Sulphur Springs City Council will be asked at an upcoming meeting to approve on second reading an ordinance prohibiting most wheeled devices from being driven, rolled and ridden on sidewalks in “commercially zoned areas.”
Ordinance No. 2760, as proposed would amend Chapter 25, Article VI of the city code, changing the title to “Bicycles, scooters and other wheeled conveyances.” The code would include “skateboards, scooters, roller blades and other similar devices” which would be prohibited on sidewalks in commercially zones areas.
City Attorney Jim McLeroy said the proposed change was considered following a community request to city officials. Bicyclists are already prohibited from riding on sidewalks downtown and in other commercially zoned areas. The change would simply expand the code to include other wheeled conveyances which are prohibited on sidewalks.
“The request was to expand that to skateboard, roller blades and those type of conveyances that are really inconsistent with normal pedestrian use in downtown areas. We have the skate park and park that we make room for that. We have walking trails around the lake they can actually ride on. They don’t need to be downtown on the sidewalk and in our commercial districts using skateboards and putting themselves and other pedestrians at risk,” McLeroy said when presenting the proposal to the City Council for first reading approval.
Ordinance 2760 received City Council approval on first reading this week, and will be presented at a future meeting for second reading and council approval.
