THE District of North Vancouvers municipal hall was crammed Monday night as longboarders and the drivers who reluctantly share the road with them watched council debate a new bylaw to deal with the controversial sport.
The bylaw, which passed third reading but has not yet been adopted, gives the district the right to enforce $100 fines for offences such as longboarding at night, skating on the wrong side of the road, and skating without concern for others.
The bylaw also gives the district the right to impound longboards.
Its a dangerous sport. I dont want somebody to die for people to realize how dangerous it is, said Chuck Duffy.
Duffy was the driver in a collision with a longboarder last month on Glenview Crescent. The impact left the longboarder with scrapes and bruises and caused approximately $2,000 worth of damage to Duffys truck.
Duffy, who has since collected 50 signatures on a petition to ban longboarding, discussed the mental impact of the collision.
Its the trauma that you go through when you hit a child or a young man on the road, he said.
The father of the 15-year-old who was hit also spoke to council.
It was a 50/50 split, Dan Perrett said about fault in the collision.
Perrett said he took a video camera to the Glenview Crescent corner and tried to capture footage of drivers who were speeding, coasting through stop signs, and talking on cell phones.
It only took me about 15 minutes, he said.
Mayor Richard Walton supported the proposed bylaw, but he did not rule out a longboarding ban.
Were trying to work with you, but ultimately it lies on you, he said, addressing the longboarders in the municipal hall. I will be prepared to ban it.
Walton said there needs to be more respect from longboarders for the community.
This is not a right, anymore than its a right to drive a car. Its a privilege.
Coun. Robin Hicks did not support the bylaw.
This is dealing with human life, Hicks said. I think the danger and potential conflict is too great.
Longboards dont lend themselves to parks, and the districts streets dont lend themselves to longboards, according to Hicks.
I dont think our roads are built to accommodate longboarders, he said.
The bylaw should distinguish between longboarding as a sport and longboarders who commute to school and work, according to Hicks.
Longboarding as a sport, I dont think should be allowed on local or public roads, Hicks said.
Coun. Roger Bassam compared the explosive growth of longboarding to mountain biking.
Mountain biking, years ago, was a fringe sport. Its now mainstream, Bassam said. Im not interested in banning longboards, I think its going to be part of our community for a long time to come.
Bassam added that a policy of banning activities where some participants are not in compliance with the rules would lead the district to outlaw dogs and bicycles.
Coun. Lisa Muri agreed.
Just saying No, you cant do that, is not going to solve the problem, she said.
Muri expressed optimism about the longboardings future in North Vancouver, but said longboarders needed to be safe and respectful to keep their sport alive.
The big bad council may pull you back in here and we may ban it, she said.
The bylaw received support, and some criticism, from Coun. Mike Little.
Im not a fan of the $100 fine, Little said.
The steep fines may encourage a fight or flight mentality, according to Little.
Youre going to see injuries because people will try to run, he said.
Little would opt for $50 fines, and the ability to forgive fines if the longboarders comply with regulations.
Little also discussed longboard impoundment.
I hope that it is used with a great degree of discretion, he said. In a free society, it is not necessarily a risk-free society.
The districts bylaw should move forward in concert with the City of North Vancouvers regulations, according to Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn.
I am concerned that there is a disconnect between our regulations and the city regulations, he said.
MacKay-Dunn asked for district staff to reach out to city staff before the bylaw is adopted.
The longboarders, like everybody else, dont know if theyre in the district or the city.
The longboarding bylaw could be adopted at the March 26 council meeting.
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