Front Walk between Marine Street and Washington Boulevard. (Amended by Ord. No. 153,474, Eff. 4/12/80.)

3. No person shall operate on a beach bicycle path, or on an area of a beach which is set aside for bicycle or unicycle use, any bicycle or tricycle which provides for side-by-side seating thereon or which has affixed thereto any attachment or appendage which protrudes from the side of the bicycle or tricycle and is used or designed to carry another person or persons thereon.

4. (Repealed by Ord. No. 187,667, Eff. 12/19/22.)

(Amended by Ord. No. 182,389, Eff. 3/17/13.)

(a) “Skateboard” defined. As used in this chapter, a skateboard is any board or other flat object which has wheels attached to it by any means whatsoever and which is intended to be propelled by pushing, pulling, body movement, or gravity and to which there is not affixed any device or mechanism for steering.

(b) Skateboarding prohibited at specified locations. The City Council may, by ordinance, specify certain public roadways, public sidewalks, public parking lots and other public property, or portions thereof, on which skateboarding shall be prohibited.

(c) Skateboarding on public property. Persons riding on skateboards on public roadways, public side- walks, public parking lots and other public property shall comply with the following requirements and

restrictions:

1. Skateboarding in the upright position. Persons riding on skateboards shall do so only in the upright, standing position. Using, pushing, propelling or riding on a skateboard in a sitting, prone, kneeling or

lying position is prohibited.

2. Traffic controls. Persons riding on skateboards on public roadways shall obey all speed limits, stop signs, signal lights, and other traffic controls that govern right-of-way.

3. Yielding to traffic in same direction. Persons riding on skateboards on public roadways shall ride close to the far-right edge of the roadway, and shall yield to vehicles approaching from the rear by moving

to the right curb or shoulder of the roadway.

4. Uncontrolled intersections. When approaching an uncontrolled intersection, persons riding on skateboards on public roadways or public sidewalks shall yield to vehicles that are so near as to present a hazard

and shall not cross the intersection at a speed in excess of ten (10) miles per hour.

5. Manner of operation. No person shall operate a skateboard recklessly or in such a manner or at such a speed as to cause or threaten to cause injury to themself or to others, to create an obstruction or to present

a hazard to the free use of public property by other pedestrians or motorists.

6. Attaching to or towing by vehicle. A person operating a skateboard shall not attach the same or themself to any motor vehicle on the roadway. In addition, a person shall not knowingly drive a motor vehicle

that is towing a person riding upon a skateboard.

(d) Penalty for violations. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate or fail to comply with the provisions of this section. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be subject to fines as established by the City Council.

(Added by Ord. No. 184,109, Eff. 4/4/16.)

(a) Prohibition. No person shall ride a skateboard on Hermano Drive between its northern boundary at Reseda Boulevard and its southern terminus, which is a cul-de-sac. This prohibition against skateboarding shall include the roadway, parkway, and sidewalk of Hermano Drive.

(b) Penalty. A first violation of this Section shall be an infraction punishable by a fine in the amount of $50. Any subsequent violation of this Section shall be an infraction punishable by a fine in the amount of $100.

(Added by Ord. No. 187,564, Eff. 8/8/22.)

(a) The following definitions shall apply to this section:

(1) “Bicycle” means a transportation device with two or more wheels, equipped with handlebars, forks, cranks, pedals, and one or more seats, that is propelled either exclusively by human power or with assistance from a motor.

(2) “Bicycle Part” means handlebars, wheels, forks, pedals, cranks, seats, or chains.

(3) “Person” means a natural person, individual, group, business, business trust, company, corporation, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, entity, association, club or organization composed of two or more individuals (or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, officer, or employee of any of them).

(4) “Public Property” means any public right- of-way, street, sidewalk, alley, parkway, public passageway, beach, park, or other public property owned or managed by the City.

(b) Except as otherwise stated in this section, no Person shall assemble, disassemble, sell, offer to sell, distribute, offer to distribute, or store the following items on Public Property within the City:

(1) Five or more Bicycle Parts;

(2) A Bicycle frame with the gear cables or brake cables cut;

(3) Two or more Bicycles with missing Bicycle Parts; or

(4) Three or more Bicycles.

(c) The prohibitions in Subsection (b) shall not apply to:

(1) A Person operating under a valid City business license or permit authorizing such activities.

(2) A Person in possession of a single Bicycle, which is being repaired as a result of malfunction or damage that occurred while the Person rode the Bicycle on Public Property. The sole purpose of the repair shall be to restore the Bicycle to its operational form and enable the Person to resume riding the Bicycle.

(d) Severability. If any subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this section, or any application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability.